Nosferatu (2024): An Impressive Haunting Reimagination

Beware Count Orlok.

Nosferatu crept into theaters in 2024. Thomas Hutter travels to a remote castle to secure a property deal with the malevolent Count Orlok. He discovers the vampire’s sinister intentions. As Orlok becomes obsessed with Hutter’s wife, Ellen Hutter, a harrowing battle unfolds between love and the ancient curse of the undead.

The day finally arrived to see Nosferatu with a full crowd in the theater. Nosferatu is an impressive haunting reimagining of the 1922 silent horror classic. Robert Eggers’ remake brings a gothic and atmospheric lens to this vampire tale, though some aspects of the story aren’t reflected in the film.

Nosferatu spins a commendable cast. Known for his signature roles as villains, like Pennywise in IT, Bill Skarsgard takes on the iconic role of Count Orlok. Skarsgard did intense prep work for this role, paying the most focus to his vocals. I’ll admit I did a double-take because you wouldn’t believe this is Skarsgard.

Count Orlok is a sinister being. He controls his victims in terrifying inhuman ways. His makeup was so creepy that crew members avoided Skarsgard onset. Plating Count Orlok also frightened Skarsgard to the point where he didn’t want to play someone this sinister again.

This film marks the second vampire movie for Nicholas Hoult who has been rising as an actor. Lily-Rose Depp delivers an extraordinary performance as Ellen Hutter. This role was not easy, using every ounce of emotional vulnerability.

More credits include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, and Willem Dafoe who did a scene with 2,000 rats! Everyone gives effective performances, becoming a part of this universe.

Robert Eggers took on the immense direction role of Nosferatu with passion and precision. Spending almost ten years in the making, filming was not an easy process, with Eggers going back and forth between projects. He wanted to make this film the horror film that fans deserve. Eggers pays immense attention to every detail, honoring the source material.

If there’s one aspect that truly excels in Nosferatu is the captivating cinematography by Jarin Blaschke. The film immerses viewers in the film’s eerie and gothic atmosphere. As the camera slowly crawls through the dark halls or forests, a lingering fear transpires in every shot. The coastal sequences are particularly striking, with moody seascapes and decaying castles providing a perfect backdrop for the tale of dread and doom

Some scenes from Count Orlok’s perspective depict black-and-white cinematography. It’s a unique approach to have some scenes in black-and-white and color, but I feel the film had a more enriching aesthetic in black and white.

The locations were a perfect backdrop for the tale with castles, towns, and nature. Exteriors of Orlok’s cast were filmed at Hunedoara Castle, a Romanian castle located in Transylvania. It’s known as one of the largest medieval castles in Europe.

While the film’s visuals and performances are outstanding, Nosferatu stumbles when it comes to pacing and story. The second half isn’t as strong as the first when it could have expanded more on character arcs.

I also wasn’t a fan of the vampire’s decaying design. There’s a good reason as to why Orlok is kept hidden in the trailer. The makeup is excellent, though Orlok resembled more of a skeletal zombie than a vampire.

Did you know that Spongebob Squarepants had a hand in making Nosferatu popular once more? Watch the episode The Graveyard Shift and you’ll see what I mean.

My friend and I sat forward in our seats, jumping at the startling jump scares. The movie theater is the setting to experience Nosferatu.