Nosferatu (2025) - Review

 "Does evil come from within us, or from beyond?"

The shadow of the vampyr has loomed over the genre of Gothic media ever since the introduction of a certain tale, wound of a reclusive Count and his efforts to step out of the shadows, intruding and infecting foreign lands with his languid touch. Bram Stoker's Dracula has seen adaptation across all forms of media, and it is a tale that has evolved and been expanded upon by prospective story tellers.

Such a case was F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu (1922): an unauthorised adaptation of Dracula, which took Stoker's work and repackaged it for German audiences, including a change of names, locale, and key events of the plot. After prints of the film survived the destruction ordered by courts on behalf of Stoker's widow, it was universally recognised as a benchmark for all genre horror films, and the pinnacle of what the Gothic had to offer the cinematic world.

Now that this film itself resides within the public domain, alongside its source material, Robert Eggers, over a century later, has decided to try his hand at adapting the adapted; to recreate Nosferatu in modern cinema. Eggers is the prime candidate for such a task; having already impressed with folk horror The VVItch and supernatural horror The Lighthouse, as well as establishing a knack for period with his Norse epic, The Northman, I was eager to see how he would tackle an adaptation of one of the most iconic vampyr tales in all of cinematic history, over a century after it left its mark upon the world.

Needless to say, Robert Eggers' Nosferatu is my favourite film of 2024. A Gothic horror of impressive scale, executed with aplomb and skill. Eggers has become my favourite director currently treading the boards of horror, followed closely by David Brucker and Jordan Peele. His impressive realisation of Victorian-era Germany and his utilisation of every facet to emphasise Orlock's infection is genuinely gripping. The claustrophobia of the bustling streets is eradicated as they become eerily empty, its few occupants the plague-ridden dead and pyres lit on high. The spiritual elements of the film are eerily fantastical, the faint chanting of voices and sharp violins piercing the mind and driving the madness of its characters into a madness shared. The music by Robin Carolan is genuinely gripping, especially in its utilisation of string; the violin is tranquil and grimly beautiful, yet urgent and heart-stopping at times, as if the instruments are being played with a knife's edge. Craig Lathrop and Beatrice Brentnerova's production design gives Eggers a playground of absolutely glorious locations to choose from. Orlock's castle and new estate are particularly dreadful locations, and even the Hutter and Harding estates both are later weaponised in their domesticity to spell doom for the Count's victims. Linda Muir's costumes are absolutely on-point, even the smallest of roles being given fits that beg questions of their roles in their world. The cinematography of Jarin Blaschke is once again second to none. There is a constant use of oppressively cold lighting, aided by Blaschke's palpably slow, sweeping pans between character and confrontational misfortune, establishing dread and stirring an unease that often reminds the viewer that no one is safe.

All of these elements are complemented marvellously by the performances of the cast, wherein not a single link is weak or underwhelming. Lily-Rose Depp offers a tour-de-force turn as Ellen Hutter, providing delicacy and madness in equal measure. Her cursed nature and regret of her unwilling invitation to the Count anchors the film's stakes superbly. Her ability to convey the Count’s hold on her soul is genuinely frightening; her convulsions and portrayal of spiritual assault are as tenaciously well-performed as they are frequent. She is supported nobly by Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter, who displays an impressively vulnerable heroism that inspires the audience to root for him to save Ellen from the invader's clutches.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson gives an understated yet emotionally powerful performance as Friedrich Harding; the hardships he and his family suffer and the flaws of his character that emerge as a result are genuinely some of the emotional highlights of the film. Emma Corrin sneaks in a brilliant performance as his wife, Anna Harding, as she tries to keep optimistic in times of such strife and support both husband, children, and friend Ellen.

Ralph Ineson absolutely disappears into the role of Doctor Wilhelm Sievers, his only recognisable attribute being his voice, which he wields with impressive authority as a man of science and reason confronting the occult. Willem Dafoe performs the role of Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz with gusteau, as to be expected of him at this point; his performance of the occult doctor is equal parts tender and driven, his prime directive in eradicating the ancient evil never faltering, no matter the cost or scrutiny from his fellow man. And Simon McBurney, a character actor who I always love seeing around, sneaks in a fantastically maddened and unnervingly vile performance as Herr Knock.

However, the REAL showstopper is Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok / the titular Nosferatu. Skarsgård has always added so much to the films he is a part of, especially in horror films, such as It (2017). His performance as Count Orlok is mesmerisingly coarse, vile, and cruel. His voice has unimaginably bleak weight, like a long dormant evil has risen from beyond the pale; he haunts his victims with his very words, wielding the fear it inspires with a commanding tone befitting the wickedly royal and entitled creature. His stature is oppressive and makes it clear where the dynamic of any interaction stands; even when he is at a lower elevation to his other, out of focus and shrouded in the dark, he still has the viewer's attention firmly ensnared by his hand. And his form is monstrously hideous in its perverse animality; his feral nature rears its ugly head in some of the most heart racing sequences in any horror film, owed in part to his fantastic body language. Dare I say, it is Skarsgård's best performance to date.

Whether you are a fan of the original, of the Gothic, of horror in general, or the Vampyr, Nosferatu is a film I cannot recommend enough. Ripe with brilliant performances, presented by a team of artists who know their stuff, and provided to us with an unmistakable vision that is realised without flaw, it is a film I shall not easily forget.

See it. It is playing everywhere currently. You will not regret it.

"You will obey this, my counsel."