Nosferatu The Rue Morgue Records Review

Given my usual aversion towards remakes I must confess that I did have some scepticism before stepping into the screening of Nosferatu. Largely due to the fact that when it comes to classic cinema the original 1922 version is at the top of the tree.

The F.W. Murnau version is not just the pinnacle of horror but is a film that other filmmakers in the genre have been ‘borrowing’ from for the last century. Even a plethora of musicians, including greats like Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie are only too happy to publicly talk about how the film has inspired them over the years.

With all that in mind you can see why I was a little hesitant about sitting down to watch this 2024 remake. After all most modern day remakes lack one thing – the magic that made the original film so special. But one thing made me curious to check out Nosferatu and that was the fact that it was being directed by Robert Eggers.

For me Eggers has not put a foot wrong so far when it comes to his filmmaking. The Witch changed modern day horror filmmaking in a sensational way, The Lighthouse despite its flaws is still a stunning film while The Northman is just sheer cinematic brilliance. Then there is also the fact that Eggers has a severe obsession with Nosferatu. He is such a fan in his younger days he even penned a theatre production based on the original film. If anybody was going to be able to pull off a decent remake of Nosferatu I would expect Eggers would be the person to do it.

Plotwise the film doesn’t stray too far from the original. Set in 1838 a young estate agent named Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Holt – The Order) is a happy new wed with his wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp – Voyagers). The only issue in their lives is the fact that Ellen is once again suffering from visions – an affliction she also suffered from earlier in her life. These visions leave her to one conclusion – HE is coming!

After a promotion at work Thomas leaves her and travels to Transylvania where he is to do business with the strange and mystical Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard – It). Thomas ignores the warnings of the locals and instead proceeds to do business with Orlok which ultimately leads to him signing a very dangerous contract.

Meanwhile, Ellen’s visions have reached a point that is now concerning to her friends Friedrich (Aaron Taylor-Johnson – Kraven The Hunter) and Anna (Emma Corrin – Deadpool & Wolverine). They are so concerned over what is happening that they end up seeking the help of Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe – Spider-Man) a man who is open to both science and the paranormal.

The miracle with Eggers’s version of Nosferatu is the fact that he somehow manages to capture all the important features of the original work but somehow still managing to find a way to put his own stamp on it. No modern day filmmaker knows how to create atmosphere like Eggers does and here the audience feels that atmosphere for every second of the film. Even before the mystery itself starts to play out there is a dark and foreboding feeling that will totally consume the audience as they watch this film. That atmosphere is made even more powerful by the score of Robin Carolan (The Northman) that at time feels like it is unrelenting in its pace as it further enhances what Eggers is trying to do with the film.

As a filmmaker he also brings a brutality to this version that wasn’t there in the original yet he never allows that bloodlust ever seem to get in the way of the film’s deeper themes – things like science versus the paranormal. In fact the way this film explores the topic is so well done that I can guarantee that you will be checking the shadows for weeks after viewing the film.

Where this version of Nosferatu comes to the fore though is with its cast. As a filmmaker one thing we have come to know about Eggers over the years is that he always gets the best performances out of his cast and here is no exception.

Lily-Rose Depp breezes through some of the most intense scenes that she will ever have to film during her career while Nicholas Hoult backs up with brilliant recent performance as a Neo-Nazi in The Order with another strong showing. These is no doubt when watching this film that he is one of the most talented actors in Hollywood at the moment.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson continues his current Hollywood resurgence with a strong performance but even he is blown out of the water here by the work of Bill Skarsgard and Willem Dafoe. Skarsgard is unrecognisable as he plays the decrepit Orlok magnificently well while Dafoe delivers what some are calling the best performance of his career. And if you have seen some of his work over the years – then you will know that that is a huge call to make.

While at times this version of Nosferatu does feel more Victorian than Germanic it still works remarkably well. None of the magic or expressionism of the original film is lost while Eggers somehow manages to make the story at hand even more brutal, explicit and foreboding. This is a film that no horror fan will want to miss.

4/5 Stars

By David Griffiths