By Vanessa Mavie Hofer
“Can I sleep with you tonight?” was the first thing I asked my friend after the screen went black — and I think that perfectly sums up the horror movie Nosferatu directed by Robert Eggers. The film, a remake of the 1922 silent classic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, represents a vampire tale with a more than haunting atmosphere.
The film follows Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), a young woman who accidentally awakens the vampire Nosferatu through her prayers for comfort during a time of loneliness and creates a dangerous bond between them. Years later, after just getting married to Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) this cruel bond grows important again. Ellen’s husband is sent by his boss, Herr Knock (Simon McBurney), to finalize a real estate deal with Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) — who turns out to be the vampire himself. As Thomas gets closer to Orlok’s haunted castle, Ellen’s nightmares grow worse and her psychic connection with the vampire intensifies. When the creature threatens everyone around them, Professor Albin von Franz (Willem Dafoe) becomes their last hope to stop the evil.
Even though I watched Nosferatu on a laptop, the atmosphere it created was chilling enough to make me thankful I wasn’t in a big, dark movie theater. The movie’s music and sound effects play a major role in building tension — without it, the atmosphere would be far less intense. Eggers also perfectly uses color and lighting, pulling viewers into a 19th-century world that feels both authentic and nightmare-like. The makeup and design of the characters are just as impressive. Skarsgård’s transformation into the vampire representing death is terrifying but at the same time looks very real.
Still, the movie isn’t perfect. The pacing – especially during the middle section – drags at times. Several scenes feel overly long and are lacking intensity. A horror movie should be able to have you in a ban every single second of it. But Nosferatu managed to make my friend fall asleep at times, and I had to fight the tiredness as well — something that should never happen during a horror film.
Overall, Nosferatu is an impressive remake honoring the original while bringing fresh energy and artistry to the story. If it were slightly shorter and the intensity dragged through the whole duration, it could be close to perfect. So, anyone looking for a haunting way to get into the Halloween spirit, this film is the perfect preparation for a spooky Halloween night.
