Robert Eggers’ new blockbuster film, “Nosferatu,” came out in theaters on Christmas Day, leaving audiences world-wide with mixed feelings. The movie, starring Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgard, and Willem Dafoe, has garnered attention for it’s impressive costumes and terrifying performance by Skarsgard. Some are calling it a Gothic Masterpiece, while others believed it to be too slow to fit in the Horror genre. The director, Robert Eggers, has released multiple hit horror movies in the past decade, such as The Witch and The Lighthouse. When the news hit that Eggers’ new movie would be a remake of the 1922 film of the same name, as well as an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula, the movie scene immediately recognized the project as highly anticipated.
Nosferatu is the story of Ellen Hutter, a young woman in 1800’s Germany who is being hunted by a cruel and animalistic vampire. Nosferatu is a retelling of Dracula, with many of its key plot points being the same. Count Orlok is more possessive and vile than Count Dracula, and even more ancient. Orlok captivates audiences with his brooding voice and sinister intentions. A few changes were made from the original Count Orlok character to its recent version, the biggest and most controversial change being his mustache. Since the movie premiered, viewers have been torn between their opinion of it; some say that it looks out of place, while others see it as making him look more Transylvanian. The iconic villain looks uniquely different from its past interpretations, such as the romantic look of Gary Oldman’s Dracula or the costume-y aesthetic of Bela Legosi in the 1931 film. Count Orlok in the new Nosferatu adaptation is nothing short of repulsive and terrifying.
Overall, the movie was a success with an 85% rotten tomatoes score and a 7.7 on IMDB, making it one of the more critically successful movies of the year. Compared to some other horror movies to come out in 2024 such as Terrifier 3 and The Substance, Nosferatu stood out from the rest by relying more on cinematography and suspense rather than cheap jumpscares and shock factor. To some Horror fans, Nosferatu is simply too boring to live up to their standards, while fans of Gothic Horror and Vampire Horror categorize the new film as a modern classic. Nosferatu holds up among audiences and critics alike, but it is not for everyone. The story is a fresh take on the timeless and iconic character of Dracula, while also holding onto the key elements that have made the story so iconic. The movie is disturbing, suspenseful, and definitely not your typical vampire love story. If you’re looking for Gothic Horror with all of it’s passion, bleakness, and toxicity, Nosferatu is sure to deliver.
