Reboots, remakes, and adaptations for the silver screen are always on the horizon. Whether it be something as recent as Speak No Evil to films much older, like Road House, one can expect such movies to release. However, when it comes to revitalizing any media, it’s often hard to add something new. Most audiences want a modern take to remain faithful to the source as much as possible. So, when a Nosferatu remake was announced, it was clear, to some, that it’d be terrible. Fortunately, that isn’t the case with The Witch‘s Robert Eggers taking the helm and increasing the scares to new levels.
For those unfamiliar, Eggers’ Nosferatu is based off the 1922 horror film of the same name. In that film, it followed real estate agent Thomas Hutter, who got his life up-ended by the vicious Count Orlok. Over time, Orlok grows infatuated with Thomas’ wife, Ellen, leading to a terrible situation. Eggers’ Nosferatu follows the same plot of that film, albeit with his own changes. In fact, this remake is much more based in the supernatural genre, something that Eggers is highly known for.
Indeed, Eggers’ take on Nosferatu focuses on this religiously romantic pact Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) and Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) share. The film’s opening scene makes this prevalent, with an eerily orchestral ambience intercutting with Ellen’s dark dream. This entire sequence really contextualizes a new perspective of love Eggers wants to explore between Ellen and Thomas. Throughout the film, she only wants the best life that thy could have with Ellen’s curse. Unfortunately, fate causes these accursed pieces to fall into place, causing Ellen to do what she can.
Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen is perhaps what truly carries Eggers’ Nosferatu. As “normal” Ellen, Depp really captures her inner desperation for survival with so much intensity. This is really reflected in the second act, where Ellen has this explosive breakdown with Thomas, leading to her taking action. Yet, there’s this subtle optimism that Depp injects into Ellen that helps her become a sympathetic lead. This is especially so when she tries to reason with Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who’s too grounded to realize the real demonic threat.
However, as “demonic” Ellen, Depp is absolutely captivating in ways that are extremely unreal. When Ellen convulses and seems possessed, Depp goes all out in her performance as she emphasizes her gradual deterioration. It’s especially the case when Professor Franz (Willem Dafoe) tries to perform an exorcism that goes terribly wrong. This entire scene, done with intensive cutting by Louise Ford and top shot cinematography by Jarin Blaschke, is perfectly executed. In fact, it’s one of the more memorable scenes of Nosferatu, of which there are many.
Moreover, Depp’s chemistry with Nicholas Hoult‘s Thomas Hutter is particularly interesting given how there’s more depth now. Eggers’ version of Thomas is more stoic, if a bit reprehensive, than his 1922 counterpart since he’s somewhat younger. This allows for interesting dynamics to form between the two, especially when Ellen breaks down early on in the film. Hoult really shows that Thomas really cares for Ellen despite the circumstances she’s in, even when she begins to change. However, Thomas’ hesitancy pops itself throughout the first act, where Hoult captures that ethereal fear almost naturally.
In addition, Eggers’ side characters are also really captivating, adding their own charms to the film. Emma Corrin‘s Anna Harding is as graceful as a character one could get paired with Taylor-Johnson’s Friedrich. Yet, Anna really shines in her interactions with Ellen, creating this empathetic link that resonates throughout. One in particular shows near the second act’s end, where Corrin and Depp’s performances tug on those emotions just a bit. Corrin does a really good job highlighting the brighter side of the film tonally, even if that feels dimmed.
On the other hand, Dafoe’s Professor Franz is this theological “mad scientist” that definitely adds to the unhinged factor of Nosferatu. Initially, he only seems slightly crazed when Friedrich introduces Thomas to him, which is tingled by Dafoe’s performance. As everyone learns more and more about the satanic threat of Nosferatu, Franz starts to get somewhat out of hand in a way that makes one think he’s just completely insane. In his own way, it really seems like Dafoe has translated the weariness of his character from The Lighthouse with the madness of Green Goblin. However, at certain points, it does feel like he serves more as a mouthpiece for narrative explanations than a character.
This is mostly with the case for Ralph Ineson‘s Dr. Sievers, who primarily serves as the negotiator between the human characters. No doubt, Ineson’s raw performance proves why he’s certainly the choice for Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. His embodiment of Sievers is impeccably deep-cutting as he shapes Sievers to be this protective presence for everyone else. However, his moments to shine are particularly limited, making Sievers somewhat of a third wheel. Nonetheless, he’s still important to the overall journey Ellen and Thomas take together, which is made clear.
Of course, Skarsgård’s Orlok is dreadfully terrifying and that’s not just due to the character’s grotesque practical effects. Unlike his performance in the recent remake of The Crow, Skarsgård really gives Orlok a very menacing influence thanks to his raspy voice. Moreover, his Orlok fully overlooks the human characters in a way that fully encapsulates how monstrous Orlok is supposed to be. Plus, the special cinematographic choices regarding his shadows just adds to the nostalgic factor Nosferatu is trying to bring up.
Story-wise, Eggers’ Nosferatu truly pops out in its first and final acts, where the scares really happen. Unfortunately, the first part of the second act felt like it was treading for long, likely due to the need for exposition. While there were important events that occurred here that escalate the mystery, this entire portion was more so done to lighten the mood. However, the particular choices to adapt in the third act were somewhat intriguing. Rather than having Ellen discover the codex herself, this discovery is done through Sievers as somewhat of an ultimatum. As such, it not only helps insert a refreshing original element, but it also helps solidify those characterized connections wonderfully.
As a remake, Robert Eggers does a great job modernizing Nosferatu, keeping true to its story and having impressive leads in Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult. With impressive scares, tension-building, cinematography, and effects, it uplifts what was really special about the original. Though it somewhat feels unexpected for it to release on Christmas, Nosferatu is certainly a great holiday watch. Yes, it does mention Christmas!
Nosferatu releases in theaters on December 25.
