You walk into a movie theater down 20 bucks but ecstatic to see the latest horror movie. After stocking up on buttery popcorn and a slurpee before the film starts, you watch patiently for two hours only to be disappointed by bad plotlines and lousy jump scares.
Every “horror” movie in the past five years hinges on the same concept. It’s a comedy that’s only sometimes funny. The camera work is poor. And, the dialogue—well, it’s no Shakespeare. Then, of course, a murder rampage is a last ditch attempt to add some quality of fear. “Nosferatu” didn’t follow this script.
“We thought it would be an interesting horror movie but it was a lot more creepy than we had expected,” said Poppy Donnell, a Summit junior.
Writer and director Robert Eggers wanted to make something different than these recent horror movies. He upheld this goal with “Nosferatu” which was released in 2024 on Christmas Day and is a remake of the 1922 classic.
This movie is uncomfortably refreshing, filled with a confusing romance and century-old vampire stalker, the infamous Nosferatu (Bill Skarsgård). The film follows Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), Nosfertu’s victim, while she stays with her friends Frederick Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his wife Anna Harding (Emma Corrin). Ellen struggles with her “affliction” while Anna and Fredrick try and figure out how to help her. Simultaneously the film follows Ellen’s husband, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) who must travel for work but finds himself in an unpredictable circumstance.
As the plot unfolds, the visuals tell a story of their own. Eggers has a reputation for great cinematography, winning multiple awards for his other films like “The Lighthouse.” “Nosferatu” has continued this legacy and was nominated for 17 different awards. It was shot in Romania and the Czech Republic, creating breathtaking visuals that helped replicate the 19th century time period. The backdrop stretches from beach to woods and, of course, it wouldn’t be a vampire movie without an eerie castle or two.
The camera work is also exceptional, making the movie feel abandoned, yet simultaneously chaotic as the creepy but beautiful atmosphere haunts the film. From Nosferatu’s face being deliberately hidden when little was known about him to the contrast of colors flipping from gray tones when Ellen is missing Thomas, to more vibrant colors when she is with people such as Anna, the visuals leave no detail out.
Egger’s unique color grading enhanced scenes to be—specifically in the castles—much more mysterious and whimsy. This is attributed to the very limited amount of CGI used. Nowadays, movies use many special effects, and to blend those added visuals to the original film, they sacrifice color and vibrancy. However, “Nosferatu” uses limited CGI, making the visuals more crisp and clear. This made sequences like Thomas’s taxing Journey to Transylvania all the more realistic. And, where most movies might use CGI for things like animals, “Nosferatu” used 5,000 live rats, making it feel as though you might catch the plague through the screen.
The lack of CGI was only possible due to the actor’s dedication. Depp’s performance is so realistically disturbing one would think it must be CGI. In the movie, Ellen is “afflicted” with a darkness which is actually just Nosferatu, who longs for her. She convulses and moves in very un-human ways while rambling on about the vampire, her actions worrying everyone around her and warranting visits from the doctor. But when she continues to act more deranged people start to wonder if she is possessed. These scenes’ lack of CGI makes Depp’s acting all that more impressive.
It wasn’t just intoxicating to watch but the dialogue makes you get lost in the world of seaside Germany and the terrifyingly beautiful Transylvania. Eggers didn’t just make all his actors slap on an English accent but he also captured the dialect of the late 1830s. When the characters talk, they sound like poetry, mesmerizing the audience with every word. Contrary to scripts that grant lines plagued with mundane delivery. It’s not performative art either. However, in “Nosferatu” every piece of dialogue has you on the edge of your seat. When you combine great dialogue and visuals with some of the best actors of our generation, you’re gonna get a compelling movie.
However, “Nosferatu” did face complaints about the lack of new actors. Hollywood is known for mostly casting previously established actors in films. This is true, and it can be boring seeing the same faces. “Nosferatu” is the exception though. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing these roles. All the actors truly became their characters and showed how talented they are at their craft, from Depp’s long monologue at the start of the film to Skarsgård becoming truly unrecognizable under his prosthetics.
One of the most eye-catching performances was from Taylor-Johnson. He acts as Thomas’s highly trusted friend who has to deal with the issues Ellen brings to his home. When Taylor-Johnson cries it’s not just with tears. He is barely able to breathe and struggles to get his words out over the pain his character is feeling. You can sense this emotion even if he can’t explicitly announce what he’s feeling. This is the type of acting that actually makes you truly invested in the character’s lives.
“Nosferatu” has been talked about because of its morbid themes, and frankly it also contains some hard to watch scenes. Many people don’t find it pleasant to see the human body move in ways it was not designed for. Let this be a warning to not see “Nosferatu” with your family. In any movie, graphic visuals tend to turn a lot of people away, and for good reason. On the other hand, not every movie can be for every person. Although, let’s not get things mixed up here, “Nosferatu” was truly horrifying. But in the best way possible.
Art is for the artist to express themselves, so more respect is to be had for directors who take risks. A predictable film is boring, and you watch a movie to be entertained. Egger’s choices—from the depth of the plot to the characters and aesthetic of the movie—made “Nosferatu” an engaging work of art.
