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Movie Review: Nosferatu

Writer's picture: Bronte HollyBronte Holly

Nosferatu 2025 movie poster


Right off the bat, I’m going to be honest: as a spooky girlie, I’ve never seen the original Nosferatu. I know, I know. Let’s all take a moment to process the shock. But honestly, those silly little fangs just never spoke to me. Have I been too harsh on a 100-year-old movie with questionable prosthetics? Maybe. But not having seen it didn’t stop me from hauling my creepy little behind to a cinema in Sydney to watch the remake that everyone and their mother is talking about. Well, my mum isn’t talking about it, but she’s not exactly on the pulse of pop culture these days. 


Let’s start with the star-studded cast. Cringe, I can’t believe I just wrote "star-studded." Who do I think I am, The Daily Mail? But, alas, it is star-studded. See the list below:

  • Nosferatu himself is played by the iconic Bill Skarsgård.

  • Ellen (the object of Nosferatu’s affections) is played by Lily-Rose Depp.

  • Ellen’s poor husband Thomas is played by Nicholas Hoult.

  • The Occult Doctor is played by Willem Dafoe.

  • The other Doctor is played by Ralph Ineson (never heard of him, but he sounds like Alan Rickman).

  • And Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who seems to be in everything right now) plays Thomas’ friend Friedrich.


With those intros out of the way, what did I think of the casting? To be honest, I think it was bloody perfect. Bill Skarsgård nailed the whole undead stalker thing. Now, I know he wasn’t technically a rotting corpse, but his makeup and prosthetics were so incredible I forgot that he was an actual living human being. If I’m being honest, his long fingers made me feel a bit unwell. Though, my husband ruined the creepiness by saying they reminded him of Darth Sidious’ fingers. And honestly? I see it. Very unlimited power. But I digress. Fingers aside, I loved everything about Skarsgård’s performance. Somehow, he made Nosferatu repugnant in all the right ways. And that’s coming from someone who literally falls in love with movie monsters. But no, Nosferatu is not a bit of me. And to those who’ve said he was too sexy to be an undead monster? I strongly disagree. The only thing he had going for him was his long ‘tash.


Next up, the lovely Lily-Rose Depp. I’ll admit, I didn’t have high hopes for her performance. I know, I was being a bit judgmental. As often happens, I was proven wrong. She was incredible - dare I say, the absolute highlight of the movie. At least, for me. She absolutely nailed that "possessed by an undead demon" vibe. The way she moved was so inhuman at times, I found it hard to watch - but I couldn’t look away. I truly felt her trauma and desperation throughout the entire movie. A solid 10/10.


Now, I know this might be controversial, but I’ve never been a Nicholas Hoult fan (thanks, Skins), yet I really enjoyed his performance in this movie. His scenes in Nosferatu’s castle were fantastic - I really felt everything he was feeling. In fact, it truly felt like I was the one being chased through a crumbling castle by a bloodthirsty monster.


The rest of the cast were also great, but since I don’t have much else to say about them, they don’t get their own paragraphs - sorry, guys!


Now, let’s talk cinematography. My favorite thing to say when I didn’t really enjoy a movie is, “The cinematography was good.” But with Nosferatu, I honestly loved both the movie and the cinematography. Robert Eggers is an exceptional cinematographer. His films are visually stunning - think The Northman, The Witch, and The Lighthouse. Nosferatu was an absolute treat for my eyeballs. I drank in every frame. My favorite shot? The one of Thomas in the woods, waiting for the carriage. The sound of the horse’s hooves beating on the frozen ground, the snow falling gently, the darkened woods, and the disorienting camera work - it had my little heart pounding. It was atmospheric, creepy, and incredibly effective without any major action happening.


Nosferatu felt like real horror, not the jump-scare, gore-filled kind, but true, unsettling horror. It won’t make you jump out of your seat or vomit from disgust. But it will make you keep an eye out for bald, mustached, long-fingered, rotting monsters. The way the movie weaves Nosferatu’s voice throughout will leave you wondering if you can still hear him long after you've left the cinema.


This movie honestly stole my heart. When I left the screening, I thought I’d probably need a break before rewatching it because it was so intense. Fast forward a few days, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’ll most definitely be going back for another round - I fear I’ve developed a new obsession.


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