‘Nosferatu’ (2024, review)

Barely a decade on from his feature film debut The Witch, Robert Eggers has established himself as a unique voice in the world of contemporary cinema, his trademarks being carefully researched settings for odd tales of yesteryear, desaturated visuals, and heaps of brooding atmosphere often reminiscent of silver screen pioneers such as Dreyer and Murnau.

As such, it seems only fitting that Eggers would sink his teeth into retelling Bram Stoker’s Dracula with his take on the Nosferatu rendition of the Irish author’s iconic 1897 gothic horror tale.

Marrying the narrative framework of Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre with the operatically swollen style of Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Eggers’ Nosferatu exists at the intersection of previous adaptations without the director losing his own voice, resulting in a worthwhile addition to vampire cinema in general and Dracula adaptations in particular.

Threateningly dreamlike, Eggers’ Nosferatu envelops the audience in an ever-mounting sense of dread, weaving a relentlessly dark and tragic narrative tapestry with hauntingly erotic overtones, even if Bill Skarsgård’s Count Orlok is more demonic than seductive.

Filmed in Czechia, cinematographer Jarin Blaschke once again brings Eggers’ vision to life with mesmerizing results, expertly utilizing Prague’s historic streets to their full potential to create a credible period setting for the urban portions of the story, and the use of a 13th century gothic castle similarly creates a suitably unsettling setting for the Count’s dwelling.

Lily-Rose Depp’s portrayal of Ellen – the reluctant object of Orlok’s desire – oozes melancholy, moving back and forth between catatonia and mania with sufficient restraint to avoid becoming cumbrous, rhyming well with the sensual intensity brewing beneath Skargård’s unpleasant special effects makeup.

The other players also expertly embody their characters to create a satisfying gallery of archetypes, and in the time-honored tradition of Renfield portrayals of all eras, in spite of his sparse screentime, Simon McBurney leaves a lasting impression as Orlok’s deranged servant Knock.

As he is known to do, Willem Dafoe also manages to steal scenes as the eccentric Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, who is summoned thanks to his knowledge of the occult, and while Dafoe is used sparingly, his acting prowess ensures he leaves a memorable mark on the film without his charisma overshadowing the other performers.

Slowly and steadily writhing its way through its runtime, the pacing is par for the course for those familiar with Eggers’ storytelling, feeling no need to rush through the proceedings.

Naturally, this also means that those who struggle to find his filmmaking compelling are unlikely to be won over by his foray into vampiric horror, but for those who have been anticipating Eggers’ latest effort, his take on Nosferatu is set to enthrall fans of his work once more.

Verdict: 9 out of 10.

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Produced by Jeff Robinov, John Graham,
Chris Columbus, Eleanor Columbus, Robert Eggers
Based on Nosferatu by Henrik Galeen
Screenplay and Directed by Robert Eggers
Starring Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp,
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe