Allegedly, Count Dracula is the most filmed literary character in the history of cinema. It is unclear if that Guinness certification includes versions of Nosferatu, which then makes it unclear if Robert Eggers’s latest stab at the vampire count will contribute to that tally. What is clear is that this tale of the undead obsessing over pretty women is quite well-worn territory.
F.W. Murnau’s 1922 Nosferatu was a brazen exercise in completely ignoring intellectual property law. Though the roots of Dracula seem ancient (and the vampiric myths that inspired it certainly are), Bram Stoker was a bit more modern than that. The Irish author passed away merely 10 years before the unlicensed adaptation of his epistolary novel, and his very alive and active family went after the ballsy German director with all their lawyerly might. The lawsuit was found to favour Stoker’s family and ordered all copies of Murnau’s film destroyed. Liked cockroaches, several prints survived the legal fumigation and the film lived to find a wide, international audience who continue to this day.
All that is to say that while Eggers’s film is an updated adaptation, those expecting any notes referring directly to Bram Stoker’s own Dracula and not its copy will find themselves on a fool’s errand. But what the 2024 Nosferatu can offer is incredible visual storytelling, moments of strong performances, and a riff on Murnau’s stolen plot, beefed up for contemporary audiences.
Much like its source material, Nosferatu kicks off in the world of real estate. Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) must travel to the decrepit castle of Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) to get paperwork signed so that the count can move to an equally disheveled castle elsewhere. The Count is unusual and impatient, and Thomas is bound by his interest in doing a good job, so the men must work through this boring task together. Back home, Thomas’s fiancé Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) is waiting for him to return safely so that they can begin their lives together earnestly.
As the story of blood, passion, death, and obsession unfolds, one welcome change to this updated Nosferatu is Ellen’s enhanced agency within the film. Though she is still far from passing the Bechdel Test, Ellen is more sexual and engaged than she has been traditionally portrayed. She is certainly a pawn for these men to move around, but Eggers gives her character more space to develop and find motivation. Depp’s performance falters a bit in her tightly-framed emotional crescendos, but her physical performance throughout is truly impressive and transformative.
Skarsgård’s Orlok looms large in the plot, though he is often hidden in the shadows and out of view. As we have come to expect, he essentially disappears into this character and is unrecognizable as the handsome young Swedish man he actually is.
Where Nosferatu truly shines is its visuals. Grand castles, beautiful costumes, and greying landscapes pull the film together in a cohesive and atmospheric tenor that is not often seen in film. The recurring use of archways in nearly every scene and setting add to the overall feeling of cohesion and layer on a perception that the characters are trapped within these confined spaces; their fates already sealed.
Eggers’s Nosferatu is a feat of filmmaking and deserves accolades in the upcoming, highly-contested awards season. Though the material is well-worn, it is a stylish statue among other versions of the familiar tale.
