Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” is a striking movie that has stuck with me long after I left the theater. As someone with little viewing experience with vampire and horror media in general, I didn’t know what to expect going into it. I got a dark and suspenseful movie that unsettled me with its gothic themes. While I don’t think these aspects of the movie would suit everyone’s taste, there is still a lot to appreciate regarding sets and visual style.
“Nosferatu” is an adaptation of the original 1922 German silent film of the same name, which was the first-ever vampire movie. Just like the original, it’s set in the early 19th century and follows a real-estate agent named Thomas Hutter and his wife Ellen Hutter; played by Nicholas Hoult and Lily-Rose Depp respectively. Thomas is sent to Romania to sell a house in his hometown to Count Orlok—the movie’s vampire, played by Bill Skarsgård—whose desire for Ellen is the main force that drives the plot.
Thematically, the movie makes a few choices which I’ve come to enjoy. A departure from the original, Ellen is given a much more central role in the plot, with a larger emphasis on her relationship with Orlok. A lot of her scenes are more erotic, but successfully played to be more unsettling than anything else. With this change in her role, the movie also works to subvert the usual trope of the damsel in distress.
Aesthetically, the film is beautiful. Scenes will often make strong use of lighting, with shadows playing off people’s faces and offering great contrast, or eating away at the edge of the frame, making it feel suffocating. My favorite scene did this to great effect: Thomas, while journeying to castle Orlock, stands in the middle of a forest road shrouded in darkness, save for the dim snow and sunlight filtering onto the road through the trees above. He stands stunned, like a deer in headlights, as horses gallop through the darkness straight toward him; it’s not until the muffled sound of hooves gives way to a screaming halt in front of him does he realizes his peril, as he enters the carriage that takes him to the castle.
If it wasn’t obvious, I enjoyed the visuals and cinematography. All of the sets and costumes are period-accurate, and there’s a large focus on gothic aesthetics with the castle especially. The movie also makes frequent use of long, slow shots, and shots that linger on a scene just a bit too long. The result of all of these choices is a suspenseful atmosphere with a looming feeling of dread.
All that being said, not every part of the movie landed with me. I just didn’t find Count Orlok to be scary as a villain; I very well might be in the minority for thinking that, but maybe his appearance was just a bit too “normal” to inspire fear in me. Additionally, while I don’t personally have a problem with it and wouldn’t count it as a mark against the movie, the more subversive nature of the plot definitely won’t be enjoyed by everyone when it comes to the ending.
I look at “Nosferatu” the same way I look at other gothic media, like Edgar Allan Poe’s stories; it takes the darker aspects of our existence and runs towards it, instead of away. It may not be for the faint of heart, but not all stories have to be. Overall, I would say that Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” is a great adaptation of a classic vampire film and a great step forward for gothic horror.