Seth Lamey
The much anticipated fourth film of up-and-coming auteur filmmaker Robert Eggers finally gives audiences a glimpse beyond production stills and cast rumors/changes. 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.” The film is a remake of the 1922 F.W. Murnau film of the same name, with both films adapted from Bram Stroker’s 1897 novel Dracula. The film stars Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard, Willem Dafoe, Nicholas Hoult, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson and will be released by Focus Features on December 25, 2024.
The first trailer for Nosferatu wastes no time showing off a chilly and gothic atmosphere. Darkness and shadows are evident from the start, echoing the German expressionistic roots of the original 1922 film. Ellen Hutter (Depp) is shown center frame, begging for someone to “come to me” followed by startling imagery of being grabbed by the throat and awaken from a potential nightmare. Wide establishing shots showcase the landscape of a 19th century European city. Hutter gives monologue about danger she feels she and the city are in, intercut with a castle on a hillside being moonlit. A whirling camera enters the castle with an ominous view of a coffin and a raspy voice delivers a spooky “heeeee’s cominggggg.” Rats are shown scattered over the town, and a long shadowed hand extends over the city in a not-so-subtle metaphor.
The second half of the trailer amps the tension up with quicker shots of the city alleys, streets, and close-ups of religious figures and possessed beings warning louder “HE IS COMING.” Finally it teases the appearance of Count Orlock (Skarsgard), the vampire villain in question. As he stands in a low-lit doorway, Professor Van Frank (Dafoe) warns “we are here encountering the vampire…Nosferatu.” This tease effectively sticks the landing without revealing too much. Teaser/first trailers have a delicate balance to entice viewers with what a film could be able but not revealing the entire film in a two- or three- minute span. The Nosferatu trailer is aiming for the former strategy.
The trailer smartly leans into Eggers as an emerging auteur in the horror/thriller genre. Along with Jordan Poole, Ari Asters, Greta Gerwig, and Damien Chazelle he is of a new crop of film makers to emerge the last ten years as film makers showing a quick mastery of their craft while putting signature stamps on each film they make. Eggers quickly put his name on the map with 2015s folk horror film The VVitch, known for its strict verisimilitude and bold style. In 2019, Eggers challenged himself once again with the psychological thriller The Lighthouse. The film would stand out uniquely with it’s black and white cinematography, 1.19:1 aspect ratio, and dynamic performances from Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. In 2022, Eggers would widen his scope with The Northman, an epic historical action film about a Viking revenge story influenced by Norse mythology. His style would again be on display, as well as strict world building blend of realism and fantasy.
Nosferatu has a strong cast, lead by Lily-Rose Depp fresh off of a successful start in TV (and yes, she is the daughter of Johnny Depp who also got his start in gothic horror). Bill Skarsgard slides right over from his iconic performance as Pennywise the Clown from the IT remake films. Willem Dafoe brings his veteran talents to the cast and makes this his third straight Eggers film appearance. The influence of German expressionism on Robert Eggers as a filmmaker is evident in his first three feature films. A remake of Nosferatu sounded like a perfect match for his talents from first announcement. The first visual peek at the cinematography, production designs, acting, and story telling elements re-affirm that optimism for such a project, and I have faith that come Christmas 2024, this film will live up to the hype for horror fans.
Written and directed by Robert Eggers and starring Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, and Willem Dafoe, the highly anticipated Nosferatu will be released in theaters on December 25, 2024.
