Writer’s note: The second paragraph of this article (just below the first image) contains a basic outline of the film’s premise. There are no spoilers that weren’t already inferred in the film’s own trailer. However, if you want to completely avoid potential spoilers, skip over the second paragraph.
Whether you’re talking to filmmakers, audiences or critics, remakes are a controversial topic. On the one hand, people argue that there’s some worth in updating an old famous film for a new generation. On the other hand, people argue that remakes contribute to the continued lack of original stories. Sure, there have been plenty of worthwhile remakes, sequels and reboots, but every time audiences pay money for one, it keeps telling Hollywood to make more. Thus, if you’re going to remake something, it better be worthwhile. In some cases, remaking a classic is particularly tricky, as you not only have to deliver a great film, but a film that recreates the original’s singular impact. Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu (2024) is one such film facing this challenge.
The story begins in the early 1830s, when a young girl, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) has a cerebral encounter with a nightmarish, supernatural being. She awakens from the nightmare, but only after the creature has made Ellen pledge herself to him for eternity. Years later in 1838, Ellen is now married to Thomas Hutter (Nicolas Hoult) in Wisburg, Germany. Thomas has accepted a commission from his employer to sell a decrepit manor house to the reclusive Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), who resides in a castle in Transylvania. Upon meeting Orlok, Thomas is overcome with dread, as he quickly discovers that the terrifying Count is actually an undead vampire. With the help of his friend Friedrich (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Professor Von Franz (Willem Dafoe), Thomas discovers that Orlok has some kind of hold over Ellen’s mind, which must be severed before Orlok takes possession of her.
To unpack Robert Eggers’ take on Nosferatu, it’s not as simple as evaluating whether it’s good or bad, scary or not scary. The iconic 1922 film is not only one of the most famous films ever made, but also one of the most studied. On a purely visceral level, the original was an absolutely terrifying experience in its day, to the point where it held the reputation of ‘scariest film of all time’ for at least 50 years. Not only that, but it was instrumental in pioneering German expressionist cinema, due to its narratively provocative visuals, and emotionally expressive performances. For Robert Eggers to truly live up to that legacy, his Nosferatu needs to be to modern audiences what the original was for the 1922 audience. Thus, his Nosferatu needs to push the boundaries of artfully constructed, visual storytelling, as well as being one of the most scary experiences ever committed to film.
That’s a tall order, and one would think that this kind of achievement would be impossible to intentionally engineer. Staggeringly, Eggers may have actually pulled off the impossible. From start to finish, Nosferatu is a striking visual feast, delivering frame after frame of jaw-droppingly beautiful images. Granted, the cinematography is dark and gloomy, yet all the bleak imagery is crafted with levels of imagination and class never before seen. Additionally, the camerawork itself is almost revelatory, with standard pans, tilts, transitions, push ins and pull outs being utilised with complete narrative motivation. This was not a story that came together in the edit, as it feels as though Eggers had the entire film flawlessly shot and edited in his head before a single camera rolled.
That being said, the production quality is only the first step, as Nosferatu needs to be as horrifying as it is artful. With that in mind, Eggers has succeeded here too, as Nosferatu keeps us on the edge of our seat, while watching through our fingers. There are a handful of jump scares, violent outbursts and gruesome surprises, yet it’s not these moments that make Nosferatu scary. Unlike more traditional horror films, Nosferatu isn’t content with just delivering quick, simple scares. Instead, every moment is filled with a building sense of dread, making Orlok a terrifying presence merely by standing around and talking. We completely understand why Ellen and Thomas are so scared of Orlok, because we are just as scared. This also makes it impossible to look away, as you can’t help but want to see the object of your horror.
This is of course aided by Bill Skarsgård’s unnerving performance as Orlok, which is also the most unrecognisable Skarsgård has ever been. Between his work as Orlok and Pennywise in It (2017), Skarsgård will likely become as equally iconic a horror actor as Bela Lugosi of Dracula (1931) fame. The other performers also deliver memorable work, yet they all stumble in some of the more subdued scenes. Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin and Nicholas Hoult are all excellent in the high energy, theatrical scenes, but have occasional moments where they struggle to be both theatrical and minimalist. This is probably because Eggers’ directorial vision is hard to keep up with for any performer. On the plus side, Willem Dafoe is on hand and (as expected) doesn’t miss a step, completely understanding the movie he’s in, and expertly matching Eggers’ intention.
The last issue to address with this remake is the elephant in the room: the fact that the original film has been retroactively assessed as having antisemitic and anti-immigration thematic undertones. It’s arguable that it was an unconscious decision in 1922, as the cultural and political climate in Germany was becoming increasingly hostile towards the Jewish people and ‘the other’ in general. Orlok’s original design had similarities to depictions in German propaganda, his vampirism seemed to perpetuate ancient libels, and his ‘invasion’ of Germany appeared to be highlighting fears of foreign people taking over. For all its cinematic merit, the original story of Nosferatu is hard to remove from its problematic implications. While the story itself is still the same in broad strokes, Eggers has altered as much as he can in order to sand away the antisemitic and anti-immigration messaging. Instead, his film highlights themes of the darkness that lives within us all, and how our evil impulses may seduce us if we aren’t careful.
As soon as it was announced that Robert Eggers would be taking on a remake of Nosferatu, not only did my expectations increase to sky high levels, but my concerns completely disappeared. Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is exactly the film that fans of his work were expecting, and he was exactly the filmmaker needed to bring the story back to life. Even with its imperfections, Eggers succeeded in delivering a fresh take on an old cinematic artefact, while surgically removing most of the poorly aged elements.
8/10
best way to watch it: It might result in some nightmares, but in the darkest cinema you can find.
