Focus Features has released five eerie character posters for Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu film just in time to celebrate Halloween. Although all are frightening, the posters maintain the Christmas movie’s aversion to revealing its title character. We aren’t going to fault the studio for that, because it’s pretty genius to hold off on unveiling Nossy’s vampiric visage to the world.
As stated above, Nosferatu‘s official X/Twitter account has revealed five posters, showcasing actors Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Emma Corrin. Each poster sees the aforementioned performers posed up in smoky, desaturated mugshots with shadows draped over their eyes. In a clever bit of photographic imagery, the light refracted off each set of pitch-black olive eyes conveys unnerving dread akin to wild animals stalking their prey in the dead of night.
Nosferatu’s social media team doubled down on the Instagram-worthy horror-core thread by posing the question, “Does evil come from within us or from beyond?” Feel free to look at these sullen faces and measure the answer for yourself.
As you can see, the above poster grid is missing a space for Bill Skarsgård’s yet-to-be-seen Count Orlok. Rather than rage at the grid’s non-uniformity (trust me, it’s a trial), we’re here to slap the studio on the back for not showing him off.
Nowadays, modern horror tends to lose the fear of the unknown that the genre is known for by making its titular monsters the most prominent part of its advertising. In Nosferatu‘s trailer and promotional material thus far, we barely get a peek at the tall bloke. Nonetheless, his presence is undeniably felt in every nook and cranny of Nosferatu‘s trailer and poster. Hopefully, Focus Features’ build-up of dread will manifest in a packed opening weekend with moviegoers champing at the bit to gaze upon the vampire’s face.
The official synopsis of Nosferatu teases it as a “gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.” For those needing a more specific plot setup, the film follows a woman named Ellen Hutter (Depp) suffering recurring nightmares about the wedding night massacre of her husband (Hoult) at the hands of Count Orlok (Skarsgård). Elsewhere, Professor Albin Heinz Eberhart von Franz (Dafoe) dedicates himself to eradicating vampires, an endeavor signaled by an influx of plague-carrying rats from Transylvania. Y’know, like the spirit of Christmas.
Nosferatu hits theaters December 25.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
English (US) ·