by Foster Harlfinger, Contributing Writer
In development for nearly a decade, Nosferatu marks the culmination of years of research and preparation on behalf of writer/director Robert Eggers. Whether it be a small family in Puritan New England (The Witch), a pair of 19th century lighthouse keepers (The Lighthouse), or Vikings straight out of Norse mythology (The Northman), Eggers is not one to hold back when it comes to period-accurate recreations of dialogue, sets, and clothing.
Perhaps the strongest selling point for this remake is that you get precisely the gothic, dread-filled adaptation of the Dracula story you would expect from Eggers. That is to say that this iteration of Nosferatu, released 102 years after the original film, is completely and utterly drenched with the most seductively wicked atmosphere one could imagine. A simple snowfall carries with it the weight of pure terror, as Bill Skarsgård’s Count Orlok lurks just out of view. To call Skarsgård’s performance unrecognizable would be an understatement to the point of insult. Eggers said it best when he expressed his initial concern that Skarsgård might not get the credit he deserves, because “he’s just… not there.” From the complete reinvention of Orlok’s vampiric visage to the bottomless pit of his Transylvanian drawl, Skarsgård’s transformation is nothing short of career-defining.
Wisely, the so-called “Prince of Rats” is used sparingly so as not to lose his horrific effect. Instead, following in the footsteps of the 1922 original, Eggers centers his Nosferatu around the parallel journeys of the married Thomas and Ellen Hutter (Nicholas Hoult and Lily-Rose Depp) as they weave in, out, and around the nightmarish web of Orlok’s influence. While Thomas, a real-estate agent, works to sell Orlok a decaying mountaintop castle, Ellen is left to grapple with her increasingly upsetting visions and seizures.
Hoult and, in particular, Depp deliver such physically and emotionally committed performances that you start to retroactively worry for their wellness on set. Though their work anchors the film, they are aided by a wonderfully kooky ensemble of character actors, including the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the stuffy vampire skeptic, Willem Dafoe as the Van Helsing-inspired scientist of the occult, or Simon McBurney as Herr Knock, the Nosferatu equivalent of Dracula’s Renfield. Performances like McBurney’s go a long way in convincing the audience of the power of Count Orlok, offering premonitions of unease before Orlok’s vampire shenanigans are officially revealed.
Nosferatu never falters, though it may not always set itself far enough apart from the original film or Werner Herzog’s 1979 remake to rationalize its own existence beyond allowing Eggers to show off his beautifully macabre sensibilities. Even so, how can one complain when offered the chance to view one of the great modern filmmakers put his stamp on one of the films that inspired him to pursue filmmaking in the first place? Steeped in moonlight and blood, Nosferatu is a brilliant piece of horror filmmaking, with the most stunning imagery you will see all year and a performance from Skarsgård that will stand the test of time.
Rating: Loved It
Nosferatu is currently playing in theaters
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