Nosferatu

2024   Focus Features

Rated:  R

Length:  2 hr  12min

Gothic Horror ~ Supernatural Horror ~ Vampire Horror

Directed by:  Robert Eggers

Starring:  Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson and Willem Dafoe.

Succumb To The Darkness

Nosferatu unfolds in 19th-century Germany, centering on Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), a young woman haunted by eerie nightmares and a psychic connection to the mysterious vampire Nosferatu. Ellen’s husband, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), a real estate agent, is sent to Transylvania to finalize the sale of a remote manor to the reclusive and terrifying Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). Despite warnings from locals, Thomas persists, unaware of the dark fate awaiting him and his family.

Upon meeting Count Orlok at his eerie castle, Thomas experiences increasingly disturbing events. Orlok exerts a malevolent influence, forcing Thomas to annul his marriage to Ellen through a strange document. While Thomas becomes physically weakened and trapped in the castle, Orlok sets off on a ship to Ellen’s town, Wisborg, carrying with him a devastating plague transmitted by rats. Ellen’s health deteriorates as she suffers from seizures and sleepwalking, under the vampire’s sinister spell.

As Orlok’s deadly presence spreads devastation through Wisborg, Ellen, along with her allies the doctor Wilhelm Sievers (Ralph Ineson) and occult scientist Albin Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe), seeks to uncover a way to stop Nosferatu. They discover that Orlok’s power can only be ended by a willing sacrifice from a pure maiden. Ellen, driven by love and despair, makes a harrowing decision to confront Orlok on her own.

The tension crescendos as Ellen sacrifices herself, luring Orlok and stalling him until sunrise, ultimately ending his reign of terror. This act is both tragic and empowering, highlighting Ellen’s bravery and empathy amid chaos and loss. The film doesn’t shy away from exploring dark sexual themes, violence, and despair, pushing boundaries both visually and narratively.

Nosferatu is a triumph of horror craftsmanship, its moody visuals, gripping performances, and relentless sense of doom evoke the spirit of the original while giving it new life. While it lacks some visceral scares, it makes up for it in atmosphere and existential horror, a film not just about vampires but about loneliness, obsession, and sacrificial love. For fans of Gothic, Vampire and Supernatural Horror, Nosferatu delivers a chilling experience that lingers long after the credits roll.