Rated: MA15+
My Rating: 4/10
Robert Eggers has become one of those directors you can spot from the first frame. From The Witch to The Lighthouse, his films have a signature mood dark, atmospheric, and intensely stylised. So, when it was announced he’d be taking on Nosferatu, the expectations were sky high. The original 1922 silent classic is a pillar of horror cinema, and if anyone could give it a fresh and meaningful update, it seemed like it would be Eggers. What we’ve ended up with is a film that’s absolutely gorgeous to look at but, sadly, feels empty beneath the surface.
Robert Eggers has become one of those directors you can spot from the first frame. From The Witch to The Lighthouse, his films have a signature mood dark, atmospheric, and intensely stylised. So, when it was announced he’d be taking on Nosferatu, the expectations were sky high. The original 1922 silent classic is a pillar of horror cinema, and if anyone could give it a fresh and meaningful update, it seemed like it would be Eggers. What we’ve ended up with is a film that’s absolutely gorgeous to look at but, sadly, feels empty beneath the surface.
But once you start looking past how pretty it all is, the cracks start to show. The storyline is extremely average. It’s the same basic vampire tale we’ve seen dozens of times: a mysterious count, a doomed young woman, and a lot of ominous silences in between. That’s not necessarily a problem some of the best horror stories are simple. But Nosferatu doesn’t do much to add depth or freshness to the familiar beats. Instead, it gets bogged down in long, drawn-out scenes that feel more like artistic flexing than actual storytelling.
A lot of the film feels like it’s just spinning its wheels. Whole sequences come and go without really adding anything to the characters or the plot. There were stretches where I found myself wondering, “What’s the point of this scene?” And more often than not, there wasn’t one.
The standout performance, without question, is Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok. He is terrifying in the most restrained way possible. He doesn’t need to say much or do anything flashy. His body language, his stare, even just the way he moves it all works together to make him this deeply unsettling presence. You can tell he’s fully committed to the role, and honestly, it feels like he’s the only one who really is.
Lily-Rose Depp, who plays the central female role, does have some compelling moments. You can see flickers of emotional struggle in her performance, and there are scenes where she nearly carries the weight the story wants her to. But the script doesn’t give her much room to explore or grow. Her character ends up feeling more like a visual element than a fully developed person. It’s a shame, because there’s potential there.
Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is largely forgettable. The supporting characters just kind of exist hey deliver lines, they look concerned, but that’s about it. There’s not a lot of energy or nuance to what they’re doing. Whether that’s down to the performances themselves or the way they’re written and directed, I’m not sure. But it leaves the film feeling flat and one-note.
Robert Eggers is a director who’s all about the atmosphere, and when that works, it can be incredibly effective. But here, it feels like the atmosphere is doing all the heavy lifting. There’s so much focus on mood and aesthetic that the film forgets to be emotionally engaging.
Don’t get me wrong t’s clear that Nosferatu was made with care and precision. The production design is immaculate. The sound design is eerie and immersive. The world-building is rich and convincing. But all of that just floats around without anything solid to anchor it. The emotional core is missing.
What’s frustrating is that it feels like this could have been something special. The pieces are there: an iconic story, a talented director, a visually stunning canvas. But instead of creating a cohesive and compelling film, Eggers delivers something that feels more like an art installation. It’s beautiful, but cold. Impressive, but distant.
Nosferatu (2024) is one of the best-looking films I’ve seen in a long time, and that alone might be enough for some viewers. If you’re into gothic horror visuals and don’t mind a slow pace, there’s plenty here to admire. But for me, the film just doesn’t deliver where it counts. The story is underwhelming, most of the performances are flat, and much of the runtime feels like filler.
Bill Skarsgård is brilliant and deserves praise for his work. He’s creepy in all the right ways and gives the film its few genuinely unsettling moments. The cinematography is masterful probably the film’s strongest feature. But even that can’t save a story that never really goes anywhere.
In the end, Nosferatu is a film that looks incredible but feels hollow. It’s the kind of movie you appreciate for the craft, but don’t necessarily enjoy. For a film about the undead, it’s a bit ironic that so much of it feels lifeless hence why I rate it a 4/10
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