Vampires have always lingered in the shadows of cinema, and Nosferatu has stood as one of the most iconic examples for over a century. Now, more than 100 years later, Robert Eggers brings Nosferatu back to the big screen, drawing upon the world created by Bram Stoker. However, this version does something unexpected.

There are moments that should feel terrifying, and yet people start laughing. However, the humor doesn’t feel intentional because the film is trying to be funny. Instead, as visually stunning as the film is, there is something in it that doesn’t quite land. Is it the dialogue or the overly serious tone punctuated by moments of absurdity that are equally odd but beautiful to watch on screen?

I think it’s that unexpected contrast between what works and what doesn’t that becomes the key to understanding this movie because when Nosferatu works, it’s a remarkable gothic horror, but when it doesn’t, it feels strangely disconnected. So, let’s talk about where this film succeeds, where it struggles, and whether those trade-offs are worth watching?

You can read the review below or watch the video on YouTube:

Nosferatu is set in the Victorian era in the fictional town of Wisborg, Germany. The film follows newlyweds Ellen and her husband Thomas Hutter, who is a land agent tasked with closing a property deal with the mysterious Count Orlok. Hoping to secure extra money to start their marriage, Thomas takes a six-week journey to Orlok’s remote estate in the Romanian countryside.

Left behind, Ellen stays with family friends, but we quickly learn she’s been haunted by nightmares of a demon for most of her life — visions that had disappeared after her marriage. However, these visions weren’t just bad dreams; they were signs of a demonic attachment, one that Count Orlok wants to reclaim through manipulation, seduction, and psychological torment.

The structure of Nosferatu follows the general outline of Dracula, with some unique deviations, but the essence of vampire drama is basically the same. In fact, it’s so similar that back when the original film was first released in 1922, Bram Stoker’s widow sued the producers and won, ensuring that Bram Stoker is credited as one of the writers on the film.

Performances and Characters

Overall, the casting for Nosferatu was well done, but something just didn’t feel right with the film itself. Ellen Hutter, played by Lily-Rose Depp, moves between intensity and vulnerability, though at times the heavy use of close-up shots and angles unintentionally pushes her performance into a space that feels unnecessarily exaggerated. Still, she was actually a pleasant surprise in the film, and when her performance settles into Ellen’s quieter moments, she brings a gentle sincerity that works well within the story’s emotional core.

Her husband Thomas, played by Nicholas Hoult, emerges as one of the strongest performances in the film, capturing his confused descent into madness and fear while under Count Orlok’s influence. He was compelling, and you genuinely feel his disorientation and dread as he navigates the Count’s grim estate.

Willem Dafoe is strangely spectacular in his role of Professor von Franz, but his mad, campy energy made it feel like he was actually in a different movie from everyone else. I mean this in the best possible way because he delivers some of the wildest lines in the film with complete commitment, never once winking at the audience or looking away, and because of that, every line lands exactly the way he intends. It felt like he “got” what this movie should have been while the rest of the cast took on their roles with a grim seriousness that didn’t always translate well through the dialogue.

Count Orlok, played by Bill Skarsgard, isn’t at all what I imagined, but he brought a no-nonsense menace to role that made it work. For most of the film, he’s obscured in shadows or seen at unsettling angles, which builds suspense effectively. When he’s finally revealed, his physical appearance doesn’t quite match the iconic imagery from the original Nosferatu. While his appearance works for the film, the build up toward the iconic looks that was never delivered made it feel like the marketing was not confident that this version of Orlok would sell tickets, and so they leaned a little more into his classic look from the past.

Artistic Direction

The film is an artistic masterpiece visually. Shot in stark black and white on 35mm film, it captures the haunting, grainy, decay of the Victorian world. Shadows and light play a critical role, becoming characters in their own right and creating a sense of unease in almost every frame.

Honestly, the craftsmanship here is miles above what so many other productions are achieving right now. The cinematography alone feels worthy of serious awards consideration. Every shot is carefully constructed, every shadow intentional, and the overall composition of the film creates an atmosphere that is both beautiful and deeply unsettling.

The cinematography in each scene also echoes the style of early cinema and leans into negative space and claustrophobic framing that heightens the film’s oppressive atmosphere. It feels like this was why the film was made, and these choices allowed the film to recreate the look and feel of the original to a large degree. However, I actually wish they had expanded the artistry of the film just a bit more by doing something like adding a hint of sepia tone or muted color grading to the visuals to add more visual depth to the storytelling. Still, Nosferatu is one of the most visually striking films that I’ve seen in a long time.

The Authentic Dialogue

While I understand why Robert Eggers wanted to preserve the feel of Victorian-era language, the dialogue comes across as awkwardly outdated without any adjustments to help it flow more naturally. That lack of fine-tuning, even in small ways, creates a sense of disconnect, and at times it felt like the actors weren’t entirely comfortable delivering these lines out loud. As a result, there were multiple moments when the audience began laughing awkwardly during scenes that clearly weren’t meant to be funny.

If it had only happened once or twice, it might have felt like an isolated reaction, but it occurred often enough that it started to feel almost intentional. Unfortunately, it gave the impression that much of the cast—aside from Willem Dafoe—didn’t fully connect with the language they were speaking. A slight modernization of the dialogue could have made a significant difference, allowing the lines to feel more natural and helping the performances land in a way that didn’t pull the audience out of the experience.

Narrative and Pacing

At well over two hours, Nosferatu threatens to overstay its welcome. Again, while it gave us beautiful visuals on screen, it felt overlong with its inconsistent pacing along with the long lingering shots and repetitive sequences that sapped some of the energy from the film. However, there are certain scenes that are masterfully executed, but they are drawn out unnecessarily, like the ones showing Ellen’s connection to Orlok through symbolic gestures associated with the locket of her hair.

The film’s prologue also feels unnecessary with its opening scenes revealing far too much about Orlok’s connection to Ellen. This ended up diluting the suspense and mystery that should have built gradually as the film built toward the climactic ending, instead of undercutting it in exchange for instant shock value in the opening credits.

Recommendation

Nosferatu is an ambitious film with moments of brilliance, especially in its artistic style and direction, but it struggles to balance its serious gothic horror roots with an inconsistent campy tone and staggered pacing within the story. Its stunning cinematography, eerie atmosphere, and standout performances by Nicholas Hoult and Willem Dafoe keep it moving, but the bloated runtime and clunky dialogue delivery weigh it down too much.

If you’re a fan of slow-burn horror and gothic storytelling, there’s still plenty to enjoy, especially if you appreciate atmospheric visuals and thematic depth. However, if you’re expecting a tightly paced thriller or a compelling update of the original, you might leave feeling underwhelmed. Overall, I do think the film is ticket-worthy, but streaming is probably the best choice with this movie.

If you enjoyed this review, please give it a like and subscribe for more. You can also visit my YouTube channel at @ErinUnderwood for more videos.