The film “Nosferatu,” directed by Robert Eggers, is a modern iteration of the classic 1922 silent film revitalized over a century later for the contemporary viewer. Starring Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and Bill Skarsgård, “Nosferatu” is a stunning display of cinematography that takes the beloved story and highlights the often neglected darker undertones and feminist themes within the narrative. Where does evil truly come from? What does it mean to embrace one’s inner shame?
The film hit theaters on Christmas Day, 2024—exactly 102 years after F. W. Murnau’s original production. Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is a real estate agent who is tasked with traveling to Transylvania to deliver sales documents to an elderly count who wishes to buy a large property in Wisborg.
The completion of the sale would mean a commission large enough to finance a better life for himself and his new wife, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp). However, this deal with Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) would prove to be much more than he bargained for.
To fully digest the complexities of “Nosferatu,” one must first acknowledge the film’s roots in gothic literature. The 1922 film, “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror,” is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s renowned novel, “Dracula.” Unable to acquire the movie rights from Stoker’s widow, Director F. W. Murnau made a few changes to the film for publication’s sake.
Jonathan and Mina Harker from Victorian England became Thomas and Ellen Hutter from 1830s Germany; most notably, Count Dracula became Count Orlok (Bill Skardgård). At the time of the original 1922 film, audiences were dealing with a plethora of socioeconomic issues, such as the declining stock market, increased living costs, and high unemployment rates.
Gothic literature, like all other forms of horror, often has resurgences during times of economic instability and social turmoil. Why is this? Horror is meant to reflect and confront the collective fears of the audience. Gothic horror is no exception, as the subgenre is marked by the exploration of fear through metaphor and symbolism.
Eggers’ “Nosferatu” excels at reimagining the classic depiction of vampires in gothic horror. Yet, despite wide praise, reception to the film has been divided. Some fail to see the point of another adaptation of preexisting media among the countless other adaptations released in recent years.
As some online denizens have pointed out, this seems to be a common issue when mainstream audiences interact with gothic horror. Unlike other forms of media that prefer moral cleanliness and a clear-cut narrative, gothic horror focuses on moral grayness and rejects traditional horror conventions with devices such as atmosphere and symbolism.
For example, Bill Skarsgård’s casting as Count Orlok was a deliberate creative choice on the part of Eggers. With such an iconic role as Pennywise in ‘It’ (2017) under his belt, there is no doubt that Skarsgård was the perfect choice to breathe life into the monstrous vampire because they are both from the same realm of being Count Orlok.
“I’ve done these sorts of performances before, but none quite like this. [Orlok] is the pinnacle of horror characters,” said Skarsgård in an interview with Focus Features.

His performance was nothing short of spectacular, as Orlok was an entity that defied the sexy vampire archetype seen in media such as “Twilight” and “Vampire Diaries.”
Eggers focused on this specific aspect of gothic depiction of vampires throughout “Nosferatu,” that is, the allegorical use of vampires to represent repressed sexuality and inner shame, especially as it pertains to women. Historically speaking, the film takes place within an era of intense sexual repression.
That begs the question: what is the role of Count Orlok in this film? He is Ellen’s inner shame and depravity taken form. He is regarded as an undead, repugnant creature that has come to bring unimaginable terror. Count Orlok is evil because he is, in his own words, “an affliction, nothing more.”
He is drawn to Ellen because they are both from the same realm of being. As Professor Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) puts it, “In heathen times, you might have been a great Priestess of Isis.” Orlok is all the primordial power and raw sexuality that Ellen has been forced to repress by the men of her era, and particularly, what she’s been taught to despise about herself.
Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” is an unapologetically feminist retelling of women’s empowerment, a love letter to gothic horror and monster lovers everywhere. Eggers urges us to examine the ways in which evil exists within us all and consider how we may begin accepting it within ourselves.