“Nosferatu” (2024) is a remake of the iconic 1922 silent film of the same title. While the new version has the same general story, it adds a lot of details and fleshes out the characters more. While some of the charm from the original is gone, I find that the gothic atmosphere in the remake works much better.
“Nosferatu” follows Ellen Hutter (played by Lily-Rose Depp) and Thomas Hutter (played by Nicholas Hoult), a newly married couple. When Thomas leaves town for his work, an ancient evil being who has been infatuated with Ellen since she was a child begins to track her down.
The cast is what really makes this movie work for me. Depp is absolutely phenomenal and gives one of the most fearless performances in a movie. She truly commits and it makes the possession scenes that happen incredibly harrowing and scary. Hoult also carries this movie for almost the entire first act; the castle portion of this movie revolves completely around him, and he is so engaging to watch put into these high anxiety and stressful scenes. While Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin were not in the film for a long time, I felt they were both great. The two elevated what is the weakest part of the script.
Outside of Depp, the performance that makes this movie is Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok. It was one of the most disgusting, terrifying and nasty performances I have seen in some time. The accent that he does in this movie is insane vocal work, it took me a few scenes to realize that it was Skårsgard due to his voice and the absolutely superb makeup and prosthetics. Also, Willem Dafoe is good in everything and every movie is immediately elevated by his wacky, one-of-a-kind performances.
Horror films are iconic for having something to say in them, especially recently. For example, the new wave of “Blumhouse” teen movies about facing your past traumas or more auteur-driven horror like Jordan Peele’s “NOPE” and anything made by Ari Aster. Horror is really the best gateway to say how you feel about a certain thing. With all that being said, the way that “Nosferatu” handles such heavy topics, such as sexual abuse is commendable.
A lot of horror movies use women as a plot device, but I feel that the way it is handled in “Nosferatu” is quite different from the rest. Ellen has a lot of agency as a character, and that shines through especially in the ending of the film where she decides her own fate. What makes “Nosferatu” stand out the most among other horror, is its unwillingness to sacrifice character for cheap scares.
Robert Eggers is becoming an iconic director with each passing film he does. Each movie improves upon the other and each one increases in scope. His grasp on tone is remarkable – it seems like each film he makes has this incredible gothic tone where the atmosphere feels almost suffocating. This is no different with “Nosferatu.” The way that Eggers uses darkness and shadows here is breathtaking, and his continued partnership with cinematographer Jarin Blaschke (who has shot every one of Eggers’ films) proves to make some of the most breathtaking imagery. A director like Eggers breaking onto the mainstream scene is so good for the future of movies, as someone making unique and scary movies like these will always do well.
An aspect of filmmaking that is often overlooked is the use of practical visual effects. The work that these make-up artists do in “Nosferatu” is stunning and makes the movie as terrifying as it is. The first reveal of Count Orlok is almost jaw-dropping, and while he deserves credit, it is not effective at all without the work of the incredibly gifted make-up artists.
Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” is one of the best films of the year. With a standout cast led by Depp and Skarsgård and incredible prosthetic and makeup work, along with Eggers’ masterful direction, “Nosferatu” is a must see.
Rating: 10/10
