Robert Eggers’ new vision of Nosferatu takes audiences deeper into the nightmare spawned over 100 years ago in F.W. Murnau’s silent classic. Eggers has long been a master of detail, and with each new entry into his career, we find more and more flourishes buried in every dark corner of his work. From the sound of a gate clanking shut to the particles of dust floating in the air on an abandoned road to the wax seal indicating ancient occult horror, no detail fails to align with a complete cinematic vision.
Eggers has spoken specifically about the deep research he did to create the world. The experience created is total, with a unique focus on using negative space, and what lies just outside the frame and underneath the surface. This doesn’t just apply to the obvious elements but to the very meaning of the story, and the layers added by Eggers in this latest remake. The genius of the movie lies in its execution of detail, and its extension of the lore and mythos of Nosferatu 100 years later.
A Familiar Story with a Few New Surprises
Nosferatu is the story of an ancient demon woken by the call of a young woman, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp). From the opening frame, waking life and living nightmare blend for the audience and character alike. Ellen is later married to Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), a man trying to make his fortune selling real estate. He gets stuck with a “golden opportunity” from his super creepy boss, Herr Knock (Simon McBurney in the classic Renfield role), which requires him to travel to a remote castle and secure the sale of a lavish property in Thomas’ town to the strange and barely living Count Orlok.
While the basic narrative remains the same as the original, this not your great-grandfather’s Count Orlok (though he may resemble him in his current decomposed state). Eggers created, as he always does, a grounded, realistic version of the character. It’s almost as if he asked himself, “Let’s assume Orlok was real, and this all really happened. How would it look? How would it sound?” Therein lies the classic execution and attention to detail that defines Eggers’ work.
Back to the plot: Thomas’ need to prove himself and make a living overcomes a million indicators that this is a horrible idea. It’s not until he’s sitting with the disturbing Count Orlok (who seems to travel around space) that Thomas starts to feel like this venture (that he was warned against repeatedly) is maybe not the best. Thomas persists, even signing the Count’s weird documents. It’s only when Thomas wakes up with bite marks on his body that he decides it’s time to head home. Someone should show Thomas a certain Bram Stoker novel.
Unfortunately for Thomas, this is way too late. He discovers the truth that Orlok is an undead creature. Not only that, but Orlok wants to live near Thomas’ German hometown to be close to Ellen, which makes Thomas even more desperate to get home.
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Lily-Rose Depp Becomes Ellen Hutter
Meanwhile, Ellen is overtaken with fits and seizures while in the care of Thomas’ super-wealthy pal, Friedrich (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). The local Dr. Wilhelm Sievers (Ralph Ineson) sees this as nothing but her ongoing hysterics. At least until Knock, who had vanished, reappears eating animals alive and ranting crazily about the imminent return of some evil “him,” which is almost exactly what Ellen has been saying in her trance state.
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Enter the master of the occult, Professor Albin Eberhart (Willem Dafoe), who teams with Ellen and Thomas in attempting to end Orlok’s reign and spare everyone from the death and damnation he brings. A lot of gory deaths, jump scares, and uniquely strange sex scenes litter the road to the grotesque yet beautiful finale. However, at a certain point, the careful wandering through dark hallways by unwitting characters feels a bit slow and predictable. This slower pace creates a lull in the middle of the film; tighter editing or more intense horror sequences could’ve helped connect the stronger first and third acts.
100 Years After F.W. Murnau’s ‘Nosferatu’
Back in 1922, German filmmaker F.W. Murnau adapted Bram Stoker’s Dracula for the screen, but to avoid potential legal issues, he changed the character from Dracula to Count Orlok, gave him some distinct qualities, and mixed up the story a bit. The result was a film that stood on its own as an original take on vampire lore, also marking it as a critical piece of German Expressionism, a film movement that continues to inform so much of what we watch today.
Is Nosferatu Dracula? Not really! Nosferatu is the archaic Romanian word for Vampire, and Orlok is the rechristened, theoretically royalty-free Dracula. The problem was that Bram Stoker’s estate wasn’t buying this and won a lawsuit that bankrupted the studio and resulted in all prints of the film being destroyed.
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One special print somehow made it out alive, was duplicated, and turned Nosferatu into a cult classic. There was even an ongoing urban legend that actor Max Schreck who played Orlok originally was actually a Vampire, which is part of what fueled the unique 2000 film Shadow of the Vampire which starred — surprise, surprise — Willem Dafoe as Orlok/Schreck.
A Feminist ‘Nosferatu’ Emboldened by Robert Eggers’ Direction
One of the more interesting things about Nosferatu (2024) is how it adds a new implied meaning and sense of agency to the classic plot events. The focus on the character of Ellen and the performance of Lily-Rose Depp makes the film her story. In a way, she summons this demon; she is the only thing he wants, and only she can really banish him.
Characters reference how her animal nature is what attracts him, or draws her connection to his world. It is distinctly sexual, and it is through sexuality that she ultimately confronts Orlok. This builds on the idea that women’s sexuality or power over sex and its relationship to life is something connected to other planes of existence. Eberhart is clear on this fact, and he believes it is her unique gift.
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While Eggers’ films all have distinct supernatural elements, they are all grounded in a historical context that helps them resonate with audiences.
In the original version and in Nosferatu the VampyreWerner Herzog’s 1979 remake, the female lead is also pivotal in the battle against Orlok. However, only Eggers has given responsibility for the creature to his female lead, imbuing her with a more complete power and relationship to the demon and his realm.
Eggers has a way of presenting his movies in an almost theatrical or stage-like manner. Flat tableaus ask audiences to witness historical events. This style also helps hint at meaning without spelling it out specifically. Eggers is a master of “show don’t tell,” which is an increasingly rare but critical filmmaking skill. This makes sense with his background in theater, even having adapted Nosferatu for the stage as a teenager.
The Cast of ‘Nosferatu’
Lily-Rose Depp is challenged with scenes depicting Ellen’s ‘melancholy’ but also the seizures, somnambulism, and demonic possessions. It’s a lot for anyone, and she pulls it all off, creating the story’s core focal point. Hoult and Aaron Talyor-Johnson do their best with the somewhat foolish male characters who can’t get out of their own way long enough to recognize major threats until it’s far too late.
Bill Skarsgård vanishes into Count Orlok, this variation being far more grotesque and corpse-like than previous ones. However, one pretty distinct choice is the solid mustache this Orlok sports. Orlok’s voice is an achievement all on its own and worthy of a movie theater’s sound system. Dafoe is cast in the Van Helsing role, and he does a good job keeping it grounded and chewing into some of the bigger moments when the story allows for it. On the whole, the cast is fully committed to this world, blending in seamlessly with the shadowy gothic horror of Eggers’ haunted version of history.
Eggers’ Nosferatu is meant for horror fans, cinephiles, and anyone looking to get a deeper and grosser take on the classic. It’s a fascinating experiment in a remake, creating a bookend to the history of cinematic horror, from the 1920s to now. If you’re familiar with the story, however, there are very few plot changes, and if you haven’t seen it, it’s probably a higher priority than this version. Nonetheless, this is a film stamped with its own aesthetic and a great example of how, 100 years later, the technological advances may be better, but the fundamentals remain. Nosferatu is in theaters on December 25, 2024, from Focus Features. It’s a production of Maiden Voyage Pictures, Studio 8, and Birch Hill Road Entertainment.
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