Nosferatu (2024): An Analysis on Robert Eggers’ Breathtakingly Powerful Vampire Reimagining

Wish to venture into the powerfully dark gothic world of Robert Eggers‘ cinematic portfolio? Then Nosferatu (2024) marks a great first film for not only me but other cinema aficionados looking to explore the world of Robert Eggers for the very first time. He brings his signature dark themes, cinematography, and familiar aesthetic to Nosferatu (2024). Much like Eggers’ previous work in The Lighthouse (2019), the opening to his latest vampire flick adopts the same black-and-white colouring. This is truly embedding his work into folklore and perfectly matches the set era of the story.

Told in the Victorian era of the 1830s, Nosferatu (Bill Skarsgård) or known by his real name, Count Orlok haunts the dreams of Ellen (Lily Rose-Depp). Suffering through constant nightmares, Ellen becomes drawn into his alluring calls. Meanwhile, her husband, Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) works as an estate agent and must travel far to visit a mysterious ‘avid buyer’ to sell a house in the village.

The Cinematography of Nosferatu (2024)

But he must take the long trek from his town in Winsburg, Germany to Transylvania, Romania. However, not knowing what to expect, Thomas’ journey there is both unnerving and surreal. The cinematography on his journey is breath-takingly sinister and forebodes a much darker path ahead. Thomas suffers through the tough dark winter which poses an even bigger challenge for him before he meets the ‘mysterious client.’

Manipulation of Light

Throughout his portfolio, Eggers has worked with long-time collaborator and cinematographer, Jarin Blaschke. Their teamwork and ambitious vision fills the screen with dark imagery and minimal lighting. Nosferatu (2024) is lit with natural lighting using what would realistically be in the scene anyway including white mist, moonlight, and lanterns for exterior shots. While candlelight, lit fireplaces, and small beams of light peering through windows are used for interior shots, particularly within the castle.  

One of the best examples to showcase the film’s beautiful cinematography and scenery happens when Thomas steps aboard the eerie carriage which takes him to the menacing castle belonging to Count Orlok. Thomas is framed in the dark vastness of woodlands around him and makes us feel like Nosferatu could appear from out of nowhere.

When Thomas arrives at the intimidating castle, the first sightings of Orlok border him in shadows where the light is always behind him. From his first ‘silhouette’ sighting in the moonlight to his shadowy presence in front of the blazing fireplace. As well as the well-crafted sound design from the eerie crackling fireplace to Bill Skarsgård’s creation of the intimidatingly deep crackly villain voice of the 19^th-century creature. However, it’s only over time in the story that more is revealed about his character, his intentions, as well as the slow reveal of his creepy visuals.

Shaping an Eerie Environment & Foreboding Atmosphere

Another reason Nosferatu excels is how Eggers uses the atmosphere and environment around the characters to really shape the story. There’s a sense that Nosferatu is always in the scene, even if he cannot be seen on screen. In true monster form, the characters and audience alike feel his presence attacking their souls and it keeps this thought alive from start to end.  

The monster in this story chooses Ellen as his ‘human’ goal. Nosferatu is in classic form, and he gives the sense that no matter what the characters do, they will not beat this unformidable energy of evil. It’s clear Nosferatu has no fear in biting into the flesh of anyone that comes into his path. For him the only obstacle is light itself… being a vampire afterall.

But the best aspect of Robert Eggers’ film is the deep level of detail. There’s a real grip on the history and conventions of horror cinema. For example, the authentic ‘cult-like’ townspeople Thomas encounters are just as weird, unnerving, and close as expected from a small town. Such horror tropes as weird townspeople, haunted dreams, and entity possession along with Nosferatu’s dark and alluding ‘monster lair’ all very much carve their own presence in adding to this unsettling atmospheric nightmare. However, it’s in the way Eggers uses these tropes to tell Nosferatu’s story that emboldens the vampire’s uniqueness.

The History of Nosferatu

Nosferatu (2024) is not just another re-telling of an age-old infamous vampire whose story has been told many times before. Nosferatu’s fangs have been deep in such noticeable film works as F.W. Murnau’s silent film, ‘Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) and Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) to more modern adaptations as E. Elias Merhige’s Shadow of the Vampire (2000). And David Lee’s direct remake, Nosferatu (2023) to of course Robert Eggers’ powerfully unsettling new take on an ancient vampire in Nosferatu (2024).

Interestingly, there’s a crossover in this vampire universe with Willem Defoe featuring in Shadow of the Vampire (2000) playing the vampire’s original actor, Max Shreck and then in Nosferatu (2024) as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz. The professor much like Abraham Van Helsing from Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) for which he was loosely based on are both enthusiastically driven by such a monster. Even so that they go to great lengths to uncover more about their subject. The intelligent characters go way beyond their mind’s health to seek out the truth behind the monsters they have dedicated their lives to study.

German Expressionism Techniques

The first adaptation of Count Orlok in F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) uses German Expressionist techniques popular in such films of its era. The eerie build up to reveal Nosferatu was foreboding and portrayed him in shadows and uneven set designs to make him appear as a bigger and more sinister monster. These techniques also slowly revealed more about his character – both physically and metaphorically within his intentions.

Making use of the mise-en-scène is replicated in Robert Eggers’ version of Nosferatu (2024). There’s small, nuanced glimpses of the monster giving breadcrumbs to both Thomas and the audience about his character; eventually revealing his sinister nature and intentions. Take Thomas’ first meeting with Nosferatu. His first impression with the ‘buyer’ begins at a fair distance away. Filmed in a long shot.

But Nosferatu gradually lures Thomas to first gain his trust; then when he captures him, the shots get shorter and transition into close-ups as Nosferatu gains steps nearer towards achieving his goal. He gets Thomas exactly where he wants him. But as the story progresses, Nosferatu not only gets closer to Thomas but nearer to his main victim and goal, Ellen – unbeknownst to the knowledge of her loved ones.

Showcasing Acting Range

But arguably stealing the ‘moonlight’ is Bill Skarsgård’s version of Nosferatu. Really displaying his acting range, Skarsgård was unsettling, scary and even completely terrifying at times. He fits the role perfectly from his tall and foreboding stature to his expertise in acting out monsters on the screen. Of course, he previously played a sinister twisted version of Pennywise in the hugely-popular modern revival of the IT franchise. If he ever ventures more into the horror genre, it’s safe to say he’s more than welcome to stay.

Same too could be said for Lily-Rose Depp’s acting as Ellen. She seemed genuinely terrified throughout the whole story from when Nosferatu haunted her dreams to actually meeting him too. Nicholas Hoult’s Thomas was a great unsuspecting husband who had no idea what he got himself involved in until it was ultimately too late.

However, clearly there’s so much detail in Eggers’ Nosferatu (2024) adaptation that the vampire’s story definitely needed a new edition. Not only is the cinematography eerily stunning but the amount of detail is next level. Eggers himself previously worked as a production designer, so it comes as no surprise that he adds so much nuance and subtlety into shaping Nosferatu’s environment.

Discovering the Perfect Location

But telling the vampire’s story was no easy feat as it took the film crew a while to find the perfect environment to truly encapsulate Nosferatu’s sinister castle. His lair especially proving as a very impressive set design. But it’s clear from the beautiful and memorable shots that the choice of location, set design, and costuming all came together so well. Clearly the Academy thought so too. Nosferatu (2024) was nominated for four Academy Awards in the following categories – cinematography, costume design, makeup and hairstyling, and production design.

The film undeniably deserved more awards, particularly for Robert Eggers’ writing and direction for such a detail-oriented project. A film that was undeniably beautifully executed and meticulously driven by the director and screenwriter to tell both Ellen and Nosferatu’s stories. The research that Eggers undertook alone deserves heavy praise for this historical horror cinematic masterpiece. Since viewing Nosferatu (2024) on the big screen, it’s hard to let the film leave you. Its lasting impact is really what cinema is all about at its heart and core.

Storyboarding Nosferatu (2024)

There really should have been more fuss made about seeing Eggers’ and Blaschke’s vision in the cinema. It gives a whole new meaning to experiencing ‘films on the big screen.’ The dark clouds and eerie landscape is a vibe and atmosphere that makes it feel as if Nosferatu is in the row right behind you. Ready to pounce and suck your blood. He feels so real and jumps out of the screen. It’s clear he has huge villain potential and proves he’s so much more than just an “infamous” movie vampire.

Exploring the Rich History of Nosferatu

However, Eggers doesn’t just bring a new version of Nosferatu but takes his rich history and mixes him into a world that feels so modern. This new adaptation transforms what we used to know as a 19^th century vampire but now brings him to life like he is a new character that Eggers shaped himself.

Not to mention the amount of research that Eggers undertook into the folklore, Nosferatu, and his history. At least to some viewers, particularly the younger generation, who this may be their first foray into exploring the story of the infamous age-old vampire. If so, it’s a ‘fangtastic’ take (bite) for those who have yet to learn all about Nosferatu, his intentions, and background with deep roots (stakes) in horror cinema.

Since stepping outside of the cinema, the rating for Nosferatu has increased. It’s a film perfect for cinephiles who enjoy delving into the technical aspects of cinema. There’s so many avenues in film studies to analyse with Eggers’ version of Nosferatu (2024). From the sound design, character dynamics, set design, and more to every technical aspect in between. There really is no limit to how much you can gain from viewing Nosferatu (2024).

The Work of Robert Eggers

This analysis was only from the first and currently only viewing of the film. It’s certain to gain further deeper analysis with each new watch. If this is your introduction to Eggers’ work, it’s fantastic and gives hope to exploring the rest of his cinematically beautiful portfolio.

Click through our slideshow above to view the movie posters.

The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019), and The Northman (2022) are certainly top on my viewing list to discover Eggers’ distinctive auteur style. After viewing just one of Eggers’ film work, this powerful and meaningful adaptation of Nosferatu (2024) should put the director into the new greats of Hollywood status.

Conclusion

Nosferatu stays with the viewer much longer than the film’s run-time. The first cinema viewing to stay long afterwards for my horror cinema viewings was Zach Cregger’s excellent debut into the genre with Barbarian (2022), which also coincidentally starred Nosferatu’s very own Bill Skarsgård.

But there’s something so visceral in a film’s meaning, characters, and cinematography when it sticks with the viewer for so long afterwards. Specific scenes and beautiful shots in Nosferatu (2024) stay and linger, shaping a different meaning with each new memory.

There’s multiple interpretations to take away. But the real beauty is in how much Nosferatu (2024) lingers on not just the characters’ minds but in our own thoughts too. He could also be a metaphor for our society – that monsters are all around us, haunting our lives, and animating our dreams. The ultimate question to leave with asks us – is Nosferatu all around us?

Rating: 4.5 stars