Nosferatu: A Gothic Fantasy Dripping in Dread & Beauty
Genre: Horror, Fantasy
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Starring: Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård
Release Date: December 25th, 2024
Platform: Theater
Rating: 4.5/5
By Crystal Justine & Stephen Lackey
“A director who consistently delivers atmospheric and thought-provoking films.”
Few films have been as highly anticipated as NOSFERATU, Robert Eggers’ long-gestating passion project and a haunting reimagining of the 1922 horror classic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. With its gothic romance, chilling atmosphere, and an all-star cast featuring Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgårdand Willem Dafoe, the film promised to be a mesmerizing descent into darkness. But does Eggers’ vision live up to the hype, or does it fall victim to the pitfalls often seen with star-studded spectacles? More importantly, does this modern retelling capture the eerie magic of the original while standing on its own as a modern masterpiece of elevated horror?
The term elevated horror can be quite divisive amongst horror fans. Elevated horror brings more layered commentary and thoughtfulness to the genre while still being scary. The other side of the debate would say there’s no room for cerebral storytelling on a rollercoaster ride. Director Robert Eggers is one of this generation’s leaders in the elevated horror subgenre. His films, The Witch, The Lighthouse, and now NOSFERATU offer up a truly unique vision for modern horror. The Northman, while not a horror film, still does impact the filmmaking for NOSFERATU as well.
The Culmination of a Vision
NOSFERATU is an evolution of Egger’s filmmaking approach from perspective to pace, cinematography, and characterization. NOSFERATU features a beautiful gothic color palette often being almost black and white in tone but never actually being black and white. Clearly, this approach to color is a combination of the washed-out tones he’s experimented with for The Witch and the stark black and white from The Lighthouse. The director has also developed an affinity for center framing and match cuts. He utilized this blocking and editing extensively for The Northman. Eggers fully finds his footing with this style in NOSFERATU. A match cut is the act of framing two different scenes identically and cutting between them. This type of edit can connect two very different scenes visually. The center framing of Ellen and match cutting to Count Orlock is a simple and beautiful way to show their connection and their communication even though they are far from each other.
NOSFERATU is a passion project for Eggers, and it’s clear that everything he has done to this point was to prepare for this film. Every tool in his writing toolbox is nearly perfectly utilized for this film. His penchant for monologues is dialed back from The Lighthouse for NOSFERATU, making the monologues we do get all the more impactful. Eggers’ flowery writing style, most apparent in The Witch sits perfectly with this hundred-year-old story, and his monotone internal thinking for characters leaned on for The Northman is fully realized in NOSFERATU.
The Right Film at the Right Time
Eggers has been trying to make NOSFERATU since the beginning of his career, and it has continually been put on hold either by him or by other external forces. Sometimes, things happen the way they’re supposed to. The director has fully developed his filmmaking style through his first three films and brought everything he’s learned to the table for NOSFERATU. The direction is incredibly precise for every shot, the visual storytelling is thick and real, and the writing gives homage to the original work while also representing Egger’s unique voice. The film does stray into a few longer than necessary shots and scenes in the middle act because Eggers wants to just bathe in the world he has built, but so do we, so it’s a minor complaint. The only real negative is one acting performance from Aaron Taylor-Johnson that just isn’t at the level of the rest of the cast. The biggest challenge for NOSFERATU is that at its core it’s an arthouse film and mainstream audiences are struggling with that.
Aside from a subpar performance by Taylor-Johnson, the rest of the cast delivers in spades, with Lily-Rose Depp emerging as the film’s true star. Originally, Anya Taylor-Joy was set to lead the project, but scheduling conflicts led to Depp stepping in, a choice that initially left fans skeptical. However, she proved to be the perfect fit for the gothic atmosphere of NOSFERATU. Depp brings a haunting, entrancing fear to her role with an emotional depth captured through her eyes, balancing both seductive allure and innocent vulnerability. Nicholas Hoult shines with his consistently impressive dramatic roles, while Willem Dafoe brings a theatrical presence to every scene, elevating the film with his grandiose energy. Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlock completely transforms into the iconic vampire. His performance is unrecognizable, from his look to his eerie voice and breathy delivery, proving once again that he can master any horror role, following his chilling performance as Pennywise in the horror classic IT. The ensemble cast truly brings NOSFERATU to life, with every actor fully embracing the dark and dramatic tone of the film. The performances work in perfect harmony with the eerie, gothic visuals, making the film as compelling emotionally as it is visually.
NOSFERATU lives up to the hype, blending stunning cinematography, a captivating romance laced with themes of feminine shame, and unforgettable performances. Robert Eggers’ vision shines through once again, proving that he has a distinct and masterful eye for filmmaking that’s instantly recognizable. His dedicated fanbase continues to flock to theaters, and NOSFERATU cements his place as a director who consistently delivers atmospheric and thought-provoking films. This is not your typical horror movie. It forgoes the blood and gore of slashers or the jump-scares of creature features, instead lingering in your mind with its haunting beauty and emotional depth. The film’s final shot alone, which could easily be mistaken for an oil painting, will stay with audiences long after the credits roll.
