Nosferatu is a chilling and macabre descent into horrifying madness that makes for one of the year’s best horror films that features hauntingly gorgeous cinematography, an unnerving musical score, and one of the year’s best performances from Lily-Rose Depp. 

 

Since the dawn of cinema, the art form has had a passion for adapting Bram Stoker’s Dracula, attracting prominent talent both in front of and behind the camera including Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Lee and Francis Ford Coppola. But, one treatment of the classic text has garnered a cult following: F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. A German silent film, which took the original text and changed many names and the setting to avoid copyright rules under German law and make it more accessible for German audiences, the film became subject of litigation from Stoker’s estate which ended with all copies being court ordered to be destroyed, though many prints survived. Over the years it grew in popularity as rumblings of its existence permeated, setting it up to be remade in 1979 by director Werner Herzog, and after years of planning his remake, Robert Eggers vision for cinema’s most infamous vampire is finally being unleashed on viewers. It’s been a passion project of Eggers for almost a decade, and with a terrific cast led by a tour de force effort Lily-Rose Depp who gives one of the most physical gruelling performances this reviewer has ever seen, not only does Nosferatu features every visual hallmark of Eggers’ filmmaking that makes him a terrific storyteller, but marks his finest film to date.

 

At this point in time, most audiences know the broad strokes of Dracula very well, which should make Nosferatu vaguely familiar to any of those who have seen a proper adaptation of Stoker’s novel. While Eggers does not necessarily change the story, he does breathe new life into it in what is most likely the best adaptation of the iconic source material. Framed from the perspective of Depp’s Ellen, Eggers dives into the complex relationship between Ellen and Count Orlok, linked by destiny and the struggle between them as they each fight for control. From the eerie representation of Transylvania and the locals’ ritualistic practices, the distressing time spent by Thomas at Orlok’s castle, and the plague and madness that unfolds on the small German village, it’s a frightening experience from start to finish. Focusing more on the occult, the spreading of fear like a disease (which is discomforting in a post-Covid world), and the twisted ramifications of Orlok’s infatuation, there are multiple moments that will have viewers’ jaws hitting the floor. Profusely gory and grotesque in true Eggers’ fashion, mixed with some classic and more mainstream jump scares, it is simultaneously Eggers most mainstream and accessible film while also showcasing everything that film lovers have come to adore about his filmmaking style.

Eggers is a visual filmmaker, having previously created gorgeous looking films in the darkest way imaginable. Whether it be the claustrophobic 4:3 aspect ratio and black and white sense of dread of The Lighthouse, the stunning look of The Northman, or the colourless and haunting beauty of The Witch, he knows how to make one visual treat, and Nosferatu is no exception. The colour grading is phenomenal, washing the film in lots of cold blues and greys to mirror the inherent darkness of the film’s story, while even the oranges and browns in the film’s more colourful moments are particularly lifeless and drab. Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography is arresting, delivering some of the most haunting and beautiful shots of the year such as the shadow of Nicholas Hoult in front of Count Orlok’s carriage illuminated by moonlight and the boat ride lit by torches as our heroes approach Orlok’s lair, and the use of silhouettes and shadows is unparalleled by any film this year (even if some of them are clearly digital). Combined with the great costumes and production design, there is without a question that Nosferatu is one of the most gorgeous looking films of the year, even if it is in the most macabre way imaginable. And when coupled with Robin Carolan’s chilling musical score which truly captures the tone of Eggers’ vision and leaves audiences on edge at every second of the film which is frankly the cherry on top of a phenomenally technical film, it’s a stunning return to gothic horror that should hopefully reignite serious interest in this horror subgenre.