MOVIE NEWS – Nosferatu has achieved a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, a rare achievement for a horror film…
Since its announcement, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu has been one of the most anticipated films of 2024. Fans can be very excited, as the critical reception has been very positive. The film is a remake of the 1922 Nosferatu, which itself was an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The new version stars Bill Skarsgård as the title monster, who also goes by the name Count Orlock. The cast also includes Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Simon McBurney, and Ralph Ineson. Directed by Eggers, who has established himself as one of the most exciting directors thanks to films like The Witch and The Northman, Nosferatu has a chance to be one of the best films of 2024.
Nosferatu debuted with a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 42 reviews.
Bloody Disgusting critic Meagan Navarro gave the film a 5/5 rating, saying, “Eggers reinterprets Murnau’s seminal work as a psychosexual gothic tragedy that transforms this adaptation into a mesmeric macabre masterpiece.” Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent (UK) also gave the film a perfect score, saying, “Nosferatu not only revitalizes a classic monster, but it also reminds us why they matter at all.” David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film an “A-” and said, “Eggers’ broadly suggestive script doesn’t put too fine a point on the specifics of Ellen’s repression, but Depp’s revelatory performance ensures that the rest of the movie doesn’t have to.”
Not all reviews are so positive, however. Variety critic Peter Debruge wrote of Lily-Rose Depp’s character, “Nosferatu builds to a tragic finale, but is weighed down by pretentious dialogue, somnolent pacing and weak performances, especially that of Lily-Rose Depp as the doomed damsel.” In an even more positive reaction, Katie Rife of The A.V. Club wrote in her “B” review, “Sumptuously realized and terminally self-serious, it’s the culmination of everything Eggers has been working towards in his career so far – for better and for worse.”
Could Nosferatu make it to the Oscars?
Nosferatu’s impressive critical reception and late release make it a dark horse in the upcoming awards race. While the Academy Awards are often accused of ignoring horror films, the genre has historically received plenty of accolades. Not only did The Silence of the Lambs win the coveted top five awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Actor, but in 2017, Get Out surprised many by also being nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor. Nosferatu isn’t a finalist, but it could surprise people, especially in some of the technical categories. It’s also up for nominations in production design, makeup and hair, costumes, and cinematography.
The big question is how Nosferatu will fare at the box office. The film’s Christmas release is reminiscent of Sony Pictures’ decision to market The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as a “feel bad” holiday movie in 2011. That ultimately backfired, and the film disappointed at the box office. Yes, conventional wisdom holds that a horror film like Nosferatu would do better closer to Halloween. Not only will a Christmas release be a nice counterpoint to family films like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Mufasa: The Lion King, but it could also do even better in early January. This pattern worked for the original Scream, which opened on December 20, 1996, and landed in fourth place at the box office on its opening weekend, but thanks to the hype, it stayed in the top 10 for nine weeks. Based on early reviews, this trajectory is also on track for Nosferatu.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Bloody Disgusting, The Independent, IndieWire, Variety, The A. V. Club
