Stanisland Magazine

Robert Eggers’ 2024 film adaptation is a cinematic beauty lacking substance.

Nosferatu is one film I was looking forward to. Robert Eggers retelling a classic horror story, adapted from a classic novella? I’m down. Promotion for the movie was minimal, with little more than online and pre-movie cinematic trailers broadcast to the world. The rest was handled by magazines, blogs, and social media discussions.

Bill Skarsgård’s interpretation of the classic vampire was largely hidden from public exposure, with little more to be seen than shadow-play in promotional clips. We first caught wind of its production last year, and given the director’s prior work, it was a guaranteed sure-fire film, right? 

The Plot

It is essentially an unauthorised adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. At the time of the 1922 version, its director, F. W. Murnau, was unable to secure the rights to the book. This led him to conceive a loose adaptation of the story, in which the vampire Count Orlock obsesses over a woman, Ellen, (originally Mina) killing all those who stand in his way.

Filming Locations

The production was largely completed in Czechia (formerly known as Czech Republic) at Barrandov Studios in Prague. Count Orlock’s Transylvanian estate was captured in Hunedoara Castle in Romania, also known as Corvin Castle. Other locations include Pernštejn Castle (Nosferatu’s courtyard) and Prague’s Invalidovna Complex, and Rožmitál pod Třemšínem Castle which served to enhance the horror-style atmosphere of the movie.

What’s the Experience Like?

Well, that’s another story; despite so much going for it, there’s also a lot to be bored by. I love it when a film can weave a great story, but the yarns being spun here are more about the pageantry than the screenplay.

Eggers’ continuous, verging on automatic, pick for cinematography is Jarin Blaschke, whose astute implementation of Eggers’ visions is as natural as they come, turning scripts into beautiful canvases of enchanting lighting. His use of silhouettes and shadowing are second to none and likely to represent the adaptation many envision when pondering the hauntings of a vampire movie. 

From a compositional standpoint, the director has exhumed his gothic observations with ease throughout his four-film feature run. His choices for framing a story are unmatched, though this time, that would only be true if the story matched its photography.

This 2025 version is essentially a straight adaptation of the original with little added to it other than a modern cast. They include Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Ralph Ineson.

Depp’s portrayal of a newlywed bride, confused and anchored by a monstrous presence, begins rigid but steadily warms as the movie unfolds. The rest, including Hoult and, surprisingly, Dafoe, deliver subpar performances in comparison to their usual standards, augmented only by the phenomenal costuming and location scouting.

Despite its 2-hour, 12-minute runtime, it feels a rather flat and short presentation. At times, Skarsgård’s Orlock can be perceived as more of an oaf than a Count thanks to the ghastly addition of a moustache and strange beefy build. The entire film lacked the malignant atmosphere we’d expect from an Eggers movie, and the potential for enhancements was missing in production with the promise of a layered narrative.

Verdict

Expectations for the film were high for me, and I lauded its efforts with every trailer release the studio published. But intrinsic issues with the performances cannot be quelled, especially as the connection and obsession between Ellen and Nosferatu were unconvincing.

Overall, it feels like a haunting piece of cinema, but will lack motivation to be revisited at a later date. Good movie? Yes. Classic? No. There is a time and a place for such films, and oftentimes they’re products of an era when the studio wants more for less. Ultimately, Nosferatu overpromises, and its screenplay recedes more than expected.

Film from the past decade has often lacked a certain consciousness and beckons for mastery once again. However, the last artist I would expect to produce something mediocre is Robert Eggers, but unfortunately, that’s what he has yielded, saved only by its arresting, textural cinematography. Though worth watching as a theatrical experience, I wouldn’t be too distraught should you miss out.