The original “Nosferatu,” from all the way back in 1921, is scary. The German expressionist silent film, directed by early Hollywood filmmaker F.W. Murnau, is well-paced and shot with many shadows and sharp angles, producing a menacing effect. Plus, Max Schreck, as the lead Count Orlok, is just eerie and scary in the role. Enough so that a movie, “Shadow of the Vampire,” was made as a fictitious account of Schrek’s wild behavior on set. With some alleging that he was a real vampire. The movie earned Willem Dafoe an Oscar nomination for playing the bizarre actor back in 2000.
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A very similar 1979 film, based on the story of Dracula and written and directed by Werner Herzog, called “Nosferatu The Vampyre,” closely resembles the original. But it’s less scary, caters more to the eccentricities of its lead star, Klaus Kinski, and comes off as more of a romance than a horror film.
This brings us to Robert Eggers’ much anticipated “Nosferatu.” The first trailer was chilling, with striking visuals that harken back to the original while also adding elements from contemporary folk and gothic horror. It stars Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and, appropriately enough, Willem Dafoe. It’s written and directed by Eggers (“The Northman,” “The Lighthouse”). Skarsgård plays Count Orlok, although his character has yet to appear in the film’s promotions.
“Nosferatu” is a loose adaptation of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” which tells the story of an ancient vampire from Transylvania who moves to 19th-century Germany in pursuit of a woman he loves. With him, he brings plague and pestilence—in other words, doom.
Here’s the official synopsis:
A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her causing untold horror in its wake.
Focus Features will release “Nosferatu” on Christmas Day, December 25, and Universal Pictures will release the film internationally.
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