‘Nosferatu’ is a Masterclass in Gothic Horror
Image Courtesy of Focus Features
By Mariam Baldwin
Looking for a movie to fill you with an inexplicable sense of dread? To send a cold shiver down your spine as you wait in horrible anticipation? To have your heart stirring for exactly two hours and twelve minutes? Look no further than Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu!
A recreation of the 1922 silent film—which in itself was a German ripoff of Bram Stoker’s Dracula–Nosferatu retells a classic story. Transylvanian vampire Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard) stalks and possesses Ellen (Lily Rose Depp). This upsets the lives of those closest to her, including her husband Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) and her friends Anna and Friedrich (Emma Corrin and Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Ellen’s case also captures the attention of occultist nutjob Professor Von Franz (Willem Dafoe), who just may be the only person who can help her confront this demon.
While some reviews lament the slow pacing and shortage of jump scares, I’d argue that both these things make the film great, acting more as an ode to the gothic horror genre. Rather than relying on cheap gimmicks and scare tactics, the film builds its story upon a strong sense of foreboding. The audience is taught to fear something that, for the most part, they cannot see. It’s certainly not a film for the so-called “TikTok brain.”
The film is carried by the strong performances of its cast. Lily Rose Depp embodies Ellen with a perfect blend of agony and exasperation. Not only is she tormented by Count Orlok, but everyone else dismisses her as crazy when she tries to talk about it. Viewers are left feeling the same kind of disillusionment when everything goes up in flames. Bill Skarsgard is nothing short of sinister as the gravelly-voiced Count Orlok. Nicholas Hoult perfectly plays the loving husband and his descent into madness. Willem Dafoe brings to the table a kind of zaniness that few other actors can replicate.
Nosferatu does a good job of immersing its audience on many levels. Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking. There’s a notable shot of Thomas waiting for a carriage between a wooded path that resembles a cross. On top of that, Robin Carolan’s soundtrack complements the film very well. It’s perfectly haunting, and sprinkles emotion throughout the different scenes.
What’s more is that the film is believable taking place in the nineteenth-century. The actors all have natural features that befit a period drama, complemented by realistic makeup and costume design. Craig Lathorp’s set design also shows great attention to detail. Whether it’s the gloomy German village or Orlok’s castle, viewers feel as if they’re stepping into a storybook of the past. This is beautifully accompanied by the film’s grayscale color palette. In Nosferatu, no stone goes unturned and no detail unaccounted for.
If you can stomach the vampire genre and need something new to watch, I can only give my highest recommendation to Nosferatu. I have already seen it twice and would not mind seeing it a third time either. Pumped full of suspense, emotional performances, and rats aplenty, Nosferatu gives new life to a classic story.
