So, although Nosferatu develops an atmospheric, tense film, it does not stand out enough aside from appearance compared to the book and movies that preceded it. Still, it’s a stunning aesthetic nonetheless.
What Nosferatu lacks in character, it makes up for in arthouse shots that bring a vast breadth to the world of the classic vampire. While the characters are not sympathetic and veer between overly dramatic or underplayed, it delivers an alluring visual look that is the director’s signature. The biggest issue for the film is its roots. It’s from the 1922 silent film of the same name, an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s book, Dracula. So, although Nosferatu develops an atmospheric, tense film, it does not stand out enough aside from appearance compared to the book and movies that preceded it. Still, it’s a stunning aesthetic nonetheless.
Written and directed by Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse, The Witch), the movie, starring Lily-Rose Depp (Voyagers, The King) as Ellen Hutter and Nicholas Hoult (Juror #2, The Menu) as her husband, Thomas Hutter, has them facing off with the vampire. Thomas heads to Count Orlok’s, performed by Bill Skarsgård (It, John Wick: Chapter 4), castle to help with his move, and soon realizes the danger he’s in and Orlok’s connection to his wife, Ellen. With Orlok on the way and a plague looming, they must find a way to stop him.
Nosferatu Shows Women’s Sexuality Brings the Devil
On this front, Nosferatu does capture that terror running amok. The movie even goes as far as to declare that women guided by their sexual urges are more susceptible to vampiric attack and possession. So, it leans into the archaic belief of don’t be horny, and you’ll be safe. Inarguably, this story predates the rulebook of slasher films like Halloween. But here, sex under the right conditions—i.e., marriage—is acceptable. However, wanting sex even more than your husband is unacceptable.
This aspect shines amid the gloom. It emphasizes how women constantly have their fears and needs diminished. While men are logical, women emotional and without reason. Ellen suffers from this with her husband ignoring her worries. Even the Van Helsing version in this film, Albin Eberhart von Franz, played by Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), emphasizes that women’s lust is an issue. Ellen has no agency. She is at the mercy of the men around her who ignore, cast her aside, ridicule her, or demand her submission. Nosferatu captures this but feels without purpose beyond a stylistic retelling.
Eggers Fans Will Love This
Fans of Robert Eggers’s previous films and his unique visual style will probably love this. Still, look-wise is is very impressive, like a drearier 300. But it’s impossible not to compare the story to previous takes on the famous vampire from Bram Stoker’s book. Everything felt too much like a discount version of the real thing. The monster is a shocking grotesquerie, coming far from the 1922 film.
This is not Eggers’s fault. However, little stands out regarding dialogue, and exaggerated physical acting has the opposite effect here—at least for me—feeling funny instead of frightening. Too many close-up gasps and grunts gave me flashbacks to the hilarious antics in The First Omen. The performance works, but none stand out or overshadow the old cinema with the new lens look that Nosferatu delivers. Plus, sometimes the conversations feel like audiences are missing crucial parts.
Unfortunately, Orlok is no Gary Oldman. And Annie Lennox won’t belt out their love song. Still, Nosferatu is visually bleak and sleek, delivering an atmosphere as foreboding as Dracula—Orlok’s castle. While Robert Eggers’s unique style is always a sight to behold, the consistent deathly pale casting makes it less impressive and more Tim Burton leeched of all color. On appearance alone, though, Nosferatu is worth watching. But it’s a one-and-done for me. For pasty people flipping out and being nonsensical, there is the news and social media.
