“Nosferatu” (2024) is Robert Eggers’ fourth and most recent film and is a remake of the silent German classic, “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror” (1922), which in turn was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula” (1897). Set in an eighteenth century, fictional German town of Wisborg, it begins with the first time that Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) meets Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard) then picks up after she becomes the wife of Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), who has to go on a business trip to the Carpathian Mountains to meet an eccentric nobleman who has an ancient lineage, sell him the house next door and secure his financial future so he can start having children with Ellen. He leaves Ellen in the care of his successful best friend, shipman Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Friedrich’s wife and Ellen’s best friend, Anna (Emma Corrin), and their two children. Unfortunately, as Thomas approaches his destination and moves further from Ellen, they both experience unsettling events. Are they just ill or is there another explanation for the disruption to their lives?
Skarsgard’s voice growling, shadow and silhouette appear more often in “Nosferatu” than his face or body, but it is important for long time fans of the first film and subsequent takes on the titular character such as Werner Herzog’s “Nosferatu the Vampyre” (1979) or even “Shadow of the Vampire” (2000) not expect to see similar features as the bald, pale and thin monstrous figure that everyone has grown to love. When you first see Count Orlok, really think about which characters in Eggers’ rendition that he resembles. Eggers’ creative change to the iconic appearance of an over century old vampire is symbolic of one of the lessons to glean from this story. Bloodsucking is not just literal, and the dialogue makes the point that he is worse than evil, he is death and darkness, a force of nature, not negotiable, which seems inaccurate. He is not mindless, is very particular and has hopes and dreams. It seems like quibbling, and one would have to first ask what is evil then see if he fits the bill. Though the film is shot in color, the real MVP is cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, who sometimes in the same scene, makes the color blanch into a life draining black and white pallor that falls over the area that Count Orlok influence. Orlok’s effect on living beings is more frightening than his appearance or bite. He paralyzes people, and they then enter an oneiric state which is disorienting and robs them of their ability to defend themselves.
Depp as Ellen is perhaps the most proactively sexual version of Mina, and if she lived in the twenty-first century, she would rap “WAP.” While her performance is above criticism, she does give the impression of someone groomed to take the part, not one of the innate goth vibe actors like Anya Taylor-Joy, Mia Wasikowska, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci, Helena Bonham Carter, Angelina Jolie, Rose McGowan, Fairuza Balk or even Pauley Perrette. It is probably the point so moviegoers can root for Ellen and truly believe that she did not know what she was getting into when she hollered at the darkness, but if “Nosferatu” is already leaning heavily into the fear and danger of women’s sexuality and the counter powerless effect that women’s sexuality has on men, including Count Orlok, then why not fully embrace the ambiguity that she may go over to the dark side. She feels too fragile instead of powerful or the perfect counterpart/antidote to Count Orlok. The dialogue is not subtle and is often intentionally humorous by suggesting that Count Orlok is her first love, and Thomas is the other man, who is not good enough for her.
Hoult as Thomas is perfect casting, especially since he played the titular character in “Renfield” (2023), which collapses Stoker’s Jonathan Harker into the servile, aspiring bloodsucker. Thomas is all Jonathan and like most of the men in this story, he does not pay attention to his wife’s pleas and offers sensible reassurances, which evaporates as he travels further from home. By the time he meets a band of gypsies, even if he does not understand the language or the implications of his actions, on some level, his animal brain kicks in and fills him with dread. Hoult is always a better lead than a supporting character so he can truly let loose. He transforms from rational, self-assured man ready to conquer the world to the flop sweating desperate fellow trying to reclaim some sense of self and manhood. It is easy to forget that he is not the protagonist when he rides on horseback; however, it still feels a bit stale after seeing “The Vourdalak” (2023).
An underdeveloped character, Friedrich, plays a more pivotal, nuanced role than expected. While he is obviously a foil for Thomas, another defenseless human male confronting forces beyond his control for the first time, he also shares a plethora of visual traits with Count Orlok as if he is the living end of the spectrum, especially later in “Nosferatu.” One stirring image is the arrival of Count Orlok. The ship, Not Demeter, is reduced to a pile of boards with rats streaming onto shore and plunging into the streets. While Count Orlok is long gone when people inspect the ship, this vermin infested entrance feels like a direct attack on Friedrich’s business and home. Even though Friedrich was not directly responsible for inviting darkness into Wisborg, he also never developed any defenses against him while securing his wealth and position. His last onscreen scene mirrors Count Orlock’s final scene. Taylor-Johnson does a fine job playing a rigid and stiff actor, but he feels innately contemporary in his bearing in some elusive way just like Depp does not feel innately like a Mina figure. This screening happened long before “Kraven the Hunter” (2024) was available so the box office flop did not influence this assessment.
Knock (Simon McBurney), Thomas’ employer, has a more explicit, complicit storyline in case the message is too subtle. The affluent powerful are bloodsuckers in explicit league with the devil and use their money to lure the unsuspecting into their trap. Money is a meaningless tool and spreading destruction to satisfy their demented desires is the real goal. The transformation of Wisborg and Knock from bustling, functional organisms to chasms of wonton death and gleeful destruction are probably the best cinematic images of corruption without descending into trite imagery. If Eggers failed in any capacity, Wisborg looks more like Victorian England than Germanic. Every beat feels more like “Dracula” than the original silent film. Eggers deserves points for his liberal use of cats as the counterpoint to the plague.
Willem Dafoe is the reliable, delightful scene chewer as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz aligned with his previous rational madmen characters such as Heimir the Fool in Eggers’ “The Northman” (2022) or the monster/Godwin in “Poor Things” (2023). He shares Knock’s fervor, but not Thomas or Friedrich’s instinctual confidence in the rational and dismissal of women so when he encounters the supernatural, he has no mind to lose. It is a great role, and Dafoe is a one-of-a-kind talent that would shine regardless of the era. Fun fact: he played Max Schreck, who plays Count Orlok, in “Shadow of the Vampire.” Dafoe may have a distinct look, but he his versatility makes him fit anywhere.
Corrin, whom the average person would remember for playing the villain, Cassandra Nova, in “Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024) plays a major role who does not take center stage until the end. Her daughters do not even get names until the eleventh hour. Just as all the men, including Count Orlok, occupy different positions on the spectrum, there are few women with speaking roles longer than a few minutes in “Nosferatu.” Anna is the ideal woman: loving wife, selfless mother, faithful friend even if that friend, Ellen, is the opposite. In the end, they all arrive at the same destination. It is the innate nature of the text though Eggers elevates them somewhat by making them into sexual creatures with more power to face oblivion than their human male counterparts who adore their wives and no others. It is as much a statement about the Biedermeier era, which preceded the Victorian era, and the existence of women.
If I have a major pet peeve with contemporary films, it is mixing lore. In “The First Omen” (2024), the anti-Christ and demon possession were paired, which is a fair association, but the possession physicality overshadows the quotidian terror of a conspiracy rooted in the supernatural versus doubting one’s own sanity. Count Orlok’s effect on Ellen is like demon possession. Are not vampires enough? Demon possession sucks all the oxygen out of the room and leaves little room for the sensual multilayered intersection of food, sex and control. Demon possession can be sexually crass, but has never been sexy.
“Nosferatu” is a visual feast that you will want to sink your teeth into, but fans of the original may miss seeing the shiny, hairless pate of Count Orlok and find the deliberate pacing and run time a tad indulgent and excessive. While “The Northman” is Eggers all-time greatest hit, vampire fans will not want to miss this take on a classic. Strong on atmosphere, this vamp would have to dole out some ancient tricks to take on the vamps from “30 Days of Night” (2007) but would have Bela Lugosi’s count quaking in his cape.
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Can we talk about how Count Orlok does not have servants, so he had to do all the work to prepare for Thomas’ visit? And can we talk about the fact that he technically spent more time drinking Thomas’ blood than Ellen so while he admitted his attraction to Ellen, perhaps he needed to do a little soul searching about how he felt about Thomas? Furthermore, can we talk about how if HBO redid Noseratu, they would figure out how to become a thropple? Hoult is fine so there is nothing wrong with admitting that Ellen and Count Orlok strayed for him.
