REVIEW: Nosferatu

Robert Eggers breathes new life into the eternal tale.

Put aside all the side vampires for a minute.

The lady vampires. The black vampires. The scores of hot and horny teen vampires. The Staten Island comedic vampires. The vampires who like being interviewed. The vampires who got slayed every week. The Tarantino vampires.

Put all of those vampires aside and you still have over 200 movies specifically about Dracula — the character first brought to life in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel. To bring about anything new and exciting to this well-worn character is quite a feat in and of itself.

So, let’s cut to the chase: Yes, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu more than clears that bar, creating what is likely the very best Dracula origin story, and one of the best (that I’ve seen) in the larger vampire genre.

But, what about the name? It’s Nosferatu, not Dracula.

Well, it’s based on the 1922 German silent classic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. That movie pretty much is the same Dracula origin story by Stoker but with names and places changed from the book to avoid copyright infringement. When Stoker’s widow (rightfully) sued the filmmakers she won, and all prints of the film were ordered destroyed. But, some survived and it became a cult classic of German expressionist cinema.

Fast forward to 1979 when Werner Herzog created his own (still German) remake which is also considered a masterpiece. I saw it first in a horror film class in college and I totally agree.

Director Robert Eggers agreed even more.

He staged a play version of Nosferatu in high school and has been hell-bent on doing his version since he burst on the scene after making The Witch, The Lighthouse and The Northman. Good on him that he knocked it out of the park. Or brought it back from the dead? This Nosferatu stands up to either German classic and is head and shoulders above Bram Stoker's Dracula^* — the last real movie take on the original book from Francis Ford Coppola in 1992.

If you know the book, or any of the past movies, you likely know the plot. If you don’t, congratulations, it will be an even cooler experience. I’ll skip it and stick with some of the great stuff that stuck out.

There are so many vampire movie tropes that came from the book and have infiltrated the genre — from rats and wolves to foreboding castles, opening coffins and stakes to the heart. It’s pretty amazing that Eggers is able to breathe new life into all of them.

Eggers is known for his sense of time and place, and this is no different. You truly feel like you’re in the early 1830s. You can almost taste the dusk and smell the smoke and soot inside the buildings. This is world-class world-building and Eggers infuses it with a sense of impending dread and doom that is also nearly palpable.

And technically, this is a masterful film. From locations and cinematography to music, sound design, and impressive and fluid editing. It really should garner lots of award consideration in the technical fields. If I were to wager on a win among the tech categories, I’d put money on Sound Design. It’s great throughout and his use of surround sound is fantastic. One scene literally has the vampire pulling at your ears so had you almost turn your head to the back of the theater. It’s showy, but really effective.

The acting is top notch across the board. Much has been made of Lily-Rose Depp’s performance as the long-suffering Helen who is cosmically tied to the eternal demon. For the first third of the film I thought she was just really solid. But, one scene in particular changed my mind and I totally understand why she’s getting Best Actress buzz. It’s a damn good performance.

Less flashy, but also solid is the fantastic Nicholas Hoult as her also suffering husband. And shout-out to Willem Dafoe^** who takes on the vampire-hunting “Van Helsing” role with an almost manic performance that stays just on the good side of “chewing up the scenery.”

That leaves Bill Skarsgård.

Among the many acting Skarsgård’s he seems to be the one most intent on scaring the shit out of us. First as Pennywise and now as the dreaded Count Orlok. Yes, the look is a little different, and creepy AF, but his voice is what really put the character over the top. Apparently he did extensive work with an opera coach and came up with a Transylvanian accent that is both an homage to past films while adding a unique and creepy flair.

If a vampire still has the ability to scare, he’s nailed it.

Oozing with style, dripped in dread, and with genuine scares, this Nosferatu proves that, in the right long and creepy hands, Bram Stoker’s original creation isn’t going to die any time soon.

*Quick note on the Coppola Dracula. We recently watched it around Halloween in anticipation of the new movie. It’s true, there are a few bad performances and Keanu Reeves was terribly miscast. But, it is a beautiful film to look at and highly-stylized in its own rich way. Plus, Gary Oldman is crazy good and the “lost love” connection works better on an emotional and tragic level.

**Trivia Note: William Dafoe played Nosferatu in Shadow of the Vampire, the 2000 movie about the making of the 1979 Nosferatu. He’s pretty much sucked the life out of the story. Sorry.