Nosferatu review: The most astonishing movie of the year

Where do I even begin? I’ve felt largely starved of cinematic excitement all year, then came Nosferatu – an all-encompassing experience that extends far beyond the confines of a theater.

I’ll be honest and say my relationship with Robert Eggers’ work didn’t get off to the best start. The Witch and The Lighthouse completely passed me by, while The Northman didn’t resonate with me at all. Being so mesmerized by Nosferatu makes me feel like I need to personally phone him up and apologize for not “getting” his vision beforehand.

Frankly, I defy anyone to not be completely seduced by his take on the vampiric. A lot of critic chatter has already dubbed this his “magnum opus,” and I can see why. We already knew he was a new-school auteur when it came to horror movies, even an ignoramus like me. But we’re talking big budget now baby, meaning there’s truly no limit where his imagination can’t stretch.

The result is nothing short of staggering. You can see it below in the trailer, but Eggers is swinging big to make us rethink gothic horror – both what it can be and that it still holds gravitas. Jumpscares aplenty are all well and good (surprisingly, there’s still a good amount in this) but much like life, the true horrors are the ones you can’t fully see.

What is Nosferatu about?

Germany, 1838. Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) has just married Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) and the two are besotted with each other. However, Ellen has a secret – years before, she awakened an evil demon from years of slumber in a fit of loneliness.

In the modern 1830s, this demon takes the form of Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), who resides in a ruined castle in Transylvania. He enlists the help of Thomas, an aspiring estate agent (or the Victorian equivalent), to buy property in their town. It’s all a ploy to get closer to Ellen, as Orlok is outraged by her recent marriage.

This is basically the same plot as the 1922 movie, which in itself is an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Gothic horror has never looked so good

Focus Features

Regardless of how you react, Nosferatu is a movie that needs to be seen in the cinema. I have no idea how it’s going to fare on a streaming service or home release – I can’t imagine the artistry and sheer evil embedded in its frames translate on your living room TV. Watching ghostly shadows emerge in a pitch-black room surrounded by strangers is the born-again experience, and my God does it deliver.

It will be no surprise that Eggers’ work is visually breathtaking, but even by his standards he’s outdone himself. Fully leaning into the gothic horror genre while elevating the past with his cool-toned perspective of the present (can you see him in the darkness?), the legend of Nosferatu is a terrifying one. You almost need to forget everything you know about Dracula and vampiric activity – it’s being sold to you afresh, 1800s style.

The opening scene is what will have everybody talking (and rightly so), but it’s what I’m going to call Eggers’ ‘tunnel vision’ that is perhaps my favorite motif. Replicated multiple times throughout the movie, a fear greater than you could have ever imagined emerges from walking down said tunnel, whether more metaphorical or on-the-nose physical. Something becomes of nothing, and each time it’s completely unsuspecting. It grabs you, doesn’t let go, then shows you hell.

What Nosferatu rightfully understands is that the biggest danger or evil is one you cannot fully comprehend. The ungodly is concealed in darkness, its reputation nothing more than urban myth or an ever-growing rumor. Much is the same for those parts of day-to-day life you run away from, willing to turn a blind eye to problems that could easily disappear. But to not see clearly is false safety… and what’s more horrific than being confronted by that?

Lily-Rose Depp for Best Actress?

Focus Features

Credit can’t completely go to craft – Nosferatu’s cast is equally as exceptional. We might have enjoyed slating Sam Levinson’s The Idol last year, but Lily-Rose Depp has dramatically u-turned into a role she feels born to play. We’re seeing a possessed, obsessed, and vulnerable version of her through character Ellen, a lonely-turned-fulfilled woman who will do whatever it takes to protect her husband.

Her unavoidable melancholy, as she often puts it, is undeniably convincing, and her candour leads the rest of the cast to victory. Willem Dafoe is as Dafoe-y as ever portraying the occult specialist who wholly believes her (think Poor Things with less mad science), while Aaron Taylor-Johnson shines as Friedrich Harding, the best friend who has had enough of this damn nonsense. Fellow Vicar of Dibley fans might also spend a frightening amount of time thinking, “I’m sure that man writhing around on the floor was choirmaster Cecil,” and you’d be right (big fan, Simon McBurney).

It’s Bill Skarsgård who has to be seen to be believed, though. We’re one more villainous role away from collectively billing him for emotional trauma, but Count Orlok makes Pennywise look like Krusty the Clown. I still can’t work out how he nailed his Barry White levels of cadence (his poor throat surely saw some Strepsils during shooting) and it goes without saying he looks nothing like his blonde-haired, blue-eyed self. If he was the Prince of Evil before, he’s now ascended to be King.

Nosferatu review score – 5/5

I’m reluctant to give too much detail away here because I genuinely think Nosferatu could change how you see gothic horror for good. It’s a profound feeling to experience a movie that feels more like a life journey than a merely two-hour-plus runtime, and it hasn’t left my mind since I saw it.

As the lights came up, I felt changed, like my own unknown demon had left my spirit. That’s the magic of exceptional cinema, and Eggers is on its summit.

Nosferatu is in US cinemas on December 25, and in UK screens on January 1. In the meantime, check out the scariest horror films based on true stories, the best horror anime, and horror movies for kids to get into. You can also catch up with more new movies out this month.