If you've already embraced the world of Robert Eggers, a filmmaker extraordinaire incapable of making a bad film yet entirely capable of making a film with so much integrity you may not care for it, then it goes without saying that you'll embrace his remake of F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent vampire icon Nosferatu. Nosferatu is fiercely dedicated to Murnau's original yet Eggers has crafted an original beast despite those who will fault the film for being too faithful. 

Eggers understands fear without ever cheapening it. He masterfully intuits every nuance of why the original is considered a classic and develops a film that embraces those lessons while amplifying the infinite possibilities of contemporary cinema. Cinematography by Jarin Blaschke is extraordinary, a visual depth immersing us in darkness that doesn't so much terrify as it creeps into the bones. From the opening scene, Lily Rose-Depp as Ellen Hutter serving notice that we're about to see the full spectrum of what she can give us on the big screen, we become awed by this creation known as Nosferatu. For over two hours, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen and I never wanted to do so. Nosferatu somehow feels both vintage and remarkably contemporary. Eggers utilizes modern technology in a way that brings this story to magnificent life without ever dominating the story. 

While the film is appropriately titled Nosferatu, rest assured that it's Depp's Ellen who is at the center of everything that unfolds here in one of the year's most inspired performances. We feel her every moment of peril and danger and ache with her mesmerizing vulnerability. This is not to minimize the impact of the rest of the ensemble, most notably Bill Skarsgård's Count Orlok. We've always known that Skarsgård can be terrifying, but he's next level here both charismatic and eerie, quietly terrifying and utterly compelling.  

Nosferatu is set in 1838, Nicholas Hoult's Thomas Hutter, Ellen's husband, is sent by his boss (a wonderful Simon McBurney) from Wisborg, Germany to the Transylvania castle of the ailing Count Orlok. The Count maintains interest in purchasing a Wisborg estate and it is Thomas's job to close the sale and also nail a desired promotion. 

Supporting players are effective throughout including Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding, a bit of a skeptic married to Ellen's best friend, Anna (Emma Corrin). Ralph Ineson, in his third film with Eggers, shines as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers and, as we've become accustomed to, Willem Dafoe steals nearly all of his scenes as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, an occult specialist who seemingly understands what everyone is up against. 

While one could argue there was no need for a remake of Murnau's classic, Eggers negates the argument with this gothic cinematic masterpiece that somehow becomes a most necessary remake with nuances and elements all its own. The original score by Robin Carolan is remarkable, both intimate and towering and stunning in the way it envelopes every narrative rhythm of the storytelling. 

As someone who has typically appreciated Eggers's work, I was not surprised by appreciate Nosferatu. I was surprised, however, to be completely blown away by it. There's simply no question this is a film I will be revisiting again and again and again. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic