Cert - 15

Run-time - 2 hours 12 minutes

Director - Robert Eggers

Vampire Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) spreads a plague throughout the city of Wisborg in pursuit of a young, recently-married, woman (Lily-Rose Depp).

Over the years I've praised Robert Eggers for being a master of atmosphere. It heightens the horror and darkness that lies within his features and intensifies the overall aesthetic and impact of his films. Whether isolating us on a cramped, delusion-ridden rock or throwing us into the screaming rage of Viking revenge he draws you into the detail of each individual world.

Eggers’ passion for Nosferatu has been well-noted in the build-up to his take on the story and you can tell he's thought a great deal about the style of his latest film. It's perhaps why the atmosphere in this case largely comes from the design and visual detail. Darkness comes from long-cast shadows - we see the titular vampire's clawed hand flying over the German city of Wisborg as if about to clutch it in its grasp - alongside the coldness of the gothic costumes and structures. Eggers direction still has flare and effect, but it has less intensity amongst the slow-burn narrative.

As a race against time unfolds, with Nicholas Hoult's Thomas trying to track down Transylvanian vampire Count Orlok (an unrecognisable and chillingly creepy Bill Skarsgård) as he spreads a plague across the German city of Wisborg in search of Thomas' wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), the pace picks up as does the overall effect of the piece. Much of this in the second half of the narrative, after a first half which certainly has a good deal to like in its details but does feel lessened by its gradual nature, leading to a run-time which feels on the verge of too long.

Much of this comes in the wake of characters joining forces after going back and forth between sharing developments and not. Ralph Ineson and Willem Dafoe as a modern 19th century doctor and occult professor react more to the city-wide impact and try to work things out from there, despite having witnessed the nightmare-like possessions undertaken by Ellen.

The stalking and bloody threat at hand undoubtedly has an effect in the swift, upfront attacks. There's a quick nature to such moments yet with a sustained impact which increases the looming fear and dread which falls upon the characters as personal loss and torment begins to take its toll on them and their search.

Eggers' Nosferatu certainly isn't style over substance. There's plenty of substance here and it also helps to boost the gothic tone and nature of the film. However, I did find myself occasionally wishing that the substance would sometimes arrive quicker or feel a bit more intense in-between the darkest moments. This is still another solid and occasionally eerie horror from Robert Eggers, with a standout turn from Skarsgård; you can feel the bite but not always the fangs.

Four stars