This past year has been quite the streak for horror filmmakers to bloom and has invited a lot of people to experience the genre without it being reliant on the cliches or an infestation of unneeded jumpscares. Remakes are often unnecessary and usually become letdowns due to the attempts to modernize the subject at hand, over sticking to what made the original work stand out in the first place. But that is not the case for this film right here.
In recent years, Robert Eggers has made a name for himself thanks to his knack for blending dark historical storytelling with horror and thriller elements. If that is what you are hoping to see out of this, then you get exactly that through this retelling of this iconic fictional figure. This film feels as if Eggers envisions the feeling of a classic literature novel with how it translates the tone and dialogue to the screen. Here he offers an immersive story with his love for establishing historically authentic and accurate dialects for the period he places his films in.
From there, we get to see some of the most stunning and eye-catching costume and production designs that encapsulate the feel of a chilling gothic atmosphere. Eggers shows most of this film in the dark, yet it never felt obscured with what was on screen, and it is incredible to see how he perfectly directed this film in the way he intended. The use of massive shadows brings out the film’s dreadful nature with Jarin Blaschke returning as Egger’s cinematographer as well as Louise Ford’s as editor. With those two in charge of spectacle, we receive horror based not just on sound, but on visuals.
There is not one scene that feels contemporary with its practice or one that takes you out of the period this film is set in and shows how well the research into historical accuracies has paid off. Words cannot stress how gorgeous this film looks and how great this turned out for the big screen, which is the best way to watch this film. It is unsettling to see how this film examines the psychology around suppressing an unhealthy desire by going to its lengths of showing the unnerving emotions that come from it, which the cast brings to life with this film.
Willem Dafoe gives a performance unlike any other in his career from the way he is presented, and it is apparent that he is looking to give something different yet exorbitant as he partners with Eggers for the third time. Aaron Taylor Johnson has had quite the career over the decade and has starred in a ton of great films since, but this may be his best performance of recent years with how he utters his lines and delivers emotion.
Nicholas Hoult is on a streak with emotionally strong performances and is one of 2024’s most committed actors from the variety of films he has been in. Here he gives an accurate depiction of shocked and terrified reactions to witnessing something not of this world. Which pays off perfectly with his scenes with Bill Skarsgaard, who gives an insane performance with his transformation into Count Orlok, that will leave you completely speechless from the way he shows dismay and how they constructed his appearance to be.
Lily-Rose Depp is sensational with the work she is instructed to provide with her character and delivers an unbelievable amount of emotional tension with her spiral into insanity and amatory, showing terror all in one without feeling over the top or melodramatic. It may not be the scariest horror film of recent years, but at the same time, not all horror films are based around the concept of shivering the audience to the core with a jumpscare.
It is for sure one of the best vampire films we have gotten for a long time and has heightened the recent revival of the vampire sub-genre after many years of Twilight’s impact on the classic creature. Not only one of the best horror films of the year, but certainly one of the best films of the year. It is the perfect way of discovering the iconic tale if you are unfamiliar with it and a great opportunity to explore the works of Robert Eggers. Nosferatu is a gloriously crafted rendition of the 1922 feature, from its authentically harrowing environment & visuals, extremely enticing dialogue, and splendid cast.
