Review: Nosferatu is an expertly crafted gothic horror

Nosferatu is a deeply moody and expertly crafted Gothic horror. Robert Eggers brings his signature style to elevate the iconic character. Set design is superbly drenched in dark and grand Gothic elements.

Eggers eye for intricately crafted sets, and the haunting performances deliver viscerally shocking film. This is refined horror at its finest, immersing you in a historically rich world seeping with deeply frightening emotional elements.

Lily-Rose Depp portrays Ellen, the conflicted, possessed central figure in Nosferatu. She is brilliantly haunting from the very first scene. The deeply serious and terrified tone that she brings to her performance makes you totally buy into the horrifying truth of the film.

Nicholas Hoult plays Thomas, an earnest estate agent who journeys to Orlok’s castle in pursuit of an opportunity to build a better life for his family. Hoult has been doing incredible work in all of his projects recently, and this is a standout. His demeanour throughout perfectly embodies the pre-Victorian setting of wealthy gentlemen. His approach to the mystery of the film is as cautious as it is clever, as he tries to console Ellen before finding the horrifying reality himself.

Visually, Eggers crafts a haunting but equally enchanting world for Nosferatu. As with many of his films, the set design is intricate and feels truly unlike anything you’ve ever seen. There is a richness to the portraits he paints of Gothic architectures set against dark blue and grey backdrops. High contrast lighting gives them a surreal effect and makes them appear like oil paintings at times.

Nosferatu is unmissable horror cinema. Eggers defines a classic character for a generation, and brings his expert set and character design to craft an intricate film as visually impressive as it is terrifying.

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