“Nosferatu”: A Somber but Visually Delightful Gothic Tale

Based on the silent movie of the same name, Robert Eggers offers a visually impactful retelling of the gothic story.

Summary

In the early 1800s, lonely Ellen awakens a dark being, who makes her pledge herself to him eternally. Years later, after getting married to a good man, Ellen is once again tormented by the mysterious creature, who has come to claim what is his.

Reimagining a Silent Classic

Nosferatu is based on the 1922 silent German film of the same name, which at the same time is based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Being an unauthorized adaptation of the novel, various details were changed as a defense against copyright infringement, including Count Dracula being renamed Count Orlok.

*German actor Max Schreck plays Count Orlok in the original film.*

However, Stoker’s widow sued over the copyright violation back in the day, and a court ruling ordered all copies of the film to be destroyed. Fortunately, some copies of Nosferatu survived, and the film came to be regarded as an influential piece within the horror genre.

Considering this, Robert Eggers had the hard task of doing justice to the original.

A Modern Masterpiece?

The term “masterpiece” is given away too lightly these days, so I always try to be careful with it.

If we consider just the technical part, Nosferatu could be deserving of the title. Visually, the film is stunning. The decision to present certain scenes in black and white, accompanied by the use of lights and shadows, creates an intriguing and unnerving atmosphere. For moments, I could swear I was watching a film made at a different time. The production values and the attention to detail are noticeable and highly appreciated after all the trash that we’ve been receiving from Hollywood lately.

*Lily-Rose Depp offers an interesting performance as Ellen, a young woman tormented by the Nosferatu.*

The main reason Robert Eggers is not one of my favorite directors is that his talent to tell a story visually, is never accompanied by a strong script or characters. In this case, despite counting on a remarkable cast, there is not one character that I feel attached to. We know Willem Dafoe and Nicolas Hoult are great actors. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bill Skarsgård had the chance to redeem themselves from their work in Kraven the Hunter and The Crow, respectively. Skarsgård characterization as Count Orlok is impressive, to say the least. Maybe the novelty for me was Lily-Rose Depp, who I haven’t seen much of yet and plays a challenging role here.

What About the Script and Characters?

But while the whole cast is great, there was nothing surprising about their performances, because there was no interest in getting to know those characters better. They were just tools to explore that dark universe. Even the storylines seem to be running in the background. What we would call style over substance, but done a lot fancier than most movies.

To me, developing a certain attachment or interest in the characters is key to enjoying and connecting with the story. And while I can accept a few plot holes on occasion, I want the movie to be about something other than showing me impressive footage of beautiful sets.

Eggers’ Style

I had the same thoughts while watching The Northman back in 2022: visually impeccable but too emotionally distant. I could see that the project was well done, but I was also bored as hell. The kind of film movie critics tend to praise, and general audiences tend to find underwhelming.

*Thomas Hutter (Nicolas Hoult) does everything within his power to save his beloved wife from the monster that claims her*.

To be fair, Nosferatu’s rhythm, while still slow, finds some middle ground, making it potentially attractive to a bigger audience. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s not boring.

So, to the ones calling Nosferatu a masterpiece, I must respectfully disagree. Excellent production quality is wonderful to find, but on its own, it does not warrant the title.

Box Office Numbers

With a reported budget of $50.000.000, Nosferatu has made $84.441.195 in the domestic market in the past four weeks. Adding the $53.255.009 the film has obtained internationally, we end with a worldwide box office of $137.696.204. Eggers’ most commercially successful project to date, I believe.

While I’ve had my fair share of criticism to it, I must say that out of everything that came out in 2024, Nosferatu is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best. Maybe it’s not for everyone, but it deserves recognition for raising the standards within the devastated entertainment industry.