The Nosferatu Extended Cut Hits Streaming
Robert Egger’s Nosferatu, the big horror hit of last year’s Christmas season, is hitting streaming with an extended cut. Viewers looking for a massive amount of new material will be disappointed, however, as this version reportedly features only four minutes of additional footage. The changes are comprised of lengthier versions of two existing scenes and additional screentime for Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard).
That said, an interesting addition that I’m looking forward to seeing is a monologue by Orlok about the local ritual that Thomas witnesses after arriving in town. The stuff with the townsfolk, although a common trope in gothic vampire films, was one of the few parts of Nosferatu that didn’t work for me. It seemed like an unnecessary detour. Perhaps Orlok’s commentary on the ritual will give it additional relevance and tie it more closely with the rest of the narrative.
It’s good that Focus Features isn’t putting in a bunch of superfluous fluff to increase the runtime, but it seems overhyped to call this an extended version, since it’s barely longer than the theatrical release. Still, viewers who enjoyed the film will undoubtedly be happy to see it available on streaming. It’s good that Eggers was apparently satisfied enough with the theatrical cut that he did not see the need to add in a bunch of extra scenes.
The Nosferatu extended cut hits Peacock on February 21st. Here’s the trailer:
