In 1922, the German silent film, ‘Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror’ was released and terrified audiences worldwide. It was the first vampire film ever made and was based on the 1879 novel, ‘Dracula’ by legendary author, Bram Stoker. In the film version, the main antagonist was named Count Orlok instead of Count Dracula, due to the studio not acquiring the rights to adapt the novel into a film.

Despite the name change, it became one of the scariest movies of its time and inspired many vampire-themed movies later on. The original film had a remake in 1979 titled, ‘Nosferatu the Vampyre’, which was able to use the Dracula name and became a big success. Now, in 2024, it’s Robert Eggers’ turn to step into the director’s chair with his remake of, ‘Nosferatu’, starring Bill Skarsgård, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Willem Dafoe is due out on New Year’s Day.

The story takes place in 1838 in Germany where estate agent, Thomas Hutter is sent to Transylvania by his employer and encounters Count Orlok while trying to purchase a home in the Count’s castle.

Thomas’ experiences lead him to believe Orlok is not human and during all of this, his wife back home, Ellen is experiencing supernatural events mysteriously connected to Orlok. He haunts her dreams, but they may be more than just dreams as she feels his presence looming closer and closer, even terrifying the people around her.

The film primarily focuses on Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult as Ellen and Thomas Hutter respectively. Early on, the film establishes they are indeed a happily married couple who care deeply for each other, allowing the audiences to care for them too, especially when their lives are under threat. Nicholas does an excellent job as the main protagonist doing what he can to save his wife, despite the major disadvantage, but Lily-Rose’s performance is one of the biggest standouts of the film. Throughout the movie, audiences will see Ellen as a loving wife head over heels for her husband, being paranoid and haunted by her dreams, and being possessed, forcing her body to convulse in unnatural ways that terrify the people around her.

The 2024 remake uses the Count Orlock name like the original did in 1922. This time, he is portrayed by Bill Skarsgård, who is best known for playing Pennywise in the 2017 adaptation of the Stephen King novel, ‘IT’. He is no stranger to terrifying audiences and he does an excellent job as the main antagonist. The original portrayal of Count Orlok by Max Schreck in the 1922 film is one of the most recognised visuals in the history of movies, but Skarsgård manages to make his version stand out on its own.

Much like the original, Count Orlok is around 7 feet tall and although you can barely see him in the dark, it’s clear to see that he is a large and imposing figure. The audiences will feel the genuine fear in the characters as they lay eyes on this demonic-like being. Vampires and Dracula specifically have become more romanticised in film and other media in recent years, but the Nosferatu films stay closer to Bram Stoker’s original vision of the legendary vampire. The sight of Count Orlok is not easy on the eyes and it’s interesting to see how someone as beautiful as Ellen becomes drawn to him.

Nosferatu is a horror film done right. Whether audiences will find it scary or not is subjective depending on who’s watching. Horror fans may not be scared at all, but those who don’t normally watch this genre will be in for a fright. For the most part, the jump scares are predictable, though there are a few creative ones to see, but overall, they never feel cheap. The film’s focus is to present Count Orlok as something to truly fear and it absolutely achieves that.

The fact that he isn’t seen that often throughout the film adds to his mysterious aura and even in the dark, it’s clear to see there is a lot of attention to detail put into him. It’s a perfect example of “less is more”, taking full advantage of using shadows to add to the dark and brooding figure, instead of taking shortcuts to hide the details. The film might feel like it drags on a bit during the first half waiting for Orlok to appear on screen, but his presence is always felt from start to finish.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin star as Friedrich and Anna Harding respectively, another married couple who are close friends with the Hutters and have two daughters. Their daughters also feel a supernatural presence but don’t believe them and the same goes for Ellen who stays at their house while Thomas is away. The actresses playing their daughters both do fantastically to show genuine fear and Friedrich and Anna begin to take it more seriously as they witness Ellen unable to keep still while asleep.

The film also stars Ralph Ineson as Doctor Wilhelm Siever who is brought in to try to treat Ellen, Willem Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz who specialises in more supernatural events and Simon McBurney as Herr Knock, an unhinged assistant for Count Orlok who tries to help revive him. Their supporting roles add so much to the dark and mysterious aura of this unknown evil.

The set pieces really take you back to 1800s Germany and Transylvania. The old European architecture and brick roads look the best at night with the limited lighting. Men wearing top hats and tailcoats, women wearing Victorian-style dresses and travelling by horse carriage all create that setting of olden-day Europe. Count Orlock’s tomb is certainly a place you wouldn’t want to visit knowing what’s inside, but the film also makes you feel that nowhere is safe as long he’s out lurking.

The film’s score was composed by Robin Carolan, who previously worked with director Robert Eggers on The Northman. For Nosferatu, he intentionally moved away from the typical horror score, focusing on capturing the story’s melancholic and tragic elements adding even more to the film’s set pieces and dark atmosphere. The sound effects also add to the unsettling feeling as Orlok feeds on his victims. The sounds of his chewing, drinking, swallowing and rumbling stomach are guaranteed to make almost anyone feel a little nauseous. You may not be able to see exactly what he’s doing in the dark, but you can certainly hear it.

Nosferatu is not for the faint of heart and Count Orlok is not your typical romantic and charming vampire. Even though he strongly desires Ellen, this is still not a romance film, it is a true horror film through and through. This may only be Robert Eggers ’fourth feature film, but he has proven to be a very capable horror director and it’ll be interesting to see what he works on next. Bill Skarsgård puts in a terrifying and spine-tingling performance with haunting visuals that won’t be forgotten anytime soon and Lily-Rose Depp showcases many sides to her acting talents as a single character. The 2024 remake of the 102-year-old classic film is a must-watch for any horror and vampire fan. Nosferatu digs deep into the lore and deep into your skin.

Nosferatu only in Cinemas January 1.

Written by: Sammy Hanson