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First Reactions to Robert Eggers' Nosferatu Hail "Knockout" Reimagining of OG Vampire Movie
Nosferatu arrives exclusively on the big screen Christmas Day - so does it live up to the hype?
Last fall, burgeoning auteur Robert Eggers promised a "scary film" with his reimagining of the OG vampire movie, Nosferatu (hitting theaters nationwide Christmas Day via Focus Features).
"It’s a horror movie. It’s a Gothic horror movie,” he teased during an interview with Empire. "And I do think that there hasn’t been an old-school Gothic movie that’s actually scary in a while. And I think that the majority of audiences will find this one to be the case."
It seems the director has officially succeeded on that front, according to the first glowing reactions to the hotly-anticipated film, which held early screenings in New York and Los Angeles Thursday night (the LA event also featured a chat between Eggers and Guillermo del Toro). Jazz Tangcay, Senior Artisans Editor for Variety, went so far as to hail it as "a perfect remake" and, like many other journalists, lauded the central performance of Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter, a young woman stalked by the titular bloodsucker.
First reactions to Robbert Eggers' Nosferatu hail vampire reimagining
Tangcay also described Nosferatu as "devilishly bloody and grotesque. Superbly crafted film and great sound design couple with a haunting score. Lily-Rose Depp’s performance is thoroughly gripping."
"Nosferatu is paralyzing fear fully realized under the vision of writer and director Robert Eggers," echoed fellow Variety editor Clayton Davis. "Dude is just clearing his throat in cinema. He hasn't yet begun to sing, and I'm digging all of his numbers. Bill Skarsgård is menacing while Lily-Rose Depp is haunting. Every movie gets automatically upgraded simply because Willem Dafoe is in it. An artisan wet dream. Gorgeous and horrifically brilliant. I'm a fan."
Germain Lussier of io9 and Gizmodo called it "a knockout," going on to add: "Gory, creepy, propulsive, with a hint of devilish humor. Lily-Rose Depp is fantastic as the woman at the center of it all and Bill Skarsgard’s vampire is wholly unique and grounded. Not my favorite Eggers, but excellent nevertheless."
"Nosferatu displays Robert Eggers' visionary creativity," wrote The Playlist's Gregory Ellwood. "Lily-Rose Depp is superb. Willem Dafoe is having a blast. A major below the line player. Could it crack BP? Hmmmm. Rose Depp has a shot in packed supporting actress race." He continued: "There is a shot at the end of Nosferatu which is incredibly inspired. Top-notch filmmaking. Score, Production Design, Costumes, Make-up, and Cinematography, as always with Eggers films, masterful."
Courtney Howard, meanwhile, asserted that the reimagining "goes HARDER than any other horror film this year. Holy f****. A gorgeous grotesquerie of dread-infused terrors & a divine dark delight. Bill Skarsgård’s Count Orlok is pure sinister nightmare fuel. Lily-Rose Depp & Nicholas Hoult’s best work to date. Nosferatu incorporates breathtaking homages to Murnau’s masterpiece with thoughtful thematic artistry. Robin Carolan’s haunting compositions, Jarin Blaschke’s painterly cinematography & Craig Lathrop’s inspired production design augment its frightful atmospheric allure."
"Excited that I finally get to talk about Nosferatu as it is a breathtaking masterpiece & my favorite film of 2024," said Heather Wixson. "Meticulously directed & featuring incredible performances from the entire cast, Robert Eggers casts an intoxicating spell w/his haunting take on this timeless tale."
Awards Radar founder Joey Magidson characterized Nosferatu as "unfiltered Robert Eggers. He’s a good match for the material, which he allows to breathe in a way that may test impatient audience members, but rewards those willing to get on his wavelength. Gross and weird, but also classically haunting."
FilmSpeak YouTuber Griffin Schiller tweeted: "Nosferatu surpasses the hype as Eggers delivers a wickedly sinister reimagining of the iconic legend. A deeply chilling nightmare that lingers. If you love the horny fever dream of Coppola's Dracula you'll adore this. Lilly Rose Depp is ASTOUNDING! Easily one of the year's best."
"Well-crafted and very familiar, Robert Eggers' Nosferatu essentially combines story elements from both the 1922 silent film of the same name and the book that inspired it, Dracula," said Eric Walkuski. "It delivers much what you'd expect from an Eggers-directed version of this material..."
"Nosferatu is a chilling stunner," tweeted Peri Nemiroff. "A film that wastes no time digging its claws in and making its evil feel inescapable. That quality is heavily tied to four particular performances - Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Simon McBurney and Lily-Rose Depp. Skarsgård continues to prove he’s an unparalleled creature actor. Hoult delivers big blending sheer terror with a palpable love that drives his character. McBurney is wildly captivating as Knock, teeing up the evil on the horizon. And then there’s Depp who’s an utter powerhouse, brilliantly carving her character’s intoxicating path toward the darkness."
What is Nosferatu about?
While specific story beats still remain elusive, Focus Features describes Nosferatu as "a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake."
Who stars in Nosferatu?
The film features an ensemble cast comprised of Bill Skarsgård (John Wick: Chapter 4), Nicholas Hoult (Renfield), Lily-Rose Depp (Yoga Hosers), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (The Fall Guy), Emma Corrin (Deadpool & Wolverine), Ralph Ineson (The First Omen), Simon McBurney (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation), and Willem Dafoe (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice).
In addition to writing and directing this longtime passion project, Eggers is a producer alongside Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Chris Columbus, and Eleanor Columbus.
How to watch Nosferatu in theaters
Nosferatu will swoop into theaters everywhere on Christmas Day — Wednesday, December 25. Tickets are expected to go on sale in the coming weeks. Be sure to check back in with us for regular updates!
Looking for more bloodsucking action? Head on over to Peacock for Renfield, Abigail, Dark Shadows, The Vampire Diaries, Vampire Academy, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Let the Right One in, Vampire in Vegas, and more!
