NOSFERATU (2024)

Genre: Horror/Mystery
Director: Robert Eggers
Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, Willem Dafoe 
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Rating: M18 (Nudity and Sexual Scene)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 27 February 2025

Synopsis: Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

Movie Review:

Even with just three films under his belt, there is no doubt that Robert Eggers is a modern-day auteur filmmaker. That is also why we were so eagerly awaiting his long-declared passion project, a remake of the 1922 silent horror titled ‘Nosferatu: A Symphony Of Horror’, which had Eggers enraptured since he was nine years old. And indeed, Eggers does not disappoint – his faithful remake is fascinating not just as a period vampire tale, but also as a masterclass in atmosphere.

Right from the first scene, Eggers impresses with his use of light, dark and shadows, setting up an ominous start with the young Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) whispering a prayer for a ‘spirit for comfort’ that is answered by a creature with a primal, guttural appetite for blood and female companionship. Our first encounter with the creature who will come to be known as Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) is as a silhouette against the soft, white curtains of Ellen’s bedroom window, and when it asks whether she would pledge herself to him, Ellen says ‘yes’.

Unlike his predecessor, Eggers places the focus here on Ellen, whose dalliance and eventual resistance of her obsessive suitor comes into sharp focus in the latter half of the movie. The setup though follows the same beat, with a young, newly-wed and inexperienced solicitor named Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) tasked by his boss Herr Knock (Simon McBurney) to journey to Transylvania in order to finalise a real estate deal with a mysterious count.

Despite Ellen’s pleadings for him not to go, Thomas sees it as a ripe career opportunity and so upon settling Ellen at the residence of his wealthy friend Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), makes the arduous trek to a sinister castle in the mountains. En route, Thomas stops by a primeval village where he is shocked to see an impaling, and despite yet another warning by its villagers not to go further, proceeds onwards to meet the Count.

Not only does Thomas end up becoming feast for Count Orlok, Ellen’s fate is also sealed after the latter seizes Thomas’s locket containing her photo and decides to claim her as his lover. Unbeknownst to him, Thomas also signs a contract that effectively renounces his marriage to Ellen and binds her to Count Orlok. As he draws near, Ellen experiences nightly seizures that grow progressively more extreme, although it is not until Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) arrives that the true nature of the danger confronting Ellen is revealed.

Eggers is a master at pacing and build-up; here, he carefully orchestrates the creeping influence of Count Orlok on Ellen, including through a scene-stealing supporting act by Herr Knock whom has pledged his life and soul to do the Count’s bidding, and thereafter his inevitable descent onto the German town of Wisborg to bring plague and all other sorts of hell on its residents. It is to Eggers’ credit that the foreboding feels as genuine as it does here, especially given how such genre fare can so easily veer into cliché and tackiness.

It is also to Eggers’ credit that he has assembled such an excellent ensemble for this retelling. Depp is full bloodedly committed, and her transformation from a damsel-in-distress into a worthwhile heroine who turns the Count’s hold over her into advantage is utterly convincing. Hoult may be saddled with the Everyman role, but he finds surprising poignancy as a dedicated husband who tries helplessly to save his wife from a calamity partly of his doing. Both Taylor-Johnson and Dafoe excel at being the de-facto vampire hunters of the film, and the latter in particular is clearly enjoying himself leaning into the eccentricity of his character.

Still, Eggers knows that ‘Nosferatu’ ought to be a Dracula movie, and in that regard, has fashioned a bestial version of the bloodsucking monster that returns the vampire back to its folkloric roots. Like he did as Pennywise in ‘It’, Skarsgård disappears into the role of Count Orlok here, and through copious amounts of rotting flesh and makeup, ensures that we feel the carnality of his character. It is as grotesque a portrayal as you can imagine, and thanks to Skarsgård’s commitment, a fully compelling one that makes the vampire genre movie fresh and captivating again.

And with ‘Nosferatu’, Eggers reinforces why he is indeed a modern-day auteur filmmaker. This is not just a blindly reverential remake, but one that reveals an artist with a clear vision at work. From the absorbing mise-en-scene, to the reimagining of the characters, and down to the images and themes of vampire lore, ‘Nosferatu’ is a rich, tasteful (as ironic as that may sound) portrait of obsession, possession and human spirit. It is by far one of the best examples of the genre in recent time, and as satisfying a vampire movie to sink your teeth into.

Movie Rating:

(Rich in atmosphere, folklore and visuals, Robert Eggers' remake of the 1922 classic reinforces why the filmmaker is a modern-day auteur with a clear vision at work) 

Review by Gabriel Chong