NOSFERATU -- A Chilling and Impressive Remake of a Classic

Review by Camden Ferrell

Ever since his first feature, The Witch, came out in 2015, writer and director Robert Eggers has carved himself a definitive place in contemporary cinema. His fourth feature, Nosferatu, is his attempt to adapt and reimagine a cinematic classic. Even if it isn’t as strong as his previous works, this movie boasts performances and impressive craft that confirm that Eggers is a modern auteur through and through.
 
Thomas is a man working in real estate when he finds himself tasked with working for enigmatic Count Orlok. Little does he know that his new client is a vampire obsessed with Ellen, Thomas’s wife who is suffering intense and concerning episodes of horror. This is a story that many are familiar with, but Eggers adds more narrative and character depth that makes this quite engaging.
 
In my opinion, Eggers excels more as a director than a writer, and this is no exception. His script is well-written as always, but I find that there are moments where his style usually compensates for a script that might not be the most well-paced. His dialogue is strong as usual, but he continues to suffer from an extremely subtle and forgivable tendency to bloat his script.

It’s no surprise that he continues to get good performances from his actors, but the acting exceeded expectations. Hoult plays Thomas very well, serving as a frightened yet relatable audience surrogate. Bill Skarsgård delivers a transformative performance as Count Orlok that is extremely compelling without being too campy. However, the real star of the show is Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen. She surpassed all expectations with a haunted and extremely physically demanding performance that steals almost every scene she is in. It’s one of the best performances you’ll see this year, and it is a showcase for the potential she has as an actress.
 
It wouldn’t be a Robert Eggers movie without gorgeous visuals, and this movie delivers. He collaborates with cinematographer Jarin Blaschke yet again to capture this Gothic world with stunning brilliance. Grim but never dull, the visuals elevate the movie to overcome its few shortcomings.
 
Fans of horror and vampires will absolutely love Nosferatu. General audiences might also find much to love about this movie as well. It’s creepy, well-acted, beautiful shot, and incredibly eerie. While it’s my least favorite of Eggers’ movies, it’s hard to deny it’s extremely well-made even if slightly bloated.
 
Nosferatu is in theaters December 25.
 
Rating: 4/5