Set in 1830s Germany, real estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) travels to Transylvania for a fateful meeting with Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), a prospective client. During his absence, Hutter’s new bride, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), is left under the care of their friends, Friedrich (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Anna Harding (Emma Corrin).
Plagued by horrific visions and an increasing sense of dread, Ellen soon encounters an evil force that’s far beyond her control. Professor Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) and Dr. Wihelm Sievers (Ralph Ineson) uncover the monster's origin and how to eliminate its reign of terror..
Nosferatu was released in theaters on Christmas Day, and watching the film gave a sense of a dark eeriness while staying true to the blood-soaked monster that is Nosferatu, a creature driven by love. Rober Eggers's horror flick follows a highly gothic style, providing a sinister tone to the film that can have you on the edge of your seat – giving the intense feeling the monster could be anywhere. This is a common theme with Eggers’ other films such as The Northman and The Lighthouse.
The acting was excellent, with Depp's skillful depiction of sheer terror. Her acting provides a believable sense of paranoia and despair that spills over into Ellen’s interactions with the other characters. This fear looming over all of these characters fascinated me, especially how they reacted to the creature.
Skarsgård’s performance of the movie’s namesake character was phenomenally well-done. His acting paired perfectly with the exceptionally well-detailed prosthetics and makeup that brought the character to life.
While the movie was paced well and kept me on the edge of my seat for the most part, I feel that it ran for a bit too long and dragged a bit at points.
Overall, despite its flaws, I did enjoy this film. It gave me a strong eerie feeling I have never seen in a movie.
If you enjoy monster flicks or the work of Robert Eggers, this is the film to sink your teeth into with a dark setting, well-developed characters, and an environment that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
3.5/5
