Nosferatu is a 2024 film written and directed by Robert Eggers (director of “The Witch”, “The Lighthouse” and “The Northman”). It is the remake of the expressionist silent film released in 1922 (Nosferatu The Vampire) directed by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau and has a cast that includes Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, Simon McBurney and Bill Skarsgård
The story is set in Wisborg in 1838, a city in Germany, where newlyweds Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) and Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) live. During the nights, the young Ellen prays and cries and desperately seeks comfort for the solitude in which she lives and this leads her to come into contact with a mysterious spirit that leaves her prey to violent convulsions. Meanwhile, Thomas is a real estate agent who wants to earn enough money to achieve financial stability and improve his and his wife Ellen’s lifestyle.
For this reason, he accepts an important job opportunity which consists in the sale of a decrepit local stately home to the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) and to conclude the deal, he must travel to the Count’s castle which is located in the Carpathian Mountains, in Transylvania . Ellen is rather reluctant about her husband’s departure and has a bad feeling about it, also because of the nightmares she had during her adolescence. But Thomas insists and reassures her that he will return soon and so he leaves, after leaving Ellen with their friends and spouses Friedrich (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Anna Harding (Emma Corrin)
The Threat of Count Orlok (Nosferatu)
After a long journey, Thomas travels to the castle and is greeted by Count Orlok, who appears as a disturbing figure, eager to purchase property in Wisborg. During dinner, Thomas accidentally cuts himself with a knife and the count hypnotizes him and drinks his blood. The following night and by deception, Orlok makes Thomas sign a mysterious document written in an ancient language and takes possession of his locket containing a lock of Ellen’s hair. The young man, tormented by nightmares and in a state of physical weakening, would like to return home but Orlok prevents him. This was all part of a deal between the Earl and Knock (Simon McBurney), Thomas’ employer.
The monstrous Orlok will travel to Wisborg to sow the plague and to get closer to the young Hellen, as he has been obsessed with her since her adolescence. As Thomas tries to escape to return to his beloved, Orlok will begin to inflict a series of horrible torments on her and spread plague in the city, until he manages to convince her to give in to his court.
A remake by Eggers that pays homage to Murnau’s version
This is effectively a remake of the silent film released in 1922, which over time became a pillar of the history of cinema and one of the greatest exponents of German expressionism, and you can see that Eggers put his all into paying homage to Murnau’s film and create an authorial version of it. There has already been a revival directed by Herzog released in 1979, only that it was closer to the figure of Dracula than to Murnau’s film. Eggers, on the other hand, has created a real remake, where in many ways he approaches Murnau’s version by adopting his own narrative methods.
Eggers has created an authentic remake, which in many ways comes close to Murnau’s version, while adopting personal narrative methods. There are, however, some subtle differences compared to the past, adapting to the cinematic style of these times and finding that right compromise between the origin story and its vision and style. After all, this is what a true director does: adapt to the original material, knowing when to express his own personal style.
A well-made horror that does its duty and teaches the genre and cinema itself
After several commercial and unsuccessful products released in recent times (with a couple of exceptions such as Longlegs and The Substance), a well-written and well-directed horror film arrives in theaters that does its duty, which is to create that tension as a horror should pure and the “Nosferatu” made by Eggers does exactly this, with a rather distressing and at the same time engaging plot from start to finish.
“Nosferatu” is a gothic film that sucks the viewer into a dark vortex and is dragged into a gloomy atmosphere, where he perceives such high anguish that he seems to be experiencing firsthand the terrible events that the protagonists experience and to find himself in those dark places, The perceived anxiety is authentic, and we often fear being faced with something unexpected and frightening (even if sometimes we go too far with jumpscares). With these assumptions alone, Eggers’ “Nosferatu” is one of those films that gives a lesson to the horror genre or can even teach film school.
Eggers’ artistic maturity, reached only in his fourth film
Eggers’ style was characterized in a few years and consists of careful historical research, a claustrophobic atmosphere, literary and mythological references and above all, a strong use of symbolism. He has made four films so far and they all explore themes of isolation and alienation, all set in specific, past eras. Its visual aesthetic is powerful, moving from natural lighting to gloomy darkness and all brought into focus by precise framing. “Nosferatu” is the fourth film and already from this, Eggers has reached his artistic maturity and if he continues like this, he can increasingly become one of the best contemporary directors. Just from the technical sector present here, you can understand its genius.
The monstrous technical sector and an exceptional cast present
The technical sector is literally monstrous (and it is no coincidence to use this term and it is used in a positive sense) and at the limits of perfection. First of all, we start from the direction and it is something incredible, which goes from close-ups and very close-ups in sharp focus to an incredible panoramic representation of the ghostly Wisburg, where at a certain point you notice a gloomy visual effect that manifests itself in the shadowy hand of Orlok manifesting over the city, both to represent the threat of the monster and as symbolism of the plague that is spreading.
Beyond the direction, there is also an enveloping cinematography, reminiscent of that seen in other films by Eggers, such as “The Witch”, and dark which reflects the gloomy atmosphere and makes the brightness vary a lot, but always maintains a frightening atmosphere , with images that look like paintings. All useful for the purpose of scaring and accompanied by linear editing, a chilling soundtrack and sound that gives you shivers, all rendered in a contextualized way. One of the few defects is the reduction of the narrative pace in the central part, exactly when the second half begins, and then returns to normal towards the end, and in the fact that unfortunately it is a film that does not capture the general public but only cinephiles and Horror fanatics.
Obviously, the extra touch is also in the presence of an incredible cast, where everyone plays their part and leaves an unforgettable performance, some more, like Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe and Lily-Rose Depp, and some less, like Aaron Taylor -Johnson. But the one who steals the show from everyone is Bill Skarsgård.
The symbolism of the vampire in Eggers’ Nosferatu
In cinema, many vampire films have been made and each one was a depiction of something terrible and a problem in society. In “Nosferatu”, the vampire is the representation of the plague that spread in that era, of mental health and obsession. The protagonist Ellen is the representation of those women who did not have great support in that era and sought comfort in that dark figure who was a projection of the darkness within herself, to the point of becoming an obsession between her and Orlok and exploring the psychosis and sexuality.
The story is always full of similarities to “Dracula”, the novel written by Bram Stoker, but they should absolutely not be confused because they are two different vampiric figures and only takes inspiration from the literary counterpart written by Stoker. The figure of Orlok is demonic and a real monster, but Eggers’ idea of almost never representing him at all (except in a particular moment) and leaving him in the dark was brilliant. Despite the darkness that envelops him and the surrounding environment, his frightening appearance is still perceptible and is very different from the past and does not attack the neck, but the chest (an interesting and representative variation, which makes it even more frightening) . Yes, because Orlok scares and makes his presence felt throughout the film, even when he is absent from the scenes because he is a “floating evil” and gives the sensation of being hunted by a demonic figure ready to torture and attack. kill without mercy, at any moment. In short. “Nosferatu” is one of the most successful films of recent times and despite the tension that can be perceived, it absolutely must be seen in the theater.
