My older brother and I saw Nosferatu (2024) a couple of days after its release, which was on Christmas Day 2024. We attended a 12:30 PM EST showing on Friday, 27 December 2024, and even that early matinee had a very good crowd.
My brother and I had been anticipating the release of this film with an eagerness we rarely experience for movies anymore. I love movies, but there aren’t many films that get me excited to go see them.
Nosferatu promised “a symphony of horror,” according to its tagline (and the subtitle of the 1924 original), and it delivered—in spades.
Like most symphonies, it wasn’t perfect, for the same reason as most symphonies—they’re too long. I don’t think modern directors are capable of making a film under two hours in length, much less a ninety-minute one. The pacing was uneven, and the brooding atmospherics of the film—which are absolutely exquisite—had me dozing off during the protracted second act.
That is my only complaint, and it’s a slight one. The film is a masterpiece. As YouTuber Razörfist put it, “Gothic Horror is Back!“:
The film is a loving homage to the 1924 film, with director Robert Eggers’s legendary attention to detail. The first two-thirds of the flick are brooding and atmospheric, harkening back to the restored, mezzotint look of the grainy, silent-film era original. It follows the familiar story beats, but wisely refrains from showing Count Orlock in all of his terrifying glory until late in the film. The first appearance of the Count has him wreathed in shadows, which only enhances his menacing, devilish presence.
I don’t want to reveal too much more, so this will be a short review. That said, the cast brings in stellar performances. Willem DaFoe—a favorite of Eggers—gives a characteristically powerful performance as the Van Helsing-esque occult scientist. Johnny Depp’s daughter gives some serious Lydia-from-Beetlejuice vibes, which is appropriate for the lavishly Gothic sentiment of the film.
All in all, Nosferatu is a vampiric feast for the senses, a true return to the mysterious, alien, demonic, evil vampires of old.
The Portly Politico 
I’ve seen Murnau’s 1922 classic and I watched Elias Merhige’s Shadow of the Vampire (2000), a fictional account of the making of Nosferatu, John Malkovich playing the role of Murnau and Willem Dafoe as the photo fit version of Max Schrek, whose character arc adds a little intrigue to an already interesting film. I liked both and though I think enough of a gap has been observed for another film, I’ll have to read more on this before I sit down to watch it. Your review was fine but I’m wary of modern interpretations.
At present though, Tina are watching old series of SAS: Who Dares Wins, a reality series which puts civilians through the seriously tough training of the best fighting forces in the world; SAS and SBS courses. In my fitter days, back when I did distance running, I’d have loved to try this but I’d have failed for two reasons; 1) I wouldn’t have been fit enough. Even when I was running and playing football, that course would have killed me, and 2) I have an issue with authority. I’d have attempted restraint but it would be no good.
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Tina and I. Grrrr! 😠
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As far as “modern interpretations” go, it’s quite good! I’d definitely recommend it. Werner Hertzog’s Nosferatu adaptation from the 1970s is also worth watching. I’ll check out Shadow of the Vampire; sounds like my kind of flick!
Man, I couldn’t get through basic training in my shape—ha! But I am thankful for good bloodwork from the doc. Just gotta get my cholesterol down slightly and my blood pressure a bit lower. Otherwise, I’m doing better than I thought, even with some extra weight! Dr. Girlfriend went through all of my bloodwork and wrote up a detailed rundown of what everything meant. Oh, and I have to get my potassium levels up, so I’ve doubled my daily potassium supplement and started magnesium, which aids in potassium retention. The benefits of having a sane, pro-supplements doctor!
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Crikey, it sounds like Dr Girlfriend is really putting you through the paces! 😂
From my perspective, I know I’m overweight but I’m not going to do anything about it until Spring, when I can finally don my running trainers and do something about my extra Christmas pounds. From looking at your pictures, I’d say you’re knocking around my height – 6″ 2 – so the weight shouldn’t show as much as it would if you were shorter. That’s how I get around it – my height masks my weight! 😂
Tina has seen the Herzog version and liked it but hasn’t seen Shadow of the Vampire. Halloween purchases, methinks. We bought Train to Busan last year but still haven’t watched it and we’re going to have a look at Squid Game soon. It sounds like our sort of intrigue.
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