A stunningly haunting reimagining of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent expressionist vampire film Nosferatu, itself an unauthorised adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel “Dracula”, Robert Eggers‘ gothic tale (ironically) breathes fresh life into Henrik Galeen‘s original, weaving human obsession and pain in a macabre manner that results in the genre filmmaker delivering possibly his finest craft yet.
So much more than a story of lust and horror, Eggers’ Nosferatu moves beyond the narrative beat of the innocent woman and the monster she becomes entangled with. Here, that innocent woman is Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) who, in her lonely youth, sought the comfort of a spirit, only for this psychic connection to manifest in the form of a grotesque creature that became obsessed with her. This other-worldly connection shared between Ellen and this creature – the vampiric Count Orlok (an entirely transformative Bill Skarsgård, delivering one of the year’s most unsettling performances) – allows the film to play with altering realms and literal possessive nature, giving way for Orlok to spiritually and psychologically dominate Ellen’s being; the full-bodied commitment Depp expresses in the film’s key possession scene is both stunning and terrifying to endure.
Eggers assures Nosferatu is very much Ellen’s story, as it balances her battle with Orlok’s obsession with the societal norms of the 19th century that she feels oppressed by. And whilst every time Skarsgård is on screen it’s a genuine thrill – the very first time we experience him is beyond masterful – Depp’s equal strength and vulnerability maintain unbroken interest for us as viewers, with the relationship with her husband, the kindly Thomas (Nicholas Hoult), and their high-society confidants, Anna and Friedrich Harding (Emma Corrin and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, respectively), providing similarly fascinating shades of emotional depth.
As he has displayed across his previous features – 2015’s The VVitch, 2019’s The Lighthouse and 2022’s The Northman – the technical finesse Eggers injects into his tellings prove meticulous in their brilliance, and Nosferatu is no exception. Every shadow that laces the screen feels as if it hides a murderous reality, the use of a black-and-white aesthetic in Jarin Blaschke‘s startling cinematography only adds to the film’s picturesque vibrancy, and Robin Carolan‘s eerie score combine for a truly immersive horror experience.
Yes, Nosferatu is of a bleak nature and its rejection of levity will mean there will be those that won’t be able to submit, but this proves ultimately as cinema that consumes. More a rebirth than a reimagining, it’s an experience beyond mere audience transportation. And the unapologetic nature of Eggers furthers his stance as one of the most visionary storytellers of our time.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Nosferatu is screening in Australian theatres from New Year’s Day, January 1st, 2025, following its release in the United States on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2024.
