Updating a Vampire Classic

Nosferatu, a long-gestating project that director Robert Eggers was finally able to bring to fruition this year, is a well-constructed and foreboding story about seduction, tragedy, and terror.

Nosferatu is set in Germany in the 1830s. Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is a young, ambitious real estate agent. He has recently married Ellen (Lily Rose-Depp), a lovely lady who suffers from serious bouts of anxiety.

As a teenager, Ellen had a traumatic experience that has haunted her ever since. She prayed for supernatural intervention to relieve her of profound loneliness. Instead of receiving a guardian angel, she unwittingly forged a psychic link between her and a vampire.

Hutter’s employer assigns him to visit the mysterious Count Orlok, who lives in distant Transylvania. The Count is interested in purchasing an old castle. Ellen pleads with Thomas to stay with her, but he is determined to make a deal that will establish his career.

After arriving in the area, Hutter is warned by the locals to not visit Orlok. He disregards their pleas and arrives at the castle.

The enigmatic Count, played by Bill Skarsgard, quickly reveals that he is a vampire after Thomas cuts his finger. Hutter soon discovers a horrifying link between the vampire and his wife.

Orlok is still obsessed with Ellen. He will do anything to have her, no matter how many human lives he destroys.

A Spate of Strong Performances

Bill Skarsgard avoids any attempt to imitate his acclaimed performance as Pennywise in It. His voice, appearance, and mannerisms are totally different this time. If I hadn’t known better, I would never have guessed that these two characters were played by the same guy.

Count Orlok is based closely on Dracula — so closely that the filmmakers of the original Nosferatu were sued by Bram Stoker’s estate.

Skarsgard appears to have taken inspiration from early Dracula performers like Bela Lugosi. He is a nasty, ugly, old-school vampire, not the photogenic and sparkly version we’ve often seen more recently.

Ellen was originally supposed to be played by Anya Taylor-Joy. That would have been awesome, but Lily Rose-Depp does a fantastic job. Her anxiety and terror seem genuine, but so does her bravery. She’s also a total stunner. I can’t blame Orlok for being obsessed.

Willem Dafoe also deserves mention for his performance as Von Franz, an eccentric scientist who provides the film’s only comic relief. Dafoe has played many memorable characters over the years. This is one of his better roles.

How Does it Compare to the Original?

Plotwise, Nosferatu is largely faithful to its 1922 predecessor. It features the same setting and many of the same characters. It also keeps the original’s bittersweet, tragic conclusion.

Obviously, filmmaking has changed significantly over the past century. The new version has special effects and gore that would have been impossible to showcase in the original.

The first Nosferatu is a silent black-and-white film. The new version is in color and is a “talkie,” of course. Like its predecessor, it features the dark cinematography and dour tone of German Expressionist films.

Many scenes are dimly lit to the point where they are virtually black and white. The way Eggers shot this film shows his deep reverence for the original.

The new version has jump scares. This is a clear departure from the original, which was made before this common modern horror movie technique was invented. I’m not a fan of jump scares, but I have to admit this movie has a couple that gave me a jolt.

Nosferatu, which has a run time of two hours and 15 minutes, is much longer than its predecessor, despite telling essentially the same story. The pacing sometimes lags early in the film. Eggers could have trimmed or deleted some scenes without losing anything important.

Most of the stuff with the Transylvanian townsfolk seems superfluous. Eggers probably included these scenes to add an extra folk horror element to the film.

There’s already been plenty of foreshadowing that Orlok is a bad dude before Thomas sets foot in his town. How much build up do we really need? Other than the mildly annoying jump scares, this is my only criticism of the film.

I’m aware that there is also a 1979 version of Nosferatu. That film is directed by Werner Herzog. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it, but I’m interested in watching to see how it compares.

Rating

Nosferatu is a worthy update of an immortal horror classic. It keeps the elements that made the original successful while adding generally appropriate contemporary touches.

Rating from 1 (avoid at all costs to 10 (masterpiece): 8