Nosferatu (Blu-ray Review)

Throughout the many years of cinema, vampires and specifically Dracula have been a great source of horror for films. As we delve further into 2025, Nosferatu is making its way to 4K, Blu-ray and DVD, this time a new iteration of the 1922 original.  Taking in nearly $200 Million worldwide and garnering tons of praise, Robert Eggers’ vision no doubt had viewers on the edge of their seats in theaters.  So how do things go at home on our smaller screens? Find out inside the review and look for helpful paid links at the end to get in on the creepy proceedings of Nosferatu yourself! But beware, obsession can take you over.

 

Film

Robert Eggers’ (The Lighthouse, The Witch) NOSFERATU is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake. Starring Bill Skarsgård (It franchise, Barbarian), Lily-Rose Depp (“The Idol”, The King), Nicholas Hoult (Renfield, The Menu), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals, Bullet Train), Emma Corrin (Deadpool & Wolverine, “The Crown”), and Willem Dafoe (The Northman, The Lighthouse).

Based on Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror from 1922, this Nosferatu deals with Ellen Hunter (Lily-Rose Depp) and her husband Thomas (Nicholas Hoult). Ellen was a lonely young girl who once wished for a guardian angel. Through a “otherworldly” connection, the Nosferatu finds Ellen and becomes obsessed with her spirit.  This leads to his looking to relocate to where she is, which leads him to Herr Knock, who employs Thomas at his brokerage firm.

Thomas is tasked with finalizing paperwork for the sale of a home for Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard), and then Thomas must journey to Transylvania to get the papers signed before the Count makes his sea journey to Germany. Thomas has no idea that Herr Knock is a servant of Orlok, and he also has no idea that Ellen has been possessed by Orlok since he’s left to the castle in Transylvania either.

When Thomas arrives in Transylvania, it’s desolate, cold, and full of gypsies and skeptics warning him to leave.  There are people praying, casting a demon away with garlic and even a virginal sacrifice at the grave of a so-called devil.  These acts terrify Thomas until he is sickened.  This is all before he meets Count Orlok.  This meeting provides further shock to Thomas, who then becomes further maddened and becomes trapped in the castle.

As an audience we realize now that this is all a part of Count Orlok’s plan to get to Ellen before Thomas can escape his castle lockdown.  Ellen is staying with her best friend Anna and her wealthy husband Frederich, and while in their care she becomes possessed by Orlok, being haunted and sexually assaulted by his spirit, knowing him even without knowing him, sending Frederich into a frenzy for help and answers. Those answers lie with Professor Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe), who has a huge pedigree in the study of the occult and of possessions.

Von Franz along with Dr. Sievers and Frederich search for answers to why Ellen is possessed and of Thomas’s whereabouts, while Count Orlok traps Thomas and then gets himself aboard a ship headed to Germany.  We learn that Orlok has been feeding on Thomas at night, and Thomas has discovered Orlok’s underground lair. Before the boat sets sail, Thomas manages to free himself, but into a rushing body of water, with his survival unsure.

As Orlok boards the ship to Germany in a box bearing his wax marking, Ellen’s possessions become more intense, and at night, The ships mates become ill with plague, or so they think.  Thomas washes up on shore and gypsies work to heal him before he goes home.  As the ship get closer to Germany, the answers become clearer for von Franz and company too.  Plague may be coming, but so is the Nosferatu… and his motive is clear. He wants Ellen and will stop at nothing to get her.  They fear Thomas dead but also fear they will be next and may be powerless unless they can stop Count Orlok first.

When Thomas flees the gypsies and returns home weak and tired, Ellen suddenly snaps out of her possession long enough to try and nurse him further and see the plague and some other mysterious entities bring death to their community. Will Ellen give into her possession and sacrifice herself so that Germany can survive? Will Thomas be her hero and end the Nosferatu? Will Professor von Franz make some scientific advancement to save the day? The answers are all within, but you must see it for yourself!

We have all seen the classic Dracula story.  Man has wife.  Man has job.  Job brings him to undead rich man.  Undead rich man falls in love with living man’s wife and somehow, they become connected.  The living man is always somehow weak compared to the undead’s more powerful soul.  Depending on the era, the good will either prevail or parish, but the story arc usually remains the same.  Robert Eggers’ new vision does much of the same, and here is why.

The overall look and feel of Nosferatu are firmly gothic. The natural lighting and minimalist set décor leave things feeling authentic and surreally so.  The direction is deliberate, and camera work is too.  There is a slowness to the pacing taking its time to creep out the viewer.  And of course, there’s that Skarsgård guy.  At this era’s Gary Oldman, Bill Skarsgård can often disappear in his roles and this is no different.  His deep breathing Count Orlok Is not the handsome villain of John Wick 4 or the embarrassing misfire of his work in The Crow. Here, Skarsgård is dominant, commanding and creepy without showing much of himself at all for much of the film and always hidden behind heavy makeup and some CGI.

Lily Rose Depp is also incendiary as Ellen.  She is tortured and goes from being sexually assaulted by a spirit to crawled around possessed and drooling, before becoming a shrinking violet in her righter mind.  She’s a chameleon in the role and proving the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree.  Willem Dafoe, an ever-present comfort in cinema, continues his quirky character actor genius here, and no, he doesn’t fart in this one.  The rest of the cast are also game to get a little weird with some deliberate overacting that feels more appropriate for the stage than the screen, but works for this type of film.

Overall, I believe Nosferatu is a fine example of a Dracula tale done right.  It gets the era right and I loved the introduction to Transylvania.  It was unlike any I’d seen before, with more traditional characterization of the townspeople that created a genuine atmosphere that felt new and fresh.  Other elements didn’t feel as fresh, but the style is spot-on and that makes up for there being some elements feeling borrowed.  Pacing is off at times and I feel that the film could’ve been tightened up a bit to make that pacing better, but since I review films and don’t make them, that’s just an observation.

Overall, this is a horror film for thinkers, who are more interested in atmosphere than jump scares.  The look is right. The cast is right.  The director is on top of his game.  One hopes that the next Eggers film is another treat, and for now, Nosferatu is a fine film to take in while we wait for his next story.

Video

Encoding: MPEG-4/AVC

Resolution: HD (1080p)

Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1

Layers: BD-50

HDR: N/A

Clarity/Detail: Filmed in a style that favors what seems like more natural light or a more fire or moonlit motif, Nosferatu lives in the shadows.  There is darkness enshrouding most of the film, but you miss nothing, with plenty being made out in those shadows, even in HD! There is a smoky foggy look that feels deliberate, but it does not make things look soft to my eyes.

Depth: Overall, depth is shown with great restraint.  Camera movements are fluid and slow, and the details in the set pieces are placed cleanly in the lens, with clean panning overall.

Black Levels: Blacks are nearly flawless, with a few instances of crush noticeable in the most dark scenes, most likely due to the limitations of the HD source.  Should I come across the 4K edition, I will confirm whether that version has crush or not.

Color Reproduction: Colors are of an older looking variety, which is appropriate.  Greys, whites, fiery oranges, sea greens, and some blues are mostly what you see.

Flesh Tones: Skin tones often look pale, and that seems to be the intent.  Makeup effects are pretty creepily realistic too.

Noise/Artifacts: Clean.

Audio

Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos, DVS Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish, French Dolby Digital Plus 7.1

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Dynamics: The Dolby Atmos mix for Nosferatu is one that uses atmospherics correctly, making channels useful for discrete usage and not just for static room filling sounds.  Bass comes in scenes of fright, with music swelling, and some voice effects being dominant overhead.  The mix isn’t one you’d expect to be this enticing, but boy does it deliver!

Low-Frequency Extension:  Big booming bass comes during scenes in the Transylvanian castle, as well as moments of horror, including some pretty gruesome kills.  This isn’t an action heavy flick, so don’t expect a big workout, but when the sub goes to work, you’ll definitely feel it!

Height: There are plenty of light moments for the height channels to work with, especially with echoing voices and music carryover, but Count Orlok’s voice moves around the room, especially in one scene where his character moves from one end of the room coming closer to the screen… it’s a really effective moment and the sound is spot-on, especially in the height speakers. Some very pronounced bloodsucking effects come out in the height speakers too…

Surround Sound Presentation: Surrounds fill up with the excellent score, ambience on land, sea, city and country and with echoed dialogue too.

Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue is firmly placed in front of or around the listener.  Some of the accents are thick, but you’re able to hear things clearly, even if they may be hard to understand initially.

Extras

Extras for Nosferatu are varied and extensive, despite not being super long overall.  The cast and crew are game to discuss their experiences, and the vignettes are interesting and quick.  This Blu-ray came with a digital code and a basic glossy slipcover.

BONUS FEATURES:

• NOSFERATU Extended Cut
• NOSFERATU: A MODERN MASTERPIECE – Explore the deepest, darkest depths of NOSFERATU with the actors and artists whose commitment and craftwork take the classic vampire epic to horrifying new heights.
• BREATHING LIFE INTO A DREAM – Filmmaker Robert Eggers’ lifelong dream becomes a startling cinematic nightmare as the actors collaborate on transformative performances to make his Gothic vision an astonishing reality.
• BECOMING COUNT ORLOK – Practical makeup FX seamlessly meld with Bill Skarsgård’s bold interpretation of Count Orlok to resurrect a villain whose unsettling appearance is both creepy and captivating.
• CAPTURING THE MOOD – From sunlight, snowfall, and shadows to candlelight and complicated camera moves, see how each visually rich detail contributes to NOSFERATU’s incredibly eerie atmosphere.
• RECREATING 1838 – Open a virtual time capsule with production designer Craig Lathrop, whose intricately detailed sets immerse viewers in an entirely authentic world.
• DRESSING THE PART – Whether accenting Count Orlok’s otherworldliness or telling background tales through clothing, watch costume designer Linda Muir fashion distinct looks that extend each character’s story.
• THE END IS JUST THE BEGINNING – Visual effects supervisor Angela Barson and composer Robin Carolan enhance NOSFERATU’s nightmarish fantasy using stunning CGI and a breathtaking score.
• DELETED SCENES
• Ellen at the Window
• Harding’s Bedchamber/Dark Corridor
• Behold, the Third Night
• FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH WRITER/DIRECTOR ROBERT EGGERS

Summary

Nosferatu is Robert Eggers’ passion project and you can feel it in every moment.  He has proven time and again that his films are made from a place of passion and a reverence of the past.  There is a love there that is rare in most modern films.  I think this version of Nosferatu could’ve used a little bit of editing, but overall I found it to be effective, creepy and satisfying.  Do I think this film is Eggers’ best? No, I think that title still lies with The Northman. I do believe that Nosferatu is a faithful retelling, and is extremely well made.  It’s also worth a look for people looking for a horror film that isn’t as easy to get their minds around, with challenging ideas and a story we’ve seen being told in some new ways with some we know and are comfortable with.  This Blu-ray is nice with a great Atmos track and good extras, but I’ve no doubt its 4K brother probably looks better, thanks to that HDR pass.  Worth a pickup for fans and HD Blu-ray collectors!

Nosferatu is now on digital and arriving on 4K UHD, Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 18 from Universal!

Bring Nosferatu Home on Blu-ray by Clicking HERE

Bring Home Nosferatu on 4K by Clicking HERE