Director Robert Eggers’ passion project was always to remake the 1922 film NosferatuBut he thought it would be extremely bold of him to remake one of the most iconic horror films of all time as his first film. Now, with his fourth belt and plenty of praise to his name, Eggers has brought his own interpretation of the vampire tale to the big screen, which in turn was an unauthorized remake of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. So, how does this film fair as both an Eggers film and a Gothic horror picture?
As with his previous three films, Robert Eggers wrote the screenplay. NosferatuBut unlike his previous works, he has to adapt someone else’s work and put his own spin on it. contrary to the original Nosferatu That said, Eggers is able to fill his film with dialogue and as such, has brought in a talented cast to help bring his vision to life. It stars Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult as Ellen and Thomas Hutter, two newlyweds, their wealthy friends Frederick and Anna Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin), Willem Dafoe as Professor von Franz, Dr. Sievers as Includes Ralph Ineson. Simon McBurney as Herr Knock. Everyone involved does a really good job with their roles, especially Hoult and Depp, who have to convey sheer horror and fear throughout the film.
The scene stealer, however, will be the titular vampire lord Bill Skarsgård, known publicly as Count Orlok. Skarsgård’s voice and body are completely unrecognizable, completely disappearing into the role. His look (thankfully never revealed in marketing) is probably not what you’d expect, but I thought it worked and was quite a departure from the original presentation. But her voice, a clipped and staccato drone, is haunting and unsettling.
In fact, nagging and unrest is probably the best way to describe it. NosferatuIt’s a dark and disturbing film that doesn’t shy away from horrors, both supernatural and physical. There is abundant wealth, dissection, and plague throughout the film, overshadowed by a never-ending sense of dread and despair. All of this is enhanced by the cinematography of Jaren Blaschke, who has shot all of Eggers’ films to date. Despite being filmed in color, the film appears to be in black and white and Blaschke really makes excellent use of shadows to enhance the horror as well as the supernatural aspects of the vampire powers. For example, shadows are cast on walls, but no one is present to cast those shadows. You can pause the movie at any time during the entire movie and you will be left with a frame that looks like a painting. The sets are also extraordinary, especially the city of Visborg, which is densely populated and completely believable as a real location. Orlok’s castle is cold and abandoned, yet grand and claustrophobic despite its size.
I think compared to Egger’s previous works Nosferatu Possibly his most accessible feature film to date. But it still has moments that range from bizarre to disturbing. Some of these worked, but I found that some did not, which created a sense of conspiracy. At two hours and fifteen minutes the film seemed longer than it actually was. At times, I felt the film was being weird for the sake of being weird because that’s what one expects from an Eggers picture. I think the film, overall, would have benefited from trimming about ten minutes off the entire runtime, just to tighten up the pace a bit.
Finally, a 2024 remake Nosferatu It is a film full of fear and terror. Not for the faint of heart, but if you’re in the mood to see a film that emphasizes those sensibilities in a 19th-century setting, and that makes cinematic vampires terrifying once again, then this is a solid recommendation.
