NOSFERATU
Starring: Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Emma Corrin
Director: Robert Eggers
ADRIANO
In his latest masterwork, director Robert Eggers proves once again that he is unmatched when it comes to building atmosphere and period authenticity. In Nosferatu, from the get-go, the film's vibe is one of an unrelenting nightmare due to the overall tone, spectacular imagery, and the utterly insane transformation of Bill Skarsgard into Count Orlok. And thanks, in part, to Lily Rose-Depp's mortifying physical performance, we get a genuinely scary yet seductive film that dives headfirst into the classic Dracula themes of desire and pleasure, which makes way for unfathomable horrors. Eggers just can't seem to miss.
NICK
One thing that is undeniable when it comes to a Robert Eggers film is that you’re going to get a visually stunning piece of art. Nosferatu is no different. The gothic atmosphere becomes a character in itself, which pairs perfectly with a title character mostly in the shadows. And when he finally steps out, it’s another exceptional horror icon portrayal from Bill Skarsgård, as he keeps the audience in a trance (much like Lily-Rose Depp, who is also great here). I’ve still yet to be completely enamoured by Eggers’ work, but Nosferatu has certainly gotten me the closest.
PAIGE
Nosferatu is a descent into madness! Lily-Rose Depp delivers a spellbinding performance that she pours her soul into, while Bill Skarsgård’s terrifying portrayal of Count Orlok is so hypnotizing that even when he isn’t on screen, you can feel his menacing presence. Writer/director Robert Eggers has crafted his best and most daunting film to date. From the film’s gorgeous production design to its dreadfully tense atmosphere and macabre cinematography, this film is a truly chilling reimagining of the iconic vampire story. I must say, I have officially succumbed to Robert Eggers’ darkness.
AMARÚ
Nosferatu is undoubtedly an epic Robert Eggers film. It’s creepy, unsettling, well-acted, meticulously filmed, and eerily scored with magnificent production and sound design. But its grandiosity often lacks any form of subtlety. I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear “I AM DRACULA AND I WANT TO SUCK YOUR BLOOD” followed by Sesame Street’s The Count laughing slowly. But honestly, it fits the vibe. Any distaste on my part comes from my personal indifference to this story, and not to an absence of quality. Everything about Nosferatu is as it should be, and Eggers directed a monumental take on the vampire’s tale.
QUENTIN
For better or worse, Nosferatu is just another Robert Eggers movie. Now, that may leave you asking, “what exactly does that mean, Q?” Well, let me tell you… For me, it means a film that is well-acted (Bill Skarsgård is particularly excellent), thick with moody atmosphere, and loaded with some incredibly beautiful imagery; however, that also means it features a story so deliberately and methodically told that it becomes an unengagingly draggy bore, especially given the candle-lit period setting. Through four hit-and-miss films, I think I’ve come to understand that I like Eggers as a uniquely skilled director, but not so much as a writer.
PRESTON
Most reviews of Nosferatu will be hard-pressed not to bring up director Robert Eggers because this film is so, well… Robert Eggers. His films always seem to leave me in this middle-ground of deep respect mixed with simultaneous disappointment. I can’t express strongly enough how beautifully crafted the film is AND brilliant the performances are, but its substantive content lacks bite. It is long and dull despite being so visually stunning, and Count Orlok’s (Bill Skarsgård) porn stache and tortuously slow and affectatious speech make the creature seem laughable at times. Alas, I find myself in the familiar middle-ground, once more.
KATIE
Robert Eggers’ reverence for Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is evident in every frame of his modern remake. From the breathtaking first scene, Eggers plunges the viewer into a meticulously crafted, richly realised world inflected with a building sense of suffocating dread, captured in seductively beautiful monochromatic colour. Eggers draws inspiration from the original text without simply replicating its visuals, with Murnau-inspired use of shadows and expressionist influences, but he adds a unique complexity to the story by centralising Ellen’s agency, played by a dedicated Lily-Rose Depp with impressively unsettling physicality. Nosferatu is a truly stunning and encapsulating film.
