Forget about the wooden stakes, the garlic, and the kisses of death on the neck. Everyone knows that’s not really how you fend off a vampire. That’s just Universal Studios movie lore. As depicted in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu (2024), breaking the curse of a vampyr is a far more complicated process than that. FAR more complicated.
Nosferatu is a hauntingly beautiful reimagining of F.W. Murnau's 1922 masterpiece that could only spring from the genius of Robert Eggers. Honoring the long shadow cast by the original Nosferatu, Eggers breathes visceral life into this gothic tale of obsession, pain, and terror, making it a deeply human and refreshingly modern masterpiece. With meticulous attention to period detail and unparalleled craftsmanship, Eggers has unearthed the vampire for a new generation, proving that the bones of the past can support something magnificently compelling.
At its core, Nosferatu is a heartbreaking story of a haunted young woman, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), whose life becomes emotionally entwined with the monstrous Count Orlok (a terrifying Bill Skarsgård). This is not just a tale of lust and horror—it’s a profound exploration of the trauma that lingers through time, the suffocating weight of societal expectations, and the battle between personal agency and monstrous appetites. Breaking from Nosferatu lore, Ellen is given a poignant backstory that transforms her from a passive victim into the beating heart of the story, infusing the film with an emotional depth rarely seen in gothic horror.
Rose-Depp gives a career-defining performance as Ellen, seamlessly capturing her vulnerability and resilience. Her Ellen is not merely prey to Orlok’s dark desire, but a woman fighting both the literal monster that stalks her and the oppressive norms of her nineteenth-century society. Eggers ensures this is Ellen’s film, a deeply personal evolution of the classic damsel-in-distress archetype. Her connection with Orlok transcends the physical realm in one particularly unforgettable possession sequence. Eggers, always at his best when leaning into the surreal, crafts a scene that feels both spiritual and terrifying, leaving us spellbound and shaken. I’m still shivering!
Bill Skarsgård embodies Count Orlok in a way that’s nothing short of iconic. His movements, his gaze, and even his eerie vocal countenance are otherworldly, yet undeniably human—he is both predator and tragic figure. In one particularly unsettling exchange between he and Ellen, with blood bubbling from his lips, he tells her "I am an appetite." Skarsgård’s Orlok doesn’t just haunt Ellen’s world; he dominates every frame with a looming, visceral intensity that will etch itself into the psyche of viewers. The gurgling of the blood from his victim's bodies is truly horrifying.
Willem Dafoe, as the mysterious and enigmatic Professor von Franz, delivers a performance imbued with gravitas and mystery, while Nicholas Hoult’s Thomas Hutter, Ellen’s new husband, grounds the narrative with his affable yet increasingly desperate portrayal.
The technical brilliance of Nosferatu cannot be overstated. Eggers’ world is one of meticulous design, where every shadow seems alive and every frame feels as though it holds a secret. The marriage between his period-accurate production design and Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography brings the black-and-white aesthetic of the original into startling, vivid modernity. Combined with Robin Carolan’s eerie, spellbinding score, the world of Nosferatu feels as immersive as it is unsettling.
Eggers describes this project as “the vampire I wanted to exhume for a modern audience,” and he delivers on that assertion completely. Nosferatu (2024) is more than a reimagining—it’s a rebirth. It’s a film that challenges what gothic horror can be, grounding its terrors in heartbreak, trauma, and human frailty. Every moment is charged with dread and symbolism, building to a finale that is as haunting and inevitable as it is unforgettable.
For fans of Robert Eggers and gothic storytelling, this is not just a film to watch; it’s a film to experience, to be consumed by. Nosferatu is an unapologetic triumph, one that confirms Eggers as one of the most visionary storytellers of our time. If this is the vampire of the modern age, we can only revel in the darkly luminous nightmares it brings.
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 134 mins
Director: Robert Eggers
Writer: Robert Eggers
Cast: Lily-Rose Depp; Nicholas Hoult; Bill Skarsgård
Genre: Horror
Tagline: Succumb to the Darkness
Memorable Movie Quote: "We are here encountering the undead plague carrier... the vampyr... Nosferatu."
Distributor: Focus Features
Official Site: https://www.focusfeatures.com/nosferatu/
Release Date: December 25, 2024
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
