Verdict 3.5/5
2025 started off with a bang with Robert Eggers’ newest gothic horror film ‘Nosferatu’. It’s a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name by F. W. Marnau and further inspired by the 1897 classic novel by Bram Stoker ‘Dracula’.
A few years ago I read Stoker’s novel and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to see how it would translate on the big screen.
The story follows Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) in the 19th century in a German town who, as a young girl, was seen pledging herself to a supernatural entity for eternity. Years later, Ellen is now married to real estate agent Thomas (Nicholas Hoult), who accepts a job from his boss to travel to Transylvania to sell a decrepit home to the reclusive Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard).
While Thomas is away Ellen experiences extreme sleepwalking and seizures, which doctor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) believes her to be under the spell of Nosferatu, a demonic plague bearing vampire.
The story does well to make the audience feel the closing in sensation of what we know to be a vampire haunting Ellen and watching as she falls victim to an entity she doesn’t understand and really has no hope of surviving.
Depp’s performance in this film as Ellen was one of the major highlights for me. She was able to effortlessly portray the emotional turmoil of her character while also fully giving herself over to the intense physicality of the role. Without Depp the film wouldn’t have been as good in my opinion, her strong performance is truly the beating heart of the narrative.
I think the film would have been better if it worked to make the character of Orlok scarier.
The movie’s run-time sits at over two hours, but I think sometimes struggled to find time to develop the villain. This is understandable to a degree because it is not unreasonable to expect the audience to know the story of Dracula, but at times Orlok felt like a caricature of what the vampire should have
been. It didn’t help that Orlok sported a thick moustache and a fur coat…
Despite an at times silly villain the other characters of the film were so interesting and really helped to invest the audience.
Another highlight for me was the colour grading and cinematography. The colour palate lacks a lot of bright colours and instead uses shades of black, white and grey to emphasise and control the emotions of the story. It is incredibly true to the gothic horror aesthetic and almost tells parts of the story through the colouring and cinematography.
‘Nosferatu’ has received mixed reviews and after watching the film, I didn’t really know what to make of it. After reflecting on it since then I can confirm I really liked it. It is gritty, cold and gothic and works well to deliver a fresh take on the story that has been done so many times as it chooses to use Ellen as the main character.
If a slow burn, scary film isn’t your thing I would give this a miss but for those who enjoy a gritty and arty movie with a grim ending this one is a must watch.
See this movie at Hoyts Penrith.
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.