Nosferatu (2024) — A Review

20th March, 2025: Nosferatu (2024).

It has to be said: I’m in a mood.

For various reasons.

But … ?

With little to do, I’m in a mood to do something I haven’t done for a while.

One … ?

Play with software.

I’ve got hold of a copy of DaVinci Resolve, just recently: and wanted to play with it.

So … ?   Filming a review seems a good idea.

Second?

Watching a movie seemed good, too: even if I get this finished by Saturday, 22nd March.

I can only hope the Robert Eggers, 2024, version of Nosferatu is good to watch.

I wasn’t totally convinced by the original.

~≈🧛🏿≈~

Part One: The Summary

20th March, 2025.

Nosferatu opens to show us the soon to be married Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp): a young woman who is devoted to her husband to be, but praying for help from a guardian angel.

Only to be contacted by something we only see as a shadow on the billowing curtains.

The scene shifts: to show us Ellen waking up next to her husband, Thomas (Nicholas Hoult): on the day Thomas is due to head for work at Knock et Cie.

His job … ?

Is to complete the sale of the ruined Grünewald Manor to the reclusive Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård).

As Thomas’ boss tells him?

The count is both reclusive, eccentric … and very insistent that Thomas goes to met the Count in his home in the Carpathian Mountains.

The deal … ?

Will be struck, there.

It’s just not the deal the nervous young man believes he’s there to sign … 

~≈🧛🏿≈~

Part Two: Some History.

Right … I possibly have a lot of thoughts about Nosferatu: but should really do one thing, first.

I should tell you that this version of Nosferatu is a remake of an original German film: made back in 1922.

A film that, itself, was an unauthorised version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula: and something I caught back in 2017.

And, while it was interesting to see … ?

I don’t know that I was entirely taken with the thing.

Having seen other film versions of Dracula, I don’t know that I was taken with this original version.

Although it has some striking shots: Schreck’s version of Orlok rising out of a ship-borne coffin has stayed in my mind.

But overall … ?

I wasn’t totally taken with it: even though I know it’s very influential.

So, when I heard of this version … ?

A version that — effectively — was a remake of the original Dracula?

I felt I should see it: I felt such a film could only be an improvement.

The question is … ?

Was I right … ?

~≈🧛🏿≈~

21st March, 2025.

Part Three: Thoughts.

There’s possibly no way I can answer to that, just yet.

All I can tell you are the things I saw in this film: things that made it either good, or bad.

Let’s start with the cast, shall we … ?

Most of the cast are relative unknowns: at least, to me.

Oh, granted, I know that Lily-Rose Depp is the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis; that Hoult plays Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road; and that Emma Corrin played Princess Diana in The Crown.

I’m not saying they’re unheard of: merely that I’m unfamiliar with them.

That said?

They do their jobs, and do them well.

Just as an example?

I felt Depp’s RP accent was well done: even though I’m told it’s an easy English accent for Americans to pick up.

She did a better job of it than Keanu Reeves did in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

The stars of the show, though?

Were the veteran actors in the piece.

Skarsgård as the central villain?   As the wheezing monster at the heart of the tale … ?

Was both on point, and distinct: and just as memorable as Gary Oldman’s, Bela Lugusi’s or Christopher Lee’s.

But, where Oldman, Lugosi and Lee were romantic anti-heroes?

Skarsgård’s a literal corpse: supplementing his performance with grey skin, cataract-covered eyes … and, in one scene, a body  crawling with maggots.

The makeup, the maggots, and Skarsgård’s wheezing dialogue?

Reminds us that Orlok is exactly what it says on the coffin: a corpse!

~≈🧛🏿≈~

Bill Skarsgård is not the only good performance: although his appearance as the film’s main villain is central.

With have to balance that, I think with Depp and Hoult’s competent performance as Ellen, and Thomas, Hutter … 

And with Dafoe and Ineson’s performances as Drs von Franz, and Sievers.

Ineson … ?   I felt Ralph Ineson was very well placed: and used that oh so-distinct voice well.

Dafoe, by contrast … ?

I have to admit, I’ve only seen Dafoe in the 2002 version of Spider-Man, its 2004 sequel, and 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.

I suspect that’s my loss.

Especially given he did a hell of a job in Spider-Man: No Way Home: possibly the best performance in the film.

Does that mean I prefer his Spider-Man: No Way Home performance?

Yes, I did: it seems less stilted.

On the other hand … ?

What Dafoe’s doing in Nosferatu, is play not a version of van Helsing, but his version of Sherlock Holmes: complete with an outrageous pipe, and a superb supporting performance from Ralph Ineson, as Dr Watson!

Sorry, Doctor Sievers.

You have to see the film to see what I mean,

~≈🧛🏿≈~

22nd March, 2025.

Part Four: Other Thoughts.

What else can I tell you … ?

There’s possibly a lot.

The main thing?

Let’s talk about sex, shall we?

You’ll forgive me for bringing it up, I hope: but?

I like sex!

I’m not very good at it, but try and make the effort: when I get the chance and the consenting company.

But watching it in a main-stream film?

Is a different matter, I think.

Nosferatu … ?

Has quite a few scenes of a sexual nature in it.

And?

While I appreciate Nosferatu — and the Dracula tradition it’s part of — is often used a metaphor for forbidden desire, and the treatment of woman by men?

I also felt that these sexual scenes were … not unwelcome — I think the film is trying to be a critique of the coercive control of women by men, and that’s going to include sexual control — but certainly a little too heavy-handed.

At least, too heavy-handed, too in-you-face, for my taste.

It’s something I think viewers may wish to keep in mind.

~≈🧛🏿≈~

Part Five: Sidesteps.

Just as a brief sidestep, here?

Usually, I use Apple’s iMovie software to edit the video versions of my quizzes: and the TV and movie reviews I do.

I still intend to use iMovie for the Teasers: I can work quickly with it, it uses less drive space when rendering and exporting, and frankly, I’m familiar with the user interface.

I’ve been using versions of it for some fourteen years, after all.

Recently, though … ?

I downloaded the free version of DaVinci Resolve: just to shake things up, a little.

I think I’ve got enough of a hold of the basic things — audio/video fade ins and fade outs, green screen compositing, transitions and wipes — to start using it on some videos.

So thought I’d take a few minutes to let you know that I’m using different software: so the video version of this review may look different to others I’ve done.

It is, after all, a new interface, after all.

At any rate?

I’d appreciate any comments you have about both the review’s content: and how it’s made.

Feel free to leave me a comment.

~≈🧛🏿≈~

Part Six: Finally.

Finally … ?

What did I make of the 2024 version of Nosferatu?

Of this remade, revamped, version of one of early cinema’s best known works?

It’s got to be said, I was underwhelmed by the original film: even though I’ll give the original Nosferatu credit for being an influence on both cinema in general, and horror films in particular.

Allowing for that … ?

And the fact it’s been a while since I’ve seen the one hundred and two years old original?

And feel the new version of Nosferatu has some flaws?

I can’t help but think that — of the two versions I’ve seen — this 2024 version of Nosferatu is the better film.

Nosferatu.

★★★☆