Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.
Nosferatu Film Details
| Film Length | 2 Hour 12 Minutes |
| Release Date | December 24, 2024 |
| Advisory Rating | Rated R |
| Initially Available On/Via | Theatrical |
| Genre(s) | Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Historical (1800s) |
| Distributor | Focus Features |
| Director | Robert Eggers |
| Writer | Robert Eggers |
| Based On Work By | Henrik Galeen, Bram Stoker |
| Character Name | Actor |
| Thomas | Nicholas Hoult |
| Ellen | Lily-Rose Depp |
| Count Orlok | Bill Skarsgård |
| Knock | Simon McBurney |
| Albin Eberhart von Franz | Willem Dafoe |
| Friedrich | Aaron Taylor-Johnson |
| Anna | Emma Corring |
Plot Summary
In 1838 Germany, Thomas Hutter recently married Ellen, and with their nuptials, he seeks better wages and circumstance. His employer, a realtor, sends him to Transylvania to complete a deal for a local mansion that Count Orlok seeks to purchase. Unbeknownst to Thomas, however, there is something sinister a foot, and the madness that inflicts his wife is about to be amplified.
Character Descriptions
Thomas
Thomas is a young man who has recently married and who works in real estate in Germany, trying to take care of his fragile wife.
- The actor is also known for their role in “The Menu.”
Ellen
Plagued with melancholy, visions, and other mental ailments for years, Ellen has taken to the idea marriage has been the cure she has long needed. However, even with her marriage to Thomas easing her mind, between Count Orlok and Thomas’ travels, it seems the worst Ellen has experienced shall return.
- The actor is also known for their role in “The Idol: Season 1.”
Count Orlok
Alive for an unfathomable time, Count Orlok may have taken residence in Transylvania, but between the Romani and other locals practicing old ways and annoying him to no end, he wants to be somewhere new. Maybe not a new mansion or castle, but a different locale where he doesn’t have such an ominous profile and can go about his bidding in peace.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Boy Kills World.”
Knock
Knock is Count Orlok’s minion, who is a madman with a penchant for biting into the necks of humans and other animals – often ripping the neck clean off if possible.
- The actor is also known for their role in “A Mistake.”
Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz
Professor Eberhart von Franz is the mentor of the local doctor who refers Ellen’s caretakers to the professor, as the professor has taken to non-traditional (occult) research that is considered out of fashion. The man himself, though notably eccentric, is brilliant and more humane than anyone else towards Ellen. But whether it is a case of him helping or enabling her madness is debatable.
- The actor is also known for their role in “My Hindu Friend.”
Friedrich Harding
Friedrich is a privileged man whose family money in logistics allows him wealth, and he is a good friend of Thomas – even to the point of housing Ellen while Thomas handles his affairs in Transylvania.
- The actor is also known for their role in “The Fall Guy.”
Anna Harding
Anna is Friedrich’s wife, who has been friends with Ellen for years, and they share an innocent intimacy.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
Other Noteworthy Information
Where To Watch This:- Movie Contains: Violence Against Animals, Violence Against Children, Gore, Blood, Torture, Nudity, Sexual Situations (Implied), Depiction of Corpses, Body Horror, Drinking, Coerced Drug Use, Vomiting, Smoking, Excessive Depiction Of Bodily Fluids
- Official Site
Review
Our Rating (75/100): Mixed (Divisive)
While “Nosferatu” further cements Bill Skarsgård as perhaps one of the most notable character actors of his time, very little, if anything, justifies this remake.
Audience
“Nosferatu” is geared towards those who want to see a different kind of vampire, one which isn’t geared towards being seen as sexy or visually seductive but frightening. In addition, those who value visuals and cinematography and like a decent amount of blood and gore will also enjoy what “Nosferatu” offers. Add in some hysterical characters, fitting of the madness downplayed and locked away in the 1800s, and this could be a good time.
Highlights
The Visuals Are Notable
If there is one undeniable praise you have to give to “Nosferatu,” it is that the visuals are perhaps a Tim Burton wet dream. While not enough to put you under a spell, the gothic scenery, classic lady and gentlemen attire, the gore, and the violence do make it so the occasional scenes of nudity are the least noteworthy thing to set your eyes upon.
Taking note of Skarsgård, I would add that I love how they protected Count Orlok with shadows so you could never take in his full being until the end. It reminds you who, or what, the film’s hook is and what the people are excited to see. Now, I’ll admit, how he operates as a villain is a slight letdown, but this is a horror film based on how things used to be when it was more about tone and ambiance than an abundance of jump scares and over-the-top visuals.
On The Fence
Period Drama Dreariness
If you aren’t the type used to old English, reading subtitles when something isn’t in English, and the dreariness nearly all period dramas have, this movie could be a challenge for you. While it does have alarm clock moments, as many horror films do, including people and animals having violent things done to them, often you’ll feel like you’re watching something Elizabethan. This may help “Nosferatu” gain some prestige but may bore those who wanted to see one of the original depictions of vampires retake their crown.
A Madness That Is Within Eyesight of Camp
Between Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, and Simon McBurney, it is sometimes hard to say whether you should laugh at their characters or take them seriously. From the madness of McBurney’s Knock to an almost whimsy in the face of death and the plague we see from Dafoe’s Professor Eberhart von Franz, there are a slew of moments that could illicit laughter depending on the audience you’re with, and it isn’t clear if they were intended to be funny. Then, with Depp, who has gotten some praise for her role as Ellen, I’d submit she is no Mia Goth.
Granted, there is less screaming and killing from Depp compared to Goth as Maxine or Pearl, but her writhing in pain, drooling on herself, simulating possession, there is no fear for the audience to get attached to. While Count Orlok delivers a few jump scares, the “fear” he triggers within many, the plague he casts upon a German town, the reaction to his person, sometimes it feels like in the pursuit of something rather than the delivery of something.
So, as much as you could submit, the actors were giving it their all; it seems they intentionally made a subtle comedy with dramatic elements in pursuit of a high-brow horror film.
Low Points
Lack of Caring Who Lives Or Dies
Generally speaking, no actor presents themselves in such a way for you to get lost in their character or fear any becoming a victim of Count Orlok, the plague, or each other. Whether they are as dry as Friedrich and Anna, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin, or even the likes of Thomas, played by Nicholas Hoult, there isn’t this sense that the viewer is supposed to be invested in who lives or dies, or survives without being pushed to the brink of death.
This leaves a feeling of indifference that weakens the film and lowers its ability to function as a horror beyond visuals—ultimately making the pending arrival of Count Orlok in Germany something that lacks the expected escalating stakes.
What To Check Out Next
The Northman (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
(Theory) Why The Oscars Don’t Take The Horror Genre Seriously
Mindcage (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.
Images used for editorial and commentary purposes. All rights remain with their respective copyright holders.
