REVIEW #426 Nosferatu (2024)

Nosferatu

Synopsis

In the 1830’s, an estate agent by the name of Thomas Hutter travels to Transylvania for a meeting with potential client, Count Orlok. When things take a sour turn, even Hutters loved ones back home feel the presence of a dark force.

My Review

Nosferatu acts as further proof that Robert Eggers is one of the most unique and talented directors working today, continuing his impressive form with his fourth feature film. It’s fair to say he holds no punches here, creating a formidable sense of unease and fear around his central antagonist Count Orlok. The cinematography really leans into the supernatural, almost becoming a character in itself, especially during the night time where the world suddenly becomes Nosferatu’s playground and mere mortals become his instruments. The shadows were alive throughout these periods of the film and the viscous cutting of certain scenes around various characters, especially during their blackouts and nightmares, places the audience in the shoes of the protagonists, allowing them to feel their panic, their unease and their confusion. It’s also worth noting just how impressive the set and costume design were, nicely setting the scene for a period piece such as this. There is just something about horror set during this time that works so well, it has a classical feel to it that you just don’t get with a film set in the modern day and it just enhances the emotions even more!

As is always the case in Eggers films, the performances are crucial in building the tense atmosphere and the entire cast played their part perfectly. Lily Rose Depp was by far the standout for me and I would go as far as saying she absolutely deserves an Oscar for her portrayal of Ellen Hutter! The sheer physicality and intensity of her performance was enough to have you squirming in the cinema seat. Nicholas Hoult was also impressive, especially during the first act where his character was very much the focus. I have to mention Willem Dafoe, who I find high up the list of my favourite actors right now. The man is perfectly suited to Robert Eggers style and it’s why he thrives in his movies, each piece of dialogue just holds that added weight coming from Willem and he was brilliant yet again. Now for the actor that really surprised me, Simon McBurney as Herr Knock… in a similar fashion to Depp, his intense performance just made you feel so uncomfortable at times, with short monologues that would steal the show in each scene he was featured!

All in all, am I surprised at just how good Nosferatu was? No, Robert Eggers is amazing and with a cast such as this, my expectations were pretty damn high! But they were fulfilled and I would go as far as saying it is probably my favourite film in Eggers filmography and one of the most chilling vampire films I have ever seen. Would we expect anything less when Bill Skarsgaard is at the helm of your creature feature, the voice and screen presence, it’s what he does best and he did not disappoint here. Nosferatu takes you on a wild ride, you’ll be cringing in your seat, visibly shocked, pretty uneasy at times too, but you’ll love every minute of it. Unless of course you were one of the three people who actually walked out of the screening, which I couldn’t quite believe! It certainly started 2025 right when it comes to cinema and it’ll be one of the contenders for my film of the year for sure.

My rating: 9 out of 10

Thanks for reading.

Film Review Club