Ask and ye shall receive — in abundance and forever.

Prone to bouts of diagnosed “hysteria” while growing up, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) finds peace of mind after meeting and marrying solicitor Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult). In 1838 Wisburg, Germany, a husband is expected to provide for his bride, so Thomas leaps at an opportunity from his employer Herr Knock (Simon McBurney): close an estate deal with a reclusive Carpathian count and be set for life. Even before the offer is made, Ellen’s nightmares reawaken, filling her with fear over what will befall Thomas if he accepts. Entrusting his wife’s well-being to her friend Anna (Emma Corrin) and her shipping magnate husband Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Thomas journeys to the far-off castle of Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). In her husband’s absence, Ellen’s episodes return stronger than they have ever been, and Dr. Wilhelm Sievers (Ralph Ineson) determines her worsening condition is beyond his means. Fortunately, a former mentor of the doctor, Prof. Albin Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe), already has a theory… and only Ellen herself understands how correct the professor is.

Writer/director Robert Eggers has a reputation for exploring mythology and darkness in his films — The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman — but this time chose to tackle his obsession: F. W. Murnau’s criminally unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Every horror and vampire fan will recognize the bullet points of the script, but there are distinctive differences, including the film’s biggest contribution to the lore regarding the effects of sunlight. That said, the opportunity to rework both Dracula and the original Nosferatu into something unique has reportedly been a passion project of Eggers, once intended as his sophomore film before other opportunities interrupted. With location shoots in Prague, Romania, and Germany for authenticity and a melancholic score by Robin Carolan (who previously scored The Northman), there’s an expectation for this dual adaptation to rival the lukewarm receptions of last year’s Renfield, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, and even this year’s underrated Abigail. Does this new and improved Orlok have the mutton chops to succeed, or should all copies be destroyed as was court-ordered for the 1922 original?

Comparisons to previous Dracula adaptations are inescapable — Frank Langella’s 1979 version or Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 version starring Gary Oldman, for example — but rethinking known story elements and trappings into a decidedly adult Beauty and the Beast story breathes new (un)life into the familiar tale. Lily-Rose Depp carries the film as Ellen, a far less incidental heroine with a spiritual connection to the monster no one could have warned her about (but certainly would have). Crucifixes and holy water are pushed aside for hints of fae lineage, heptagrams over pentagrams for the occult, and a title monster who inhabits shadow rather than merely lurking in darkness. Dreams also play a large part, not only toward premonition but also interconnection, fueling a doomed Gothic romance with angst to spare; the rest is atmosphere, set dressing, and attention to detail while the score and sound design fill your ears with dread. Rest assured, you won’t need to drag out your favorite version of A Christmas Carol to enjoy a disturbing holiday story this year.

For those in the know, a couple of things might be distracting. Seeing Nicholas Hoult as the Jonathan Harker character instead of Renfield, for example, or knowing Willem Dafoe played Count Orlok in Shadow of the Vampire… or perhaps Kraven the Hunter kissing Cassandra Nova. Additional musings might include 1500+ miles overland travel alone on horseback from fictional Wisburg, Germany to Orlok’s Carpathian castle, or inventing an entire catalogue of occult imagery but only using it for set decoration. Also, why is everyone speaking Queen’s English if it’s set in Germany? A few better-known characters have been combined or eliminated — no vampire brides or excess suitors standing around this time — creating a smaller ultimate body count but a tighter script all around. One last nitpick: Orlok’s appearance has something of a Rasputin makeover, but in this film’s context, it mostly works — and there’s happily no hint of “Pennywise” in Bill Skarsgård’s undead take.

The photography plays with some interesting camera angles, including perspective shots of Orlok’s castle that would make Wes Anderson proud as well as a few shifting POV angles that took a bit of James Cameron-level noodling. It’s been nine years since Mr. Eggers gifted audiences with The Witch, but the director’s growth is clear, even when combining stories into a remake proudly labeled as a passion project… and absolutely getting away with it.

Nosferatu 2024 is rated R for bloody violent content, graphic nudity, some sexual content, and equal opportunity naughty bits.

Three skull recommendation out of four