Nosferatu

Review of Nosferatu.

A Sinister Homage Rating: 7/10

The 2024 Nosferatu film, starring the inimitable Doug Jones as Count Orlok, offers a stylish and visually striking reimagining of the 1922 classic. With a graphic novel-inspired aesthetic akin to Sin City, the film leans heavily into its moody, stylized visuals, creating an atmosphere that feels both fresh and nostalgic.

Doug Jones, a master of physical acting, perfectly channels Max Schreck's original performance, capturing the eerie, unsettling presence that made the character iconic. The modern makeup effects pay faithful homage to Orlok's original design, updating it with subtle enhancements that emphasize his grotesque charm without losing the character's vintage horror appeal. Jones' movements and expressions are mesmerizing, making him a worthy successor to Schreck's legacy.

The narrative, while not groundbreaking, stays true to the tone and spirit of the original, offering a faithful tribute rather than an outright reimagining. The Director clearly crafted the film with reverence, focusing on evoking the same primal unease the 1922 film instilled in audiences nearly a century ago.

While some critics have dismissed the film for its perceived lack of innovation, it's important to watch it for what it is: an homage. As a modern love letter to one of horror's most enduring films, it succeeds admirably. The graphic novel-inspired visuals may not be to everyone's taste, but they create a distinctive look that sets this Nosferatu apart from more traditional horror films.

In the end, this Nosferatu isn't trying to reinvent the wheel-it's a celebration of its cinematic roots, elevated by Doug Jones' haunting performance and a uniquely stylized visual approach. For fans of the original or those who appreciate atmospheric, graphic novel-inspired horror, it's worth a watch. Just embrace it for what it is, and you'll find it to be a perfectly fine (and at times chilling) homage.

I've read a couple of bad reviews on this, and I feel like they don't get the aesthetics the director was going for. Everything in this screamed as an homage to the original, but with updated flair. Was the dialogue over the top, yes, but wasn't the dialogue cards in the original, also yes! The shots were highly stylized black and white and the use of red was well placed.

The original left us viewers with questions and surmising. This one takes a stronger stance and feels like it fills in the gaps and fleshes out these characters. It elevates it from the vaudeville feeling silent original to a more modern piece that highlights the original story.

It's definitely worth a watch. Just keep in mind that it is an aesthetic- much like Wes Anderson films; might not be for everyone, but dang it's a piece of art!

And besides everything, it's DOUG JONES! He's a legend and anything he is in, is worth a look-see. Trust me!

Is this film perfect? Absolutely not.

Is the acting the best you'll ever see? Most certainly not.

Is this film enjoyable? You better believe it is.

This is a far better film than the 'big budget' effort released recently. It's far less convoluted, and stays true to the original 1922 film.

I really love the fact the sets are stripped bare, much like the original. Only the essential props are used, and i think that is a beautiful touch. The use of light, and shadow is done brilliantly, again, just like the 1922 original.

The way they have characters enter shot from behind the camera, and have them remain in the periphery of the shot is another lovely touch to the way so many of the old films were shot.

I love the quirkiness of this film, their attempt to create something old in the modern world is bold, and for me, it's paid off big time. As i initially mentioned, perhaps the only thing i'd change would be the ability of the actors, though they really weren't terrible in all honesty. I perhaps think it was an extension of the 'old time feel' of the film, mimicking verbally, what at one point could only be expressed physically.

Overall, i really enjoyed this film, it was brilliantly made, and a real homage to the original film. If you have the choice of watching the big budget effort, or this, then in all honesty, i would strongly suggest watching this. It's far more fun, doesn't take itself anywhere near as seriously, as is a far better tribute to the original 'Nosferatu'.

The whole point of this "remix film" was that it was supposed to utilize the old backdrops from the original 1922 feature, and green screen in new actors with actual dialogue.

However, director David Lee Fisher obviously changed his plan along the way, as what we get is instead a film where every backdrop seems to have been recreated with cgi (which explains why it took 10 years to complete).

And what you're left with is just a youtube-level fan production with embarrassingly bad actors lost in an uncanny valley. Even the ever lovable Doug Jones is like an intentional a parody of over acting, and the whole thing is just a sad imitation of the original.

Maybe there was a good idea to make a sound update of Nosferatu in the tinted monochrome style of the original but the execution is truly dreadful.

The acting is about what you might expect from a high school play. Apparently it was shot on empty sets and the backgrounds were added later. They look like AI images generated from screengrabs from the 1922 original.

Doug Jones has just a few scenes as the vampire, behind very heavy makeup. He brings the only point of interest but it's not enough to justify slogging through this sleepwalking snoozefest.

There are no real scares in this alleged horror film and it adds nothing to the original.