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Nosferatu: A riveting depiction of gothic horror and Victorian tragedy

A scene from the movie Nosferatu (2024)

The release of Robert Eggers' remake of the 1922 film Nosferatu might not have been the most anticipated event of the year, but it goes without saying that a certain portion of movie watchers (read: horror enjoyers) was rather psyched about it. And it certainly doesn't need any mention that I belong to the aforementioned group, considering that I've managed to watch it before its streaming debut. Of course, it's a wiser decision to shift our focus to what I think about the film, rather than the hows and whys.

Nosferatu might or might not be your thing, but there's no way around admitting that it's visually stunning, as evident from all the stills making their rounds on social media. The film is akin to a looking glass, allowing the viewer to peer into a nocturnal world, where even daytime scenes appear moonlit, as is befitting of a gothic horror.

The film boasts an incredible cast, with Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, Nicholas Hoult, Emma Corrin, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the main roles. Lily-Rose Depp's depiction of Ellen Hutter, the newlywed bride of real estate agent Thomas Hutter, played by Nicholas Hoult, is despondent and often convulsive, yet never unconvincing. The duo delivers an incredible performance as their lives and marriage are catapulted into a perilous trial under the looming threat of a powerful supernatural being from Ellen's past. Bill Skarsgård's appearance as Count Orlok or the Nosferatu is mesmerisingly grotesque, and his phenomenal immersion into the role adds to the charm of the monster.

The silent film Nosferatu (1922) was largely based upon Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, the similarity being so stark that it's considered the first ever adaptation of the novel. For the first half, at least, Nosferatu (2024) also follows the novel quite faithfully, but all on screen adaptations of Dracula have taken some creative liberties, including the 1931 film adaptation. For a story that's been told so many times, a faithful retelling would be redundant, and that's not a word I'd use to describe this film. Aside from the complex interpersonal relationships depicted in the film and Eggers' own twist to the plot, Willem Dafoe's brilliant performance as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz breathes new life into a character that could have easily been a derivation of Professor Abraham Van Helsing.

If you're someone who's familiar with the source material, the first half of the film might feel predictable and a bit slow, but it's worth watching till the end. Differing from Hollywood's archetypal depiction of vampires as beautiful, cunning humans who tend to look a little pale, Count Orlok shares a closer resemblance to the vampires described in folklore.

The film is set to make its streaming debut soon, with a rumoured extended cut on its way. Nosferatu might not be the sort of horror that keeps you up at night or scares you off your seat, but it doubles as a seductive gothic romance that bewitches viewers. If not for the plot or the cast, it's still worth watching just to find out what you think about Count Orlok's moustache, a detail which seems to be rather contentious among the audience. I, personally, quite like it.

Zabin is an engineering student at the Islamic University of Technology, a chronically online night owl, and a sufferer of many migraines. Find her at zabintn@gmail.com

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Nosferatu: A riveting depiction of gothic horror and Victorian tragedy

A scene from the movie Nosferatu (2024)

The release of Robert Eggers' remake of the 1922 film Nosferatu might not have been the most anticipated event of the year, but it goes without saying that a certain portion of movie watchers (read: horror enjoyers) was rather psyched about it. And it certainly doesn't need any mention that I belong to the aforementioned group, considering that I've managed to watch it before its streaming debut. Of course, it's a wiser decision to shift our focus to what I think about the film, rather than the hows and whys.

Nosferatu might or might not be your thing, but there's no way around admitting that it's visually stunning, as evident from all the stills making their rounds on social media. The film is akin to a looking glass, allowing the viewer to peer into a nocturnal world, where even daytime scenes appear moonlit, as is befitting of a gothic horror.

The film boasts an incredible cast, with Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, Nicholas Hoult, Emma Corrin, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the main roles. Lily-Rose Depp's depiction of Ellen Hutter, the newlywed bride of real estate agent Thomas Hutter, played by Nicholas Hoult, is despondent and often convulsive, yet never unconvincing. The duo delivers an incredible performance as their lives and marriage are catapulted into a perilous trial under the looming threat of a powerful supernatural being from Ellen's past. Bill Skarsgård's appearance as Count Orlok or the Nosferatu is mesmerisingly grotesque, and his phenomenal immersion into the role adds to the charm of the monster.

The silent film Nosferatu (1922) was largely based upon Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, the similarity being so stark that it's considered the first ever adaptation of the novel. For the first half, at least, Nosferatu (2024) also follows the novel quite faithfully, but all on screen adaptations of Dracula have taken some creative liberties, including the 1931 film adaptation. For a story that's been told so many times, a faithful retelling would be redundant, and that's not a word I'd use to describe this film. Aside from the complex interpersonal relationships depicted in the film and Eggers' own twist to the plot, Willem Dafoe's brilliant performance as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz breathes new life into a character that could have easily been a derivation of Professor Abraham Van Helsing.

If you're someone who's familiar with the source material, the first half of the film might feel predictable and a bit slow, but it's worth watching till the end. Differing from Hollywood's archetypal depiction of vampires as beautiful, cunning humans who tend to look a little pale, Count Orlok shares a closer resemblance to the vampires described in folklore.

The film is set to make its streaming debut soon, with a rumoured extended cut on its way. Nosferatu might not be the sort of horror that keeps you up at night or scares you off your seat, but it doubles as a seductive gothic romance that bewitches viewers. If not for the plot or the cast, it's still worth watching just to find out what you think about Count Orlok's moustache, a detail which seems to be rather contentious among the audience. I, personally, quite like it.

Zabin is an engineering student at the Islamic University of Technology, a chronically online night owl, and a sufferer of many migraines. Find her at zabintn@gmail.com

Comments