Jacked In Reviews ‘Nosferatu’ (2024)

Although we are greeted by Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) covered in a dark, bluish hue (similar to the nighttime segments of F. W. Murnau’s 1922 original), Robert Eggers lets us know his Nosferatu intends to go a much darker route – when a beast of unfathomable disgust grabs her by the throat.

The history of Nosferatu is fascinating. It was originally adapted from Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel but done so, illegally. Therefore, certain elements had to be changed to avoid being sued (evidently this still happened and most film copies were destroyed). Harker became Hatter, Count Dracula became Count Orlok, and so on. So, essentially, this is a remake of the “loose” adaptation, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.

Putting it simply, if Dracula is a love story, then Nosferatu is about feral lust.

You can consider Murnau’s movie as the outer casing of this remake – the Transylvanian Count Orlok travelling to (via boat of course) Germany and feeding on those in his wake along the way. The reason being, that all those moments are still present, only this time around, we’re cracking that casing open and discovering more rotting layers within. It’s fair to say when Orlok first stepped into the limelight, he put the creature in ‘Creature of the Night’ with his rat-like features and corpse-like movements (courtesy of the infamous Max Schreck). And it’s this aspect that Eggers has delved into and expanded on most. Putting it simply, if Dracula is a love story, then Nosferatu is about feral lust.

With each shot perfectly orchestrated, it almost runs similar to that of a nightmare…

Light and shadow are expertly utilised in Eggers’ adaptation – along with certain stylistic elements paying homage to the Murnau’s original. However, this is done subtly, seamlessly fitting into this iteration rather than being an on-the-nose easter egg. With each shot perfectly orchestrated, it almost runs similar to that of a nightmare, complemented by the unnerving practical effects and locations beautifully throughout. It truly gives the lore the respect it deserves and reminds us why CGI should be used sparingly within the horror genre – if at all.

Willem Dafoe returns to the world of Nosferatu once again (having previously played Schreck in the fictionalised behind-the-scenes tale, Shadow of the Vampire) playing the Swiss, theatrical, Van Helsing-esque, Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz. At the forefront of the story, Depp delivers a tremendous intense sadness (mentally and physically) opposite her damsel-in-distress husband, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult).

With different onscreen interpretations of a fanged-foe being done time and time again since 1922, Eggers manages to bring us something fresh (maybe not the best word). Doing what he does best in by expanding on folklore, the director gives us our first-ever glimpse of what an undead, vampiric nobleman might actually look like… and it’s gloriously grotesque, that’s for sure.

Bill Skarsgård is almost unrecognisable (both visually and audibly) as the Count in his most sinister role yet…

Although masked by the darkness more than his predecessor for the most part, when in his presence, Bill Skarsgård is almost unrecognisable (both visually and audibly) as the Count in his most sinister role yet (a feat thought to be impossible after playing the menacing clown, Pennywise). Never repeating himself in terms of what Skarsgård brings to a role, the incredibly skilled and versatile actor is now – most definitely – a horror icon.

And with that, Eggers resurrects the scary vampire sub-genre with his gothic remake that will well and truly stay crawling under your skin long after the credits have finished rolling.

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