The story of Dracula is iconic to say the least, with many versions of the story such as the kid-friendly Hotel Transylvania, and then there’s the more action packed versions such as Dracula Untold all of which tell different perspectives of the iconic vampire’s life. Before all these modern adaptions there was a slight adaption back in 1922. A German filmmaker, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, wanted to tell this story in his signature way but was afraid of copyright infringements. So instead of telling the story of Bram Stroker’s Dracula, he changed the names, characters and locations to be set in Germany but based around a different vampire - Nosferatu. The film was going to remain lost to time, but the character of Nosferatu has lingered around in the vampire zeitgeist and he even had a mention in an episode of SpongeBob Squarepants, further proving his reputation as a standalone vampire.
The story of Nosferatu plagued filmmaker Robert Eggers, the filmmaker behind The Lighthouse and The Witch, and it became a passion project for him to develop a remake of this silent gothic horror. With Eggers becoming more and more versatile with each release he’s given us it has now brought him full circle with a big budget retelling of the story without losing the essence and horror of the original.
Nosferatu follows the same structure as Dracula in many ways. A small German town is plagued by a Transylvanian Lord, Count Orlok, who wishes to live close to a young woman he reached out too during a time of crisis of hers. Newly wed Ellen Hutter’s husband Thomas Hutter is sent to receive Count Orlok and bring him to Wisborg in Germany. The presence of Count Orlok soon shakes the town. It would do the film a disservice to single out a main performance with everyone involved in the film bringing their absolute best. Lily-Rose Depp inhabits the role of Ellen, with Nicolas Hoult providing the much needed naivety to husband Thomas. Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson both bring charisma to their characters too but it is Bill Skarsgard as Count Orlok that steals the film. The prosthetics, the voice and his physicality bringing dread and horror to every scene he is in, which in turn makes this a truly terrifying experience to behold in the best way possible.
The gothic nature of the story helps keep the horror elements grounded, raw and creates a sense of eeriness too. The architecture of the buildings loom over the characters, and Robert Eggers masterfully captures the overarching threat of Nosferatu with a lot of shadowy imagery, with a few shots in particular feeling bone-chillingly scary that you will get goosebumps. The score, composed by Robin Carolan, fills the air with brass instruments and booming percussions which makes the film all the more immersive. There is not a single fault on display here. From start to finish, you’re sucked into this world occupied by Count Orlok and Emma Cutter and you’ll be feasting your eyes on some truly unique and petrifying horrors which will stay long with you after the film has finished.
★★★★★
5/5
Final Verdict:
Mixing gothic elements with some erotic elements, the film Nosferatu provides us with one of the most scariest vampire films ever made for the big screen. The acting, editing, cinematography, writing and music all come together for a gothic tale of death and shadows. Every frame is perfectly put together, not a second of screen-time is ever wasted. The emphasis on practical effects and locations make a big different in immersing audiences into this horrifying and putrid world. Nosferatu honours the original film so well but it also updates in ways that makes fans of vampire films and horror films truly squirm in their seats.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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