Doing a new take on something as instrumental as F.W. Murnau’s 1922 film “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror” has always felt unnecessary. Still, at the same time, you can’t help but feel excited about the creative lengths that it can provide using modern filmmaking techniques.
There’s so much you can do when adapting this classic Dracula story about a rich vampire who spreads terror in a town, using his power to manipulate everyone to think that the plague is a result of rats infesting people and not of his blood-sucking mission. Werner Herzog did his version in 1979 with “Nosferatu the Vampyre”—in my opinion, it has always been the best adaptation—where the emotional dread of loneliness becomes the villain’s weapon to spread widespread chaos. Robert Eggers had big shoes to fill when he decided to remake “Nosferatu” for 2024. It’s always been his dream film, and deservedly so.
This latest iteration stars Nicolas Hoult as Thomas Hutter, a real estate assistant looking to sign his first major property sale. The catch is that he has been requested to meet this buyer’s estate far away, the house believed to be the residence of a demonic figure.
Going on this journey requires Thomas to leave his wife Ellen (Lily Rose-Depp), who has deeper connections to this figure than anyone realizes.
“Nosferatu” is respectful in a lot of ways. While the story it adapted has been embedded in a lot of films over the years, this is a very faithful take added to Eggers’ manic imagination. There are more characters, all of which have to fight their monsters. Minor players such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing Thomas’ friend Friedrich were given a lot of opportunities to play that are in service to the overall narrative.
The titular vampire played by Bill Skarsgard is excellent, to the point where my audience had a unanimous gasp when his Nosferatu was slowly revealed (his character look is kept secret in promotional materials prior to the release). This Nosferatu is smart and cunning, while also keeping up with the traditions of what an ancient vampire should be.
The world of Eggers is full of dread and mystery. It felt alive and breathing throughout, from building an actual town in Victorian architecture to wisely deciding to put thousands of real rats for Willem Dafoe to interact with.
Among all versions, Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” felt the most imaginative. There are impurities and cravings for lust and dominance in his characters that kept his remake stand out. It’s not the scary movie that a lot of people may expect it to be given the director’s past films, but it’s a worthwhile watch enough to stay with you.
“Nosferatu” opens in cinemas January 2, 2025 from Universal Pictures.
Featured images courtesy of Universal Pictures.
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