Nosferatu (2024) is the remake of the 1922 silent movie Nosferatu which is based on Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Directed by Robert Egger and starring Bill Skarsgard, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, and Willem Dafoe, Nosferatu tells the story of the vampire Count Orlok and how he plagues a town in Germany and his pursuit of Ellen Hutter. Vampire movies have been a common theme for over a hundred years, from great adaptations of Dracula’s story to classics involving vampires like The Lost Boys. Where does Eggers’s Nosferatu stand?
Nosferatu is an incredible-looking movie. The 1800s German setting looks terrific combined with a gothic and winter setting. The costumes and buildings are spot on. Places like Orlok’s castle are perfectly scary. The design of Orlok is terrifying. The costumes and makeup crew deserve awards for their work on this movie. The movie has fantastic cinematography and great visual shots involving shadows. One example is a shot of the shadow of Orlok’s hand over the town he’s terrifying, showing how he has a strong grip on it.
Nosferatu has some of the best acting of the year. Bill Skarsgard as Orlok is one of my favorite vampire performances. Not just his appearance, but the way he talks and sounds for this role gave me chills. Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter, a young woman that Orlok is attracted to, also gave chills with her incredible performance whenever she was possessed. Depp did great in portraying this young woman who has a connection to this terrifying vampire. Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter is great as well in portraying how terrified he is of Orlok and Orlok’s castle. Willem Dafoe as this professor who specializes in the supernatural and the occult is my third favorite performance of the movie. He comes across as crazy but knows what is going on.
Nosferatu will be compared to other Dracula stories, likely Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The stories are similar with significant differences and name changes. Some people will enjoy that movie more than this one. Some people will enjoy this movie over Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Ultimately, it will come down to your preferences. For me, Nosferatu is the better movie, but Bram Stoker’s Dracula is the more enjoyable movie. For some people, Nosferatu will be hard to watch, not because of the horror scenes. Some intimate scenes go all out and will make some viewers uncomfortable when watching, and won’t be for everyone.
Overall, Nosferatu is one of the best movies of 2024. The acting is terrific, particularly from Depp, Skarsgard, and Dafoe. The cinematography is top-notch with great shots throughout the movie. The story is very familiar for anyone who has seen the various Dracula movies throughout the years, yet Nosferatu still offers its unique take. My final grade for Nosferatu is an A. It’s the best vampire movie in years, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a horror fan.
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