NOSFERATU is a 2024 horror film written and directed by Robert Eggers, the King of Folklorian Horror. It is an adaptation of the 1922 German film NOSFERATU: A SYMPHONY OF HORROR. The plot follows Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), an estate agent who leaves his newlywed bride Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) to travel to Transylvania to meet his new client, Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgรฅrd).
As a huge horror fan, I have been looking forward to this film since its announcement. I had been aware of the general NOSFERATU lore but did not actually watch the original 1922 film until September of this year (2024). I paired this to be a double feature after I watched BABYGIRL, so I had a pretty good palette going into this. Leading up to the film, I heard a lot of discourse from people online asking, “Will I like this if I like vampire movies but not horror movies?” I laughed at these questions because it seemed quite obvious. However, I, unfortunately, should have been the one asking these questions because, from the first jumpscare, I did not prepare myself for just how much of a horror it would be.
I have mixed feelings about this film. However, I will start with the things I enjoyed. This was one of the most unsettling and anxiety-inducing horror films I have ever seen. There were many moments in the film when I felt my palms sweating and trapped in my seat. The jump scares were well done and did not rely on sound to increase the scare factor. The imagery and scenes, as well as the overarching themes, were just incredibly haunting throughout.
The cinematography had many beautiful moments. The last shot is one that I can already tell will go down in horror history, the same way we speak about Jack in the door during THE SHINING or Carrie standing under the bucket of blood in CARRIE. That ending was the absolute best way you could have closed the film. Eggers did so much justice to the beauty of Lily-Rose Depp and the tragic despair she goes through. The use of shadows and coloring reminded me of a very, VERY similar film, BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA from 1992 directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
The costumes were gorgeous. I thought WICKED was a lock-in at the Oscars, but it now has serious competition. Although I do not regularly discuss costumes, their impact on this film was a plus, as they also contributed to the production design.
The acting was astounding, with big props for Lily-Rose Depp. Her beautiful, tragic, and despairing performance perfectly captured female melancholy. Bill Skarsgรฅrd was somehow both unrecognizable and so truly Skarsgรฅrd in the role. Nicholas Hoult does wonderful dramatic roles and is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. He gave such a standout performance. The rest of the cast shapes the ensemble, with fantastic performances from Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, and Simon McBurney.
Now, unfortunately, my issues outweighed the pros. Before I say any of this, I must say that I started to feel quite ill about a quarter of the way through the film due to the incredibly awful pacing. The movie begins with a bang and then finishes the last 15 minutes quite strongly, but the 2 hours between these moments did not feel adequately written. I truly felt like I would never get out of that theater. During the second half, you start to witness more stuff occur, but nothing happens during Act 1, and whatever does repeats itself.
As much as I loved the costumes, I was not the biggest fan of the makeup or hairstyling. Lily-Rose Depp’s wig looked like a low-quality one. Also, the design choice for Count Orlok was interesting, specifically the facial hair.
Overall, I think this film has a very specific audience. If you like Gothic horror or the original, you will love NOSFERATU. You will probably not love this if you prefer vampire media like TWILIGHT or THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. If it weren’t for the pacing and the script structure, I would have deeply liked it and given it an Experience Now rating. I am so happy so many people love this and think it’s a masterpiece! Ultimately, this will be a big opportunity for horror to be recognized at The Oscars, so that’s always a huge stride made.
NOSFERATU is in theaters now (as of 12/28).
