Over a century ago, F. W. Murnau’s silent film, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, shocked audiences and introduced the world to a monstrous take on the story of Count Dracula. An unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s opus, Dracula, 1922’s Nosferatu was nearly erased entirely. However, the film survived, and its longevity shaped the future of gothic horror in film. In 2024, Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse) brought the vampire back to the big screen with a full remake, now with sound. The film is a remarkable achievement for the horror genre, garnering critical acclaim for its acting and stunning cinematography. Above all, 2024’s Nosferatu succeeded in adapting a classic film for modern audiences.
The film opens with an extended moment of darkness and silence, soon to be broken by Lily Rose Depp’s voice calling to an unknown figure. This extended take immediately immerses the viewer into the quiet horror of Nosferatu, the kind of immersion that Eggers is known for. His previous three films, The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019), and The Northman (2022), each received praise for remarkable attention to detail and historical accuracy (sans the supernatural). This continues in Nosferatu, as Eggers attempts to reconnect the titular vampire to folkloric vampires. In an interview with The Guardian, Eggers explained his abnormal approach to vampirism, saying, “The vampire of folklore is not a suave, dinner jacket-wearing seducer. The vampire of folklore is a corpse.” Bill Skårskgard’s Count Orlok (Nosferatu) is depicted as such, with rotting flesh and thinning hair. This attempt at accuracy seems to falter for some audiences, however, once it is revealed that Orlok has a large mustache. While it may be distracting in certain instances, Eggers was insistent on capturing the image of 1830s Romanian wealth.
The cinematography, done by Jarin Blaschke on film, is perhaps the film’s strongest point. Blaschke manages to make the film’s shadows into characters, with a sweeping overhead shot of a German town being engulfed by a dark hand and a smaller shot of the shadow of Orlok unlocking a chamber door. In terms of performances, Lily Rose Depp and Bill Skårskgard melt into their roles with intensity and horror. Skårskgard’s take on an archaic Romanian accent is instantly iconic, with drawn out rolled R’s and struggled gasps for air. Depp’s performance is equally horrifying, with an Exorcist-esque possession scene that is truly disturbing.
Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu has been nominated for four Oscars, an outstanding achievement for a horror film, and will likely cement itself as a new classic in the genre.
