What Nosferatu does better than any other Dracula film

In 2024, we have no need to try to create vampires. They’ve actually been happening for at least a century, and they still largely happen: stories about vampires have saturated almost every media out there. But oddly enough, we may have to work a little harder to achieve this the Vampires are happening again – as in the most legendary vampire of all: Dracula.

In fairness, it may not be Dracula himself whose popularity is diminishing, but rather Dracula Movies about him. Since his first appearance on screen in the lost film “Dracula’s Death” in 1921, barely a decade has gone by without some iteration of the Count appearing in cinemas, which is partly why the character has gone through so many different iterations. Like all fictional creations that are built to last, Dracula endures by embracing change. However, there can always be too much of a good thing; The last several films to prominently feature the Count have failed to impress critics, fans, or the box office, and that may be because each of these films bends the character of Dracula enough that it doesn’t feel quite like Dracula. Anymore.

This month “Nosferatu” Written and directed by Robert Eggers, it may seem like another radical take on the character on the face of it – after all, this is not Dracula per se, but Count Orlok, as Eggers uses the name coined by Henrik Galen and F.W. Murnau. For their version of Stoker’s 1922 novel, it was changed due to the film’s unauthorized status as an adaptation. However, Eggers’ film does not seek to distinguish itself from previous Dracula films; Rather, it fully embraces the character and his history, so much so that it may be the definitive “Dracula” film.

One reason for the recent decline in Dracula’s cinematic influence has to do with his relationship with Universal Pictures. Although the studio has no personal ownership of the character, they tend to act as they do, given how famous Bela Lugosi was for portraying the Count in Tod Browning’s 1931 film Dracula. Universal has gone to great lengths to keep its Dracula active , and went so far as to license the 1958 film Dracula from Hammer Films for international distribution. After the initial Universal Monsters cycle and the Hammer cycle finished their runs, Universal backed a film version of the new adaptation of Browning’s original 1931 Broadway play, as 1979’s Dracula, directed by John Badham. That same year, Werner Herzog produced Nosferatu the Vampyre, distributed by 20th Century Fox, in which the names of all of Stoker’s characters were restored.

During the 1980s, vampires began to undergo a post-modern evolution, making Dracula feel old and child-like (the character’s most notable appearance was in the 1987 film The Monster Squad). The 1992 Bram Stoker Dracula film saw the character appear in the 1990s, but it was distributed through Columbia, not Universal. After Miramax and New Line Cinema played the ultra-modern Dracula with “Dracula 2000” and “Blade,” Universal attempted to bring back Dracula in 2004 by handing the reins to Stephen Sommers and “Van Helsing.” This marked the beginning of their problems trying to revive the character. Although the character never left the silver screen over the next decade, Universal didn’t try again until 2014’s “Dracula Untold,” a film that could have kicked off the cinematic horror franchise, “Dark Universe,” if His performance was not poor.

after The “Dark Universe” has also collapsedUniversal waited until 2023 to try and bring back Dracula in one fell swoop. “Renfield” and “Demeter’s last voyage.” The movies couldn’t be more different when portraying the character; Nicolas Cage in “Renfield” is a bad boss/poisonous sidekick with fangs, and Javier Botet in “Demeter” is a mostly animalistic creature that feeds on its prey. Audiences didn’t connect with the R-rated comedy Dracula nor the gritty monster Dracula, which is probably why “Abigail” came out this year. Initially shown as a riff on “Dracula’s Daughter”, He sought to distance himself from the character’s name and legacy.

With Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” Universal will have the last laugh (hopefully) as the film is distributed through its own division, Focus Features. Instead of trying to subvert or completely reinvent the character of Dracula, Eggers and actor Bill Skarsgård decided to make Count Orlock the most perfect Dracula yet. This is not to say that the film or Orlok’s depiction is a great homage or reference; Eggers is too original an artist for any such laziness. Really, what he’s doing with “Nosferatu” is the same thing he did with his previous films “The Witch,” “The Lighthouse” and “The Northman,” which is taking elements from a variety of historical and pre-existing sources and using them in a new cinematic stew.

So, for Nosferatu, those sources are Stoker’s novel, and different myths than the vampire myth, The real TransylvaniaAnd of course, the most important cinematic “Dracula” films from more than 100 years ago. Present in the film are the cold rigor of Murnau, the gothic grandeur of Browning, the grand Guignol of Hammer, the stately insanity of Badham, the contemplation of Herzog, and the eroticism and theatricality of Coppola. In addition to drawing on the character’s cinematic legacy, Eggers and Skarsgård make Orlok a compellingly ambiguous character, and it would be best to include as many aspects of Dracula as possible in his portrayal. He is an inherent person with his own needs and desires, while also being a supernatural creature with terrifyingly powerful powers and influence. In other words, he’s both relatable and obnoxious, a combination that makes for a surprisingly compelling character.

Most importantly, “Nosferatu” does not seek to subvert Dracula or the mythology surrounding him. The film has its own distinct mythology about Orlok’s methodology and the way in which he can be defeated, but it never feels like Eggers is pandering to the audience or trying to justify ancient traditions. That’s because his “Nosferatu” is a film made from a genuine desire to explore the characters and themes of the story, rather than mock, subvert or start a new Dracula franchise. It’s an honest and creative interpretation, and as it turns out, that’s all Dracula really needs to be truly scary again.

“Nosferatu” is showing in theaters everywhere.