io9 Survived the Nosferatu Experience

io9 was invited to the Nosferatu Experience to immerse ourselves in the world of the upcoming Focus Features picture directed by Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse). The hauntingly vampiric walk-though was a limited engagement put on by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment’s Director of Immersive Jon Braver, who spearheaded the team behind interactive play series Delusion on the collaboration.

Photo: Sabina Graves, io9/Gizmodo

The evening event was held December 16-18 at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. The Masonic Lodge was transformed into the manor of one Count Orlok (in Eggers’ movie, he’s played by Bill Skarsgård), who invites you on moody tour of his estate for some business dealings. Its transformation into the world of Nosferatu was furthered by an eerie soundscape from the film’s composer, Robin Carolan.

A tour, you say? That seemed totally safe—what could really be the harm of checking out a collection of screen-used props and costumes, as well as occult objects and very intensely dark magic relics?

However, it was more than just an exhibit; the space was brought to life by actors who leaned into the gothic tone of the film in engagingly haunted ways. For one thing they were very concerned about the contract drawn up by Orlok’s cavalier associate—insisting that I sign it, despite it being in a language that was not decipherable to my eye. And yes, I signed it, what can I say? I’m a deeply curious person when it comes to vampires and I want that Nosferatu coffin real bad. So I definitely wasn’t going to listen to any warnings not to from plague rat-infested loons and deeply pious pretty ladies.

This movie tie-in encounter was definitely a “lite” version of the Delusion team’s annual interactive haunt plays that do not allow video recording. So if you’ve ever been curious about one of their productions, this was definitely a gateway taste of the West Coast’s juggernaut’s immersive theater slate. At the Nosferatu Experience we were able to capture the creepy unease of the film’s tone on camera as the strange inhabitants led us through various corridors to see elements of the film’s plot without much context including mildly graphic black magic rituals and the sense of fear looming over certain artifacts like Orlok’s coffin and books of dark magic.

Two women hovered in unhinged terror at the shadow of the vampire cast over the walls as if he were approaching and it drove the plague victims even madder. By then the ink was dry on my contract so it was too late, I had to approach my fate as I got closer to meeting the Count. What exactly transpired I can only vaguely remember but I sure do have two pointy marks on my neck and a strange aversion to the light. So Focus Features, when does my Nosferatu coffin bed arrive?

Photo: Sabina Graves, io9/Gizmodo

Nosferatu opens in theaters on December 25.

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