Horror film remakes are a tale as old as time, for better or for worse; even in this new era of originality, it’s hard to escape the remake. Yet, Robert Eggers manages to successfully apply his unique auteurship to the original story Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horrors (1922). Its beginnings as an unauthorised adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula proves that vampires still hold relevance in the cultural zeitgeist, regardless of Stephanie Meyer’s sparkling Cullens and imprinting storylines.
Nosferatu fits perfectly in Eggers’ catalogue of films often involving hallucinatory dreams, shadows, and Willem Dafoe acting severely weird and ominous in the last act. Eggers’ also continuously proves he can cast a female star with the uncanny ability to act feral and possessed, first with Anya Talyor Joy in The VVitch (2015), and now with Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter. Despite some contention around her performance, her violent shaking and ability to look like a sick Victorian allow her to shine throughout the film. Bill Skarsgård once again shows he can be covered head to toe in prosthetics and still deliver an outstanding performance, as seen here in Count Orlok, which many a woman has been seen thirsting for. However, the mustache is something we should be glad was hidden in the film’s marketing as every close-up of his face gives an impulsive need to laugh, regardless if it is more book accurate to Stoker’s bloodsucker. The slow burn pace did prove a bit challenging at times, but the gore and body horror are worth the wait. Thankfully, Ellen’s cat wasn’t brutally devoured.
With the upcoming release of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025), Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! (2025), and Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man (2025) it’s safe to say the year 2025 is the year of classic horror remakes.
“Bill Skarsgård (42717006345) (cropped)” by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.