Nosferatu – G does Films

Nosferatu (2025) Review: Robert Eggers’ triumphantly terrifying return to vampiric form

It is unlikely that the director of Nosferatu (1922), F. W. Murnau, would’ve imagined 102 years later there would be a remake of his film which so closely recaptures the essence of the original. When I first watched Murnau’s original film, I was immediately struck by its captivatingly ominous atmosphere, despite the fact it is one of the oldest films I’ve ever watched. I found it to be particularly effective when the titular vampire wasn’t on screen. As a viewer you’re only left to imagine what his presence is like, the musical score and camera work reminding us that he is coming, filling us with dread. I can imagine this is how Robert Eggers felt when he first watched the film, as a remake has been a passion project of his for 10 years. Despite his minimal filmography, Eggers’ has proved himself to be one of the most interesting and distinct filmmakers of the past decade. The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019) and The Northman (2022) all have a uniquely identifiable style, despite the fact they overlap into multiple genres. Having previously written about both Robert Eggers’ films and Nosferatu (1922), I was adamant that there was no other filmmaker who could successfully produce a modern remake of the horror classic given the overlap between their distinct yet straightforward approach to horror. Now a new year has arrived with a new take on the horror classic, I can safely say I was not disappointed.

Just as the 1922 original was, Nosferatu (2025) is effectively a retelling of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. The original was, in fact, an unlicensed adaption, so much so that Stoker’s widow won a lawsuit against the film which allegedly led to all copies of the film being destroyed. Of course, this wasn’t enough to stop the original from continuing to live decades later like some vampiric monster. Solely the fact that Eggers was able to successfully breath new life into a story which has been told countless times across many different medias proves not only the timelessness of the story, but his ability has a filmmaker. Nosferatu (2025) is effectively the same story as Dracula; a solicitor is called to sort a property deal out with a mysterious Count who resides in a creepy, isolated castle and eventually makes his way to the solicitor’s hometown to feed on the living. So how does one successfully retell a story which has been done to death? (Pun intended).

One of the first things that’s most striking about Egger’s film is its faithfulness to the time period. Nosferatu (2025) is set in 1838 Germany and you well and truly believe it. As demonstrated in his previous films (especially 2022’s The Northman), Eggers has shown to be able to masterfully capture historical accuracy, from the set design to the character’s speech. Nosferatu (2025) is no exception. The dialect is almost Shakespearean yet completely understandable for a modern audience, and the costume and set design fully immerses the audience into the 19th Century. Even the minimal use of lighting makes some scenes almost look black and white, creating that creaky, claustrophobic feeling that the 1922 original conveyed. Of course, the use of lighting and shadows is a big factor in also conveying the generally creepy atmosphere that you’d expect from a gothic horror film. This is something that combines Eggers’ distinct directorial features with what is required of a Nosferatu film; further supporting the notion that there was no other filmmaker right for the job. One sequence in particular involving horses and a carriage in a forest was particularly captivating for its camera work and use of shadows, reminding the audience that the titular vampire’s is somehow omnipresent…

Rarely is it that one can describe an actor truly ‘disappearing’ into a role. The only recent examples I can think of is Colin Farrell as The Penguin in Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe, or possibly Nicolas Cage in last year’s horror film Longlegs. Partly due to the incredible makeup and costume work, and partly due to the exceptional performance. The same can be said for Bill Skarsgård as Nosferatu. As far as I’m concerned, you’re not watching Skarsgård. You’re watching the real Count Orlok who happens to have a taste for the blood of the living. I appreciate the fact his appearance was kept relatively secretive before the release of the film, which makes his performance even more striking. When he first appears you still don’t see him; being out of focus in the foreground or background as the main focus is Nicholas Hoult’s terrified reactions as he listens to the Count’s deeply raspy tones. Skarsgård apparently worked on the voice for Nosferatu for weeks, providing a slow, deeply unsettling tone which combines the temperament of a Transylvanian lord and something much more sinister. His appearance may not be what you expect, but it certainly harkens to the appearance of 15th Century Prince Vlad the Impaler, who was allegedly the original inspiration for Stoker’s Dracula.

Just like the 1922 original, Nosferatu’s presence reverberates throughout the film, in part due to the fantastic performances from the film’s cast. As mentioned, Hoult’s Thomas Hutter seems genuinely terrified when he first meets the Count, as if it is the first time he’s seeing Skarsgård in full costume and makeup. As previously mentioned, the film’s dialogue is very Shakespearean-esque, which allows the actors to really play the time period to their full potential. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is excellent as Hutter’s friend and vampire skeptic Friedrich Harding, who effectively plays as a counter act to Willem Dafoe’s Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, a Swiss philosopher who happens to be an expert on the occult and all things vampiric. I truly believe Dafoe would fit right at home in any historical time period. The unique eccentricity in his performances in Eggers’ films show his versatility as an actor and his ability to adapt to any period of history. Ralph Ineson, who I believe is a substantially underrated actor with his low, raspy, Yorkshire voice, is also great as the doctor who treats Ellen for her ‘sickness’. Which brings me to the performance that everyone is going to be discussing; Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter. The film requires a lot from her as an actor both emotionally and physically; convincing us that she is under the spell of the Count by physically contorting her body and face without any additional editing, which she pulls off with terrifying magnificence. Similarly, however, Simon McBurney as solicitor turned madman Herr Knock terrifically pulls of feats of terrifying emotional and physical derangement which must also not go unappreciated.

Nosferatu (2025) is a real treat for horror fans. It is clearly a film made by people who truly care about the source material and historical accuracy, and whose sole interest is immersing an audience in its world for two hours. It recaptures the distinctly unsettling atmosphere of the original, whilst using particularly grotesque and terrifying imagery to revitalise the horror for a modern audience and show us that vampires can still be scary. As for criticisms, I struggle to find many. Being a gothic horror film, some may find it a little slow paced, and it could perhaps leave you wanting to see more of the Count himself, but ultimately that is the purpose of the film. To take the time to fill its audience with dread and only imagine the horrors that await. I wouldn’t even describe Nosferatu as scary, but it doesn’t need to be. Scaring a modern film audience is an increasingly difficult task year by year, and films such as this opt to consistently and effectively unsettle and discomfort an audience rather than outrightly scare them, which is arguably just as effective. Everything from its chilling musical score by The Northman composer Robin Carolan to its exceptional historical accuracy, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a film made to be seen at the cinema, and might very well be Eggers’ magnum opus. Happy New Year to cinema.

Why I don’t watch movie trailers anymore

If you’re early enough to the cinema you’ll be lucky enough to get a glimpse of previews of upcoming film releases, which is arguably one of the biggest selling points for movies. Usually they’ll be for films you haven’t heard of, or films you have heard of but have not yet seen the trailer. Some films sometimes even warrant viewing the trailer when it is released online, if they are anticipated enough by the likes of big studios, directors or franchises. Recently however, I have considered viewing trailers as an unfortunate experience rather than a fortunate one, and I tend to avoid seeking out the trailer for something unless under exceptional circumstances. The reason? Trailers spoil the movies.

This is not a recent problem. Ever since a trailer for Castaway (2001) revealed whether Tom Hanks escapes the island, there has always been controversy over trailers spoiling movies. The Terminator franchise is another infamous culprit, with the trailers for several of the instalments revealing a little too much information about their villains. If you look up any major movie trailer online, there’s a likely chance you’ll find comments about how it made people feel as if they watched the entire movie in the trailer. Granted, if you haven’t seen the movie, it is impossible to tell how much of the movie the trailer reveals. A recent example is M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap, a movie about a police operation to trap a serial killer at a concert. However, the big ‘twist’ the trailer seems to spoil is that the father (Josh Hartnett) is the killer. M. Night Shyamalan is known for his plot twists, so to make such a significant reveal in the trailer of his film seems uncharacteristic of him. However, having seen the film, the trailer only reveals the first half of the movie.

Some trailers have undoubtedly spoiled major plot points in movies; from the infamous plot reveal in the trailer for 1973’s Soylent Green, to the recent thriller remake Speak no evil revealing what happens at the end of the movie. Nevertheless, most trailers don’t go this far. More commonly trailers reveal too much general information about a movie which diminishes the excitement of watching a movie for the first time. It makes you feel as if all those YouTube comments were justified in saying the whole movie was in the trailer.Another recent example for this which I experienced was the trailer for Alien Romulus. The trailer not only exposes some of the film’s most exciting action sequences, but also that it would have another iconic chest-bursting scene. Granted, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie itself, but I found myself reflecting that some of the action or scary scenes would havehad more of an impact if they weren’t shown in the trailer. This is something I sadly find myself thinking evermore frequently after watching new movies. When it comes to big franchises and highly anticipated releases, fans are going to watch the movie when it comes out regardless of any marketing; I don’t need to see the trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux or Robert Eggers’ upcoming Nosferatu remake because I am already sold on the concepts they represent and because I enjoyed what came before.

Which brings me onto the reasons as to why trailers give away too much information. Firstly, ever since the pandemic, cinemas have been struggling to get back on their feet. Many Odeon and Cineworld branches have permanently closed, budget cuts have been made, and the companies have had to find new ways to get punters in the cinema. The pandemic habituated people into streaming; why spend £20 to go to see one film in the cinema when you can stream many more at home for a cheaper monthly subscription? As such, trailers have been targeted less towards fans and dedicated cinemagoers and more to general audiences who don’t care as much about significant plot points being revealed. Alternatively, perhaps movie studios simply feel they must sell as much of the movie as they possibly can to get people to return to the cinema.

Long gone are the days when most movie trailers would be a quick highlight reel of the general atmosphere and vibe of amovie. An effective movie trailer should sell this effectively without revealing too much of the plot. There are, however, recent exceptions. Oz Perkins’ recent horror Longlegs starring Nic Cage as a deformed serial killer had a very minimal yet intriguing marketing campaign. The trailers only tended to show seemingly random shots from the movie which effectively conveyed the creepy, ominous tone without revealing plotlines. They even went as far as creating a whole website about the murders from the film as if they were real, leaving further details completely at the discretion of the audience.

Sadly, most trailers aren’t this reserved, and more often provide cinema fans such as myself with too much information to sell a film. As such, I personally only tend to watch trailers if they are for a film I have heard very little about but sounds intriguing. I find the less I know about a film, the more I enjoy it. Hence why I generally avoid watching movie trailers.

100 years of horror – Does Nosferatu still hold up?

Horror classic Nosferatu (1922) recently turned 100 years old – a milestone most films have yet to reach. I recently watched this centennial film in all its glory on Amazon Prime, making it the oldest movie I’ve ever watched. But as a 24-year-old film enthusiast indoctrinated into films by superheroes, CGI and animation, how does Nosferatu rate? Do the grainy colour-changing textures of the film affect its enjoyment? Does the atmospheric orchestral score compensate for the film’s lack of dialogue? Most importantly, does the film’s creepy atmosphere hold up? Well, when it comes to film, age is just a number, because I still thoroughly enjoyed Nosferatu.

I can see why Nosferatu is considered to be the origin of horror and vampires. It was made in the wake of the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918, and plays on the real fears of widespread disease and death. Nosferatu’s arrival to civilisation is as allegorical as it is literal. He brings fear, death and disease and disrupts the safety and security of a an otherwise stable society. It’s an interesting take on Bram Stoker’s original Dracula story, except the titular antagonist is much more dehumanised in this film. He’s permanently hunched, has pointy ears, freakishly long fingers, two sharp front teeth, and a pair of haunting, black eyes. His movements too, are ominously slow, giving the impression that this is no human, but a creature of the night. You can always feel his presence throughout the film even when he’s not on screen, simply by the effect he has on people and through the film’s atmosphere. If anything, the film’s grainy look adds to the creepy, claustrophobic feeling it thrives on. I thought it was interesting that the version I watched used different washes to indicate times of day – yellow and pink to indicate daytime, and green and blue indicating night. Even the vampiric descriptions in the book protagonist Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) reads are menacingly beautiful – describing the vampire in a way that forebodes Nosferatu’s presence.

The score does a perceptive job of creating the film’s creepy atmosphere. Depending on its intensity, it is a key indicator of the mood in each scene. When Hutter is enjoying time with his wife Ellen (Greta Schröder), the score is somber and peaceful. But when there is any mention of the supernatural, or when Hutter is travelling up a rocky road towards Count Orlok/Nosferatu’s castle, the score is much more ominous and intimidating. It gives an indication that something sinister is coming, and that something is a hunched, bloodthirsty vampire. The lighting of this film also enhances its atmosphere. From the use of a negative filter to convey the eeriness of Hutter’s journey, to the iconic shots of Nosferatu’s looming shadow, these simple effects remain genuinely creepy a century on.

Nosferatu still holds up not just because of its score and minimal effects to create its ominous atmosphere, but also by the themes of death and disease it conveys. There hasn’t been much in terms of remakes or reboots in the last century, aside from Werner Herzog’s 1979 remake, Nosferatu the Vampyre, and Shadow of the Vampire (2000) which was a fictionalised account of the making of the original. The 1979 remake didn’t particularly resonate with me, with it’s wooden acting, poor writing, and severe lack of tension. Willem Dafoe as Max Shreck/Nosferatu in Shadow of the Vampire does however sound appealing. Nonetheless, the influence of the original has disseminated throughout the horror genre. Travelling a long, eerie, mountainous road to an isolated location to create a sense of foreboding can be seen in films like The Shining (1980) and Evil Dead (1981), and even Nosferatu’s silent, predator-stalking-prey stance can be attributed in slashers like Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980). The Lighthouse (2019) and The Northman (2022) director Robert Eggers is writing and directing a remake of Nosferatu, with Pennywise himself Bill Skarsgård set to portray the titular role and Anya-Taylor Joy in an unknown role. If there was any filmmaker today who could adapt the atmosphere of the original Nosferatu for a modern audience, it would be Eggers; and I’m very much looking forward to it.