In Nosferatu, Johnny Depp’s procreation is entranced by a sexy dead dude with handlebars and pockmarks while audiences are treated to a visually mesmerizing and atmospheric experience, as one should expect from Robert Eggers.
Eggers, who directed one of my all-time favorites (The Witch), the visually stunning The Northman (which made my top ten list of 2022), and The Lighthouse, brings his unique craft to this timeless tale of off-brand Dracula. The moody settings are just as much characters as Count Orlok and his human victims, of which there are many.
The first half of this new Nosferatu is downright breathtaking, as young and innocent Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) ventures into the eerie land of Transylvania and encounters ominous gypsies, magical horse drawn carriages, and a new real estate client who is in massive need of a Queer Eye overhaul. Hoult is at the top of his game, Bill “Pennywise” Skarsgaard is downright frightening as Count Orlok, and Eggers creates an atmosphere you can chew.
As things shift back to Germany, Nosferatu loses some of its allure. Not a lot, but some. The creepiness factor rescinds, and the more you get to see of Skarsgaard’s Orlok the less frightening he looks (the decision to give him a huge handlebar mustache, while inspired, doesn’t exactly put him on par with other Nosferatu Orloks). The introduction of Professor Albin Everhart von Franz, played by Willem Dafoe, injects a level of fun and zaniness to the project, but also skews the tone of the movie away from what worked so well early on.
And still, Eggers talent is not to be overlooked. He does some creative things in the final act that are to be commended. Further, Lily-Rose Depp (the procreation mentioned earlier) steps up and delivers a tantalizing, unpredictable, and off kilter scream queen performance.
Nosferatu is nightmare in movie form, an alluring and visually compelling production that splashes you into the depths of hell. It doesn’t quite rise to the perfection of some of Eggers’ other films, but I’ll take an Eggers movie over most any day of the week.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.