Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu  is visually striking and a thematically rich adaptation of the classic vampire tale from 1922. Drawing from F.W. Murnau’s silent film, Eggers uses his imagination to reinvent the story as a medieval reflection on obsession, mortality, and the darkness that allures humans. 

According to early youtube reviews and interviews with Eggers, he aimed to make the vampire “a figure of myth, not just horror.” The director’s intention is demonstrated in Count Orlok’s portrayal by Bill Skarsgård, whose monstrous depiction and sinister silence personify themes of death, sickness, and spiritual decay. Orlok is not simply a villain; he suits as a symbol of the concealed rot below the surface of society.

Lily-Rose Depp’s character, Ellen, is essential to the film’s powerful and thematic core. According to critics at IndieWire and The Guardian, her performance adds a twist to the typical victim role viewers usually see. This movie shows her character as someone caught between fear and fascination. Ultimately, her sacrifice feels both tragic and strangely divine, as if she is willingly confronting the darkness to understand it—or even become part of it.

Visually, the film is rich with gothic imagery: candlelit interiors, fog, and decaying architecture create a world where beauty and horror are inseparable. In a review from Variety, they find that the cinematography draws heavily from German Expressionism while updating it with modern sound design and visual effects. 

In the end, Nosferatu can be described as more than just another horror film. It is an illustrative exploration of humanity’s oldest fears—desire, death, and the unknown—and a compelling example of how high art can be found in genre cinema.