Nosferatu (2024)
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Premise: A remake of the 1922 film based on Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. A woman (Lily-Rose Depp) is haunted by visions of a malevolent but erotic force while the vampire Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) relocates from Transylvania to Germany.
What Works: 2024’s Nosferatu is the third version of this particular interpretation of Dracula following the original 1922 silent film directed by F.W. Murnau and the 1979 version directed by Werner Herzog. Murnau’s Nosferatu is one of the best and most significant films in the horror genre while Herzog’s remake is distinguished for its existential take on the story. Robert Eggers’ version of Nosferatu is true to Murnau’s film and to Bram Stoker’s novel while incorporating elements of Herzog’s version. Yet, Eggers’ Nosferatu is a distinct take on this story with a relatively fresh angle on this material. The movie focuses on Ellen as she is haunted by visions of Count Orlok. This Nosferatu brings forward the violent and erotic subtext found in many vampire stories, including Dracula, and it emphasizes the intermingling of Eros and Thanatos. Ellen is terrified of Orlok but she is also attracted to his monstrosity and Orlok is drawn to this German town by her desire. This is the horror of a toxic relationship made literal and it threatens to destroy everything in its path. That horror permeates the atmosphere of this movie and it is erotically charged in an authentically gothic way. Nosferatu’s atmosphere is one of the film’s best assets, owing much to Craig Lathrop’s production design and Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography. Although shot in color, Nosferatu has a washed out look that recalls the imagery of the original silent film. It merges the old with the new and Nosferatu has a cold visual style that suits the material. There is also an eroticism to Nosferatu that’s brought out in Lily-Rose Depp’s performance as Ellen. Fear and desire are evident throughout her scenes and Depp keeps herself in an agitated state throughout the film. We don’t actually see much of Count Orlok but Bill Skarsgård’s vocal performance is commanding and conveys ancient power and menace. The creature design of Orlok is unlike what we’ve typically seen in vampire films and it is monstrous but also resembles elements of the vampire as described in Bram Stoker’s novel and images of the historical figure Vlad the Impaler.
What Doesn’t: Nosferatu is very much a Robert Eggers movie and Eggers’ style tends toward arthouse filmmaking. It’s a bit slower than more commercial horror films and although there are jump scares it is more about mood than it is about violence. Nosferatu is focused on the relationship between Orlok and Ellen but struggles finding a use for the other characters. That’s most evident in Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe) who is the equivalent of Dr. Van Helsing in the original Dracula. There’s not much for the character to do here and he is ultimately rather extraneous to the story.
Bottom Line: Nosferatu is an accomplished horror film. It succeeds in its own right with its performances, production design, and cinematography. As a remake, Eggers brings a unique take on the material. With time, 2024’s Nosferatu may be ranked alongside 1982’s The Thing and 1986’s The Fly among the great horror remakes.
Episode: #1030 (January 5, 2025)