The Countless Qualities of Nosferatu

I kicked off my 2025 movie-watching season with a trip to the local theater to see director Robert Eggers' remake of the 1922 film, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. I've liked all of Egger's work to date, especially The Lighthouse, so I was looking forward to his new film, Nosferatu. I enjoyed this one. It’s a bit long, clocking in at 2 hours and 15 minutes, but never seemed to drag. It was a moody, dark, and gory take on the 1922 original that added some new wrinkles and additions, primarily Ellen Hutter’s psychic connection with Count Orlok. It is also dark lighting-wise—while beautifully shot, much of this film takes place in shadows and darkness. This would not be one to see at a drive-in. It needs to be seen on the best screen possible. The look of Count Orlok, played by Bill Skarsgard, seems to be the biggest conversational touchstone for this film. Certainly, it’s a unique take on the creature—but I’m okay with that, as it makes it Egger’s own interpretation. This count is decrepit and disgusting, yet somehow the mustache that is garnering so much controversy makes him more humanistic at the same time. 

 

I followed this up with a rewatch of the 1979 Werner Herzog film Nosferatu the Vampyre. Talk about contrast—watching those two back-to-back is fascinating. Where Egger’s version is shrouded in darkness, much of Herzog’s takes place in bright light. You can see details clearly in most of this film, including the Count himself, played by Klaus Kinski. He skulks around brightly-lit for much of this one. It’s beautifully shot, though, and full of a moody melancholy throughout. The makeup follows the 1922 design fairly faithfully, and Kinski really leans into the rat-like qualities of Count Dracula, as he’s called here. In fact, they use all of the names from Dracula—Harker, Lucy, Mina, Dracula, Renfield, and Van Helsing. The 2024 film, by comparison, sticks with the names from Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror—Hutter, Ellen, Harding, Knock, and Count Orlok. Which really underscores the intertwined nature of the two films. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was an unauthorized adaptation of Dracula, made without permission. Separating the two is near impossible; they’re like dark twins, shadow versions of one another, and the remakes further punctuate this. Egger’s Count Orlok is named after the F.W. Murnau character, yet looks-wise, he resembles more closely the character from the Bram Stoker source material. In comparison, Herzog’s Count resembles the character from Nosferatu, yet is named Dracula. 

 

 

Each of these films is excellent, and each has its own merits. If I were to rank them, I’d put them in order of release. The 1922 F.W. Murnau film is, for my money, the greatest vampire film of all-time, and the best silent film I’ve seen. Herzog’s film is a fantastic remake and tacks on an unexpected ending that is magnificent. Egger’s film is excellent in its own right, really painting in shadows to keep the Count cloaked in darkness. All three are worth watching, and I recommend viewing the last two back-to-back—it’s an eye-opening exercise.