Nosferatu (2024)

As you already know, I’ve always enjoyed horror films. I especially enjoy watching them with a packed house in a theatre. One man who’s taken this genre in a whole new direction has been Robert Eggers. Even though he hasn’t done much, he certainly has made a name for himself in the film industry. I admire his use of historical settings, their folklore elements, and to be historically accurate. And lately, I got to go see his remake of Nosferatu the day after its release. As someone who has seen the original 1922 silent film, it was quite different to say the least and it made for one interesting experience. I was fascinated with Eggers’s take on the freaky as hell vampire who’s more isolated than me and the type of style he brought to this film. I’ve seen quite a number of vampire films and I can’t remember one that actually provided the right amount of scares as much as this one did. I even include the classics in that category. Eggers really is a visionary when it comes to his films and he sure knows how to shake the audience up. I can’t wait to discuss this gothic tale further, so let’s get to it.

     The story is the same as the original where Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) becomes infatuated with real estate agent Thomas Hutter’s (Nicholas Hoult) wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp). Man, when a centuries old vampire is obsessed with one woman, it kind of makes me feel like I’m actually normal when it comes to what I’m obsessed with. The rest of the cast includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Emma Corrin. I thought the acting was stellar and everyone brought their A game to this movie, especially Bill Skarsgård as the Count. Nicholas Hoult crushes it in everything he does and you could feel his terror throughout the film. Lily-Rose Depp was absolutely sensational as the wife and took me places I didn’t know I would go when I watched this. I liked Aaron Taylor Johnson as Friedrich Harding, a ship merchant and Thomas Hutter’s friend; and Emma Corrin as Harding’s wife, Anna. Once again, Willem Dafoe turns in an absolute tour de force of a performance as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz. The visuals were stunning and helped bring this world to life. When Eggers chooses his settings, he really knows how to pull you back in time and Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography was next level. Another thing I like about this movie is that Eggers seems to be the master of tension building. With his long takes and a music score by Robin Carolan, the tension was high and I was on the edge of my seat. If you know anything about Robert Eggers, then you know that his work can be pretty graphic in terms of violence and sex and this movie was certainly no exception there. But if you’re used to something like that in movies, then I’m sure you can make this film experience work. I will admit, the pacing did feel slow at first but with more of the positives I just listed, that only felt minor. I haven’t gone to the theatre in a while but I sure am glad that this was the movie I chose to see going back.

     This was a very memorable film experience that kept me engaged and my anxiety was through the roof with this one (I mean that as a positive). Again, my only negative was the pacing but that’s not really that big of a deal. With that said, I’d have to give this movie a 9 out of 10. If you’re a fan of horror, vampires, or Robert Eggers, then head on over to your local theatre and check this one out. In my opinion, it’s totally worth the price of admission.