Nerdly » ‘Nosferatu’ Blu-ray Review

10th Apr2025

‘Nosferatu’ Blu-ray Review

by Matthew Turner

Stars: Bill Skarsgard, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney | Written and Directed by Robert Eggers

F.W. Murnau’s silent vampire classic Nosferatu receives its second remake, courtesy of Robert Eggers, acclaimed director of The Witch, The Lighthouse and The Northman. As with its predecessors (including Werner Herzog’s 1979 remake with Klaus Kinski), it’s a thinly veiled retread of Bram Stoker’s Dracula with the names changed to avoid copyright infringement (which failed in 1922, as the Stoker estate successfully sued), and as such, it’s a slice of sumptuous Gothic horror with a palpable erotic charge, thanks to Eggers’ distinctive vision.

Set in early 19th century Germany, the film begins with newly married junior estate agent Thomas Hutter accepting a commission from his suspiciously twitchy boss Herr Knock (Simon McBurney, the film’s Renfield substitute, chewing both scenery and live animals) to travel to Transylvania and oversee the signing of a contract by the sinister Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard). Hutter finds the ordeal terrifying in the extreme, whether it’s witnessing arcane rituals by the locals, hearing strange noises in the night or waking up to find neatly spaced bite marks on his chest.

Hutter eventually manages to escape Orlok’s clutches and return to Germany, but his relief is short-lived because the Count is not far behind. Worse, it transpires that Orlok has a telepathic connection to Hutter’s young bride Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), who in turn is both transfixed and terrified by her nightmare-bound suitor, to the point where she has seizures and convulsions as if she were possessed.

Eggers has described his take on Nosferatu as a passion project and his love of the source material is immediately apparent in his direction, which positively drips with atmosphere, to the point where you’d swear there was a chill in the air as the fog starts to swirl. He’s aided considerably by Jarin Blaschke’s gorgeous cinematography, which often veers close to Murnau-esque black and white, and by some spectacular sound design work – make sure you see it in the best sound-equipped cinema available.

On top of that, the production design work is simply extraordinary, with richly layered details in everything from the set designs to the costumes. Indeed, cast members revealed during Q&A screenings that the borderline obsessive attention to detail went well beyond what we see on screen, with – for example – hand-written letters inside drawers that would never actually be seen in the film.

Thematically, the film sticks closely to both Stoker’s original text and Murnau’s 1922 interpretation, up to and including the famous shot of Orlok’s reaching hand in shadow, as wonderful here as it was 102 years ago. However, Eggers adds a few extra details, to impressive effect, the best of which is a bravura ending with a breath-taking final shot.

Given the artistic achievement elsewhere in the film, the performances have a lot to live up to, and for the most part, they do so admirably. Depp is particularly impressive in a powerfully physical performance, and she sells Ellen’s psychic torment and descent into erotic delirium. Similarly, Hoult is excellent as Hutter (he genuinely looks terrified early on, and Eggers cleverly withholds what he actually sees at that point) and there’s delightful support from both Willem Dafoe (as a Van Helsing-like expert in vampire lore) and Simon McBurney, who really sinks his teeth into Herr Knock’s peculiarities.

However, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is less successful as Friedrich Harding (Hutter’s best friend, who takes in Ellen when she falls ill) – he is, in many ways, the film’s equivalent of Keanu “I know where the BASTARD LIES!” Reeves in Coppola’s 1992 Dracula. Similarly, Skarsgard’s performance, while distinctive, isn’t quite as scary as it ought to be, hampered by both an over-enthusiastic prosthetic make-up job (which hides the actor’s already vampire-appropriate face) and a frankly ridiculous accent that’s borderline camp, and not always in a good way.

In short, this is clearly a labour of love for Eggers and his passion, nay bloodlust, is evident in every beautiful frame. Ultimately, it’s not entirely perfect, but the glories far outweigh the flaws and vampire fans are in for a tasty treat.