‘Nosferatu’ Movie Review: Succumb to Robert Eggers’ Gothic Horror Remake
Photo from Focus Features
From Jeff Nelson
The story of Nosferatu beckons back to F. W. Murnau’s 1922 silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, and therefore Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, which has no shortage of adaptations and re-imaginings. Robert Eggers marvelously pairs his signature folk horror into the legendary story, rediscovering a nightmarish vision that feels both traditional and fresh. His deliberately slow pacing lends well to this Gothic horror tale that is light on characterization but heavy on vampiric frights.
Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is sent on a business trip to a Transylvanian castle, where the vampiric Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) intends to complete his real estate transaction. However, Thomas’ new wife, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), is haunted by terrible nightmares connected to the terrifying infatuation Thomas’ client has for her.
Eggers concocts an unsettling fever dream that unfolds in a delirious purgatory. Ellen suffers from horrendous night terrors that are only tempered by the comfort Thomas’ presence provides. She tries to dissuade him from making the trek, fearing life or death consequences that he dismisses. The local village offers similarly ominous warnings that eventually seep into his reality during his solitary walk to a castle that feels like descending into a wintery hellscape of doom. Thomas’ first encounter with Orlok fills every corner of his soul with the fear and dread his wife warned him of.
The Gothic romance becomes a possession story of sorts. Orlok and Ellen’s spiritual connection stands in the way of her love for Thomas. However, the vampire’s love equates to death and darkness, which has symptoms that walk the line between the paranormal and mental illness via unsettling night trances. Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) believes her symptoms to be supernatural indicators, although his rash methods come off as another form of madness.
Last year’s The Last Voyage of the Demeter depicts Orlok as an aggressive creature in a slasher premise. Eggers returns the story to its full scope, keeping the titular character shrouded by the shadows. He utilizes the vampire’s imposing presence as a source of power and intimidation, phenomenally captured by Bill Skarsgård’s performance. He’s unrecognizable underneath impressive makeup and prosthetics and a booming voice that commands every frame he lingers within.
The characters don’t have much in the way of depth, but Skarsgård has a terrific cast of co-stars to haunt. Depp is exceptional in her portrayal of Ellen’s fear and supernatural episodes. Her full-body physicality brings to mind Isabelle Adjani’s performance from 1981’s Possession. Meanwhile, Hoult turns in a career-best performance as Thomas, particularly in how he emits panic out of every pore when Orlok is near.
Eggers’ Nosferatu is a visual marvel. Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke forges some of the most striking images you’ll see in any film this year. He makes impressive use of shadows, drenching a diluted color palette in a coat of terror. Linda Muir’s costume design and Robin Carolan’s score are similarly magnificent in generating this bleak, gloomy world Eggers has such a strong command of.
Nosferatu conjures a frightening Gothic horror nightmare soaked in macabre grandeur. The storytelling and characters aren’t much richer than their original versions, offering a shift in perspective and relying on Eggers’ grandiose visual abilities. With that said, it’s a highly effective remake that can still find what is so terrifying about a classic story of which we’ve seen countless iterations.
Rating: 4/5
Nosferatu hits theaters on December 25th, 2024.
