by David Slifer

“Nosferatu” is the story of the Hutter family being cursed and hunted by the unknowing Count Orlok. It was directed by Robert Eggers and it stars Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard, Hoult and Willem Dafoe. This film is a retelling of the original 1922 film “Nosferatu: Symphony of Horror.”  With many reboots and sequels coming out currently, this is one that feels needed. Not to throw hate on the original, but it was a silent film that has aged in some aspects of cinema.

The film takes a lot of inspiration from Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. A newly wed husband, Thomas Hutter played by Hoult, must head to Transylvania to finalize a real estate deal, but an old and unsuspecting figure tries to take the man’s wife in the process. To try and prevent this, they call upon the help of Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz played by Dafoe to learn of the man and understand how to stop his madness. 

Lily-Rose Depp plays Ellen Hutter in this film. She does such an amazing job throughout the entire film. Her character is very dark and sad as her past continues to haunt her. Depp had the perfect mixture of emotions in every scene she was in, making us feel for her character. Her life has not been easy, and she can not escape what is returning to her. No matter what good she has experienced or has had done to her in her life, nothing can shake the fear and anxiety that she deals with every day of her life. You can feel that pain in the atmosphere when she is on screen.  

Bill Skarsgard is well known for playing characters of fantastical elements with heavy makeup and prosthetics. This is another phenomenal performance to add to his list. Some people may think it is hard to act through layers of makeup, but Skarsgard does this without breaking a sweat. If you are not aware of his past works, Skarsgard is best known for his performance as Pennywise in the 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King’s “IT.” Skarsgard now gets to add Count Orlok to his resume. Orlok is a character that has you on your feet because you do not know what action to expect from him. He is a menacing and unpredictable character. Throughout this film, you can not help but be on the edge of your seat when this character shows up on screen. This performance was phenomenal. This is the type of performance where body language is a big priority. Skarsgard makes this a character who is not to be messed with in each step he takes and every look he gives. He does not just want you to be intimidated, he wants you to fear him. That job was executed with perfection. 

This movie was a great film to end the year of 2024 on. This was a story that was well-written, well-directed and well-performed. Everyone had their time to show their characters and who they were as people. You worry for everyone, and you just hope that they will not be harmed throughout the duration of the film. If you have the chance, watch this on the big screen. It makes the experience so much more immersive, and the cinematography looks beautiful on that size of screen.