As we first reported on ComicBookMovie.com, the review embargo for Nosferatu has lifted and, after several rounds of social media reactions, we finally have a better idea of what to expect from the movie.
For the most part, they're very positive; while it doesn't necessarily sound like a 5* masterpiece, the majority seem to agree that it's one of the year's best horror outings.
However, while filmmaker Robert Egger's gothic, creepy approach to the material is being praised, there's been some unhappiness with how he's brought the iconic Count Orlok back to the big screen. The vampire has remained largely hidden in publicity materials and, while we won't get into spoilers here, there may be a good reason for that as it seems he's undergone some big changes.
Still, the consensus is a positive one and there's nothing here to dissuade those excited about the movie from heading to theaters this Christmas to check it out. As for everyone else, it's admittedly hard not to be intrigued after reading through these early verdicts.
"Every age gets its definitive film of Stoker’s vampire legend," says The Hollywood Reporter. "Eggers has given us a magnificent version for today with roots that stretch back a century." Adds Deadline, "Nosferatu may not click instantly, but, aside from the technical brilliance that superbly renders the late-19th century, there’s a baked-in longevity in its thinking that will surely keep people coming back."
Variety was less impressed, devoting a large chunk of its piece to the lead vampire's new look (we won't post spoilers here, but those can be found in the full review). "Orlok’s bald head, Spock ears, sharp rat-like teeth and bony claws are instantly recognizable to practically everyone, whether or not they’ve seen the silent film. Quite unexpectedly, the villain in Eggers' version bears little resemblance to Schreck’s prototypical spook."
As for The Wrap, its review declares, "It’s a grim, gorgeous fever dream, and while the original is the version that will forever stick in our subconscious, Eggers’ film is looming right behind it, bolstering its legacy and adding a few horrifying details of its own."
Over to Empire, it's said, "Despite its familiar story beats, Eggers’ retelling suffocates like a coffin, right up to its chilling final shot. Lily-Rose Depp is full-bloodedly committed, and Bill Skarsgård’s fiend gorges with terrible fury."
Total Film, on the other hand, explains, "Nosferatu delivers a relatively straight re-telling of this classic gothic tale. It looks and sounds stunning and is packed with vampiric horror. It doesn't push many boundaries but if you wanted the classic Dracula narrative feeling exactly like it’s directed by Robert Eggers, you're going to love it."
IGN was mightily impressed, arguing that, "Robert Eggers' Nosferatu might be a modern horror classic, given how scarily and sensually it approaches age-old material, but makes it feel entirely new." As for Collider, their critic wastes no time in saying, "Nosferatu is an excellent horror outing by a director at the height of his powers, and one of the year's finest films."
"Nosferatu ends up being an excellent blend of the folk horror of The Witch and the grander scale of The Northman," promises Digital Spy. "In finally realising his passion project, Robert Eggers has treated us all to the best horror movie of the year." The Guardian, meanwhile, notes, "This is an elaborate, detailed love letter to the original, intelligently respectful and faithful."
A new take on F. W. Murnau's 1922 version and Werner Herzog's take in 1979, Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
Written for the screen and directed by Robert Eggers, Nosferatu stars Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney and Willem Dafoe.
The movie arrives in theaters on Christmas Day.