Ever since 2015’s The Witch, Director Robert Eggers has proved his genre supremacy. Whether it be the quirky horrors of The Lighthouse (2019) or the violent Viking delights in The Northman (2022), every movie in Egger’s catalog continues to showcase his dedication to detailed, historical, and emotionally-charged filmmaking. This, thankfully, is also the case with his latest project, a reimagining of F. W. Murnau’s iconic vampire tale Nosferatu, starring Bill Skarsgård (Boy Kills World), Lily-Rose Depp (Yoga Hosiers), and Nicholas Hoult (Renfield). But what exactly makes Eggers’s take on the material something worthy of admiration? And what, perhaps, does it add to the ever-evolving world of gothic romance? Well, thanks to the home video release (from Universal Home Video), it feels like a perfect time to find these answers and more. So, let’s travel to a mysterious castle and take a deeper look into Eggers’s fascinating version of Nosferatu.
If you’re looking for a more spoiler-free discussion of the film, you should read EoM founder Douglas Davidson’s initial release review instead. But if you’re willing to open up the cinematic coffin and look over the gory details of Nosferatu, feel free to proceed.
Lily-Rose Depp stars as Ellen Hutter in director Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
For those who need a plot refresher, the film centers on a young woman named Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) who, in her youth, made contact with a vampiric force that fixated on her darkest desires. Years later, Ellen’s husband, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), is asked to go on an important trip in order to complete a manor sale with the mysterious Count Orlock (Bill Skarsgård) in Transylvania. As Thomas is leaving, Ellen fears that her nightmares could become worse without Thomas by her side. Yet, it isn’t until Thomas meets Orlock in person that he realizes the true threat this vampire Count could be towards Ellen and all that Thomas holds dear. The story then follows how the couple, along with Prof. Albin Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe) and the Hutters’s friends the Hardings (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin), try to survive Orlock’s reign of terror, while also discovering how Ellen could be the key to the vampire’s demise.
In the grand tradition of the story that inspired it (Bram Stoker’s Dracula), Nosferatu follows a typical structure known to many fans of the gothic horror (and romance) genre: a young, almost virginal figure becomes the fixation of a monstrous, dark entity who symbolizes everything said girl has been told not to embrace. But in the case of Eggers’s interpretation of Nosferatu, we get to focus more on the complexities within our leading lady and how her internal shame has laid the groundwork for her journey to come. And while many viewers have a hard time stomaching the idea that someone as beautiful as Ellen could have a sexual relationship with a creature as grotesque as Eggers’s take on Orlock, that’s kind of the point.
While certainly the popularity of Andrew Llyod-Webber’s Phantom of the Opera and Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight have repackaged monster romances in a more accessible media box, it’s important to remember the roots from which they came. These are stories that are meant to discuss societal fears, examine the darkest parts of humanity, and not exactly result in a happily ever after involving some hunky monster boyfriend (though those are nice, too.) Instead, Eggers embraces the origins of these gothic tales head on as he explores the deep metaphorical fears and attractions to said terrors within each of the film’s characters, especially Ellen.
As she describes her childhood, Ellen has always been drawn to death. It’s always been a force, an idea, that comforts her. So much to the point that she even dreams of getting married to it. And though several figures in her life, including herself, try to make her feel uncomfortable over this desire she feels towards death, Ellen’s internal temptations take the form of Count Orlock. No, she did not create him from her imagination, nor is her attraction to Orlock something that is tender or romantic in the conventional notion, but rather is an insatiable craving they both have for each other, one that leads Ellen to fulfill her destiny by embracing death to save the world from darkness.
But Eggers doesn’t only explore the concept of death within Ellen, but also via the male characters that surround her. When it comes to Thomas, he refuses to die, so much so that he escapes death multiple times in order to see Ellen once again. For Friedrich Harding, Thomas’s best friend, he doesn’t believe in death or anything outside of fact. He listens to neither Ellen nor Franz when they explain the reality of Orlock’s power until he literally loses everything, thus succumbing to death in the process. And, as for Franz himself, he accepts death and everything otherworldly outside of mortality. He realizes that sacrifices must be made to restore balance to light and dark, even if that means Ellen will lose her life in the process.
It’s this fascinating exploration into death, along with many other themes, that makes Eggers’s Nosferatu stand out amongst the modern horror pack. From the concept of men not believing women to the repression of sexuality, Eggers takes on these topics with artistic maturity and modern-day accessibility. Yet, somehow, many casual viewers have had a hard time understanding these themes and boil them down to the movie (much like Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak) not being “scary enough,” with “toxic elements” at its center. And that lack of understanding of the history of gothic horror, paired with an absence of media literacy, much of what makes this Nosferatu special is lost on the general public.
This is also the case with one of the other significant changes in Eggers’s version — Orlock himself. With stunning makeup by David White (Guardians of the Galaxy) and company, the typical Count Orlock look (established by Max Schreck in the 1922 version) is changed to one that reflects a more aristocrat-turned-monster appearance, complete with a mustache and elaborate wardrobe. In the mind of this critic, it’s a shift that fits Eggers’s interpretation of the material, and, even more so, compliments the stature of Skarsgård himself. For it would be hard to imagine Eggers doing yet another by-the-book recreation of Schrek’s iconic look, nor would it make sense for Skarsgård’s unique brand of acting to fit in that mold. Instead, Skarsgård’s Orlock is grotesque yet refined, deformed but also enchanting — everything you need in a creature that lures young mortals to his embrace.
But the true magic at the center of this Nosferatu is the combination of Eggers’s and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke’s (The Northman) visuals, paired with the film’s cavalcade of excellent performances.
Taking inspiration from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Dracula, along with a multitude of other black and white pieces of cinema of the past, Eggers and Blaschke craft an aesthetic language that feels at times like a lost oil painting. With a mixture of old school camera tricks paired with slow movement that languish in the movie’s intensity, it often feels like you’re falling under the movie’s spell as the frames wash over you. This is especially the case when Thomas enters Orlock’s castle for the first time, seeming as if Eggers is evoking Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast (1946) with its dream- (and nightmare) like qualities.
As for the acting talent on display, every member of the ensemble brings Eggers’s horrific Victorian details to life with great care and attention. And while Dafoe (Fantastic Mr. Fox), Taylor-Johnson (The Fall Guy), and Corrin (Deadpool & Wolverine) all supply their usual brand of charisma and excellence, it’s really Depp, Skarsgård, and Hoult that are the shining stars within the film’s beautifully gloomy sky. In terms of Depp, it’s clear she studied the great scream queens of the past, including Isabelle Adjani (who starred in the Herzog Nosferatu (1979) as Lucy). She has a face that the camera loves and a fearlessness to her performance that makes Ellen’s struggles the cinematic definition of believable. Similarly, Hoult brings a grounded but earnest nature to his Thomas, one that proves you can play the vanilla love interest without playing it dull. And, of course, Skarsgård brings a terrifying, animalistic quality to his Orlock that’s as elegant as it is monstrous.
Simply put, there’s an endless amount of praise to be said (and rightfully so) for Eggers’s take on Nosferatu. But what can be said about the home video release? Well, for starters, there’s some delightfully haunting bonus material perfect for cinephiles and horror fans the world over. From a handful of deleted scenes to a series of featurettes detailing the practical elements that went into the production of the film, there’s definitely a lot of material for creature feature fans to enjoy. The only downside is many of these bonus features are extremely short with the longest running 9 minutes long, making you wish they had done a full-length documentary instead. Still, in an age where studios seem to not care to put any extras on their home releases, it’s still nice to have these nuggets of behind-the-scenes magic to enjoy.
As for the feature itself, you can either enjoy it in its theatrical cut or an extended version that adds four extra minutes of footage to the running time. In truth, the cuts aren’t different enough to notice any significant changes, but it’s still fun to see certain sequences have extra bits of dialog here and there between Thomas and Orlock. The picture quality, as with any Eggers film, is fantastic, with the night time sequences perfectly displaying in their black and grey tones. The only downside to this release is the awkward balance on the audio mix as the dialog is very quiet while the background levels are much more pronounced. If you want the best experience, definitely break out a soundbar to enjoy Robin Carolan’s (The Northman) underappreciated score in all its spooky glory.
A carriage approaches Orlok’s castle in director Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
Overall, Eggers’s Nosferatu should be an essential addition to any film collection, especially for cinema and monster lovers. Featuring a final shot that will haunt your dreams for decades to come, it’s a movie worthy of its praise in every way possible. And if it isn’t your favorite take on the material or on Orlock himself, perhaps this release will give you an excuse to reexamine those initial thoughts, because when you have a movie made with so much tender love and care by a filmmaker as talented as Eggers, it clearly is deserving of a second, third, and endless numbers of watches.
Nosferatu Special Features:
- Nosferatu Extended Cut
- Nosferatu: A Modern Masterpiece – Explore the deepest, darkest depths of Nosferatu with the actors and artists whose commitment and craftwork take the classic vampire epic to horrifying new heights.
- Breathing Life Into a Dream – Filmmaker Robert Eggers’ lifelong dream becomes a startling cinematic nightmare as the actors collaborate on transformative performances to make his Gothic vision an astonishing reality.
- Becoming Count Orlok – Practical makeup FX seamlessly meld with Bill Skarsgård’s bold interpretation of Count Orlok to resurrect a villain whose unsettling appearance is both creepy and captivating.
- Capturing The Mood – From sunlight, snowfall, and shadows to candlelight and complicated camera moves, see how each visually rich detail contributes to Nosferatu‘s incredibly eerie atmosphere.
- Recreating 1838 – Open a virtual time capsule with production designer Craig Lathrop, whose intricately detailed sets immerse viewers in an entirely authentic world.
- Dressing The Part – Whether accenting Count Orlok’s otherworldliness or telling background tales through clothing, watch costume designer Linda Muir fashion distinct looks that extend each character’s story.
- The End Is Just The Beginning – Visual effects supervisor Angela Barson and composer Robin Carolan enhance Nosferatu’s nightmarish fantasy using stunning CGI and a breathtaking score.
- Three (3) Deleted Scenes
- Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Robert Eggers
Available on digital January 21st, 2025.
Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD February 18th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Focus Features Nosferatu website.
Final Score: 4.5 out of 5.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation
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