Dracula. A name with heavy history dating as far back as the 15th century and widely known for the iconic vampiric character. The first known media of this blood-sucking vampire was a book written by Bram Stoker in 1897 called “Dracula.” However, the portrayals of the character Dracula in the media vary from story to story; some even change the name, but they always bring terror, no matter the theme. 

Numerous cinematic adaptations have been made of Stoker’s “Dracula” novel, the first one being “Nosferatu” (1922), which was actually illegally made. They claimed it was adapted from Bram Stoker’s novel and even credited the novel in the credits. But in the film, the names, along with some of the plot points, were changed, seemingly using the novel for inspiration rather than a direct adaptation.

On Dec. 25, 2024, a remake of the iconic original “Nosferatu” film was released, directed by Robert Eggers. In an article from Script Magazine written by Sonya Alexander on Dec. 20, 2024, Alexander brings up the research that Eggers did to make sure that his film is both accurate to the lore and to the original film. 

“Nosferatu” (2024) tells the story of Ellen and Thomas Hutter. Living in Wisbourg, Germany in 1938, Thomas receives a promotion and is required to go to a small region in the Carpathians, a mountain range mainly in Romania, to contract a real estate deal with an eerie, rich nobleman named Count Orlok, who seeks a house in Germany.

Ellen, having the ability to see the future, begs Thomas not to go in fear of something terrible happening. While she knows that something is going to happen, Ellen doesn’t know that she is the reason for Orlok’s journey to Germany. Ellen and Orlok met when Ellen was much younger, longing for a companion. The vampire answered her call for companionship, and now he yearns to possess her once and for all. 

Thomas reluctantly leaves for Transylvania and finally meets Count Orlok. However, his trip only descends into dread and terror the longer he stays at Orlok’s castle. Thomas soon discovers Orlok’s nature and flees the castle after a failed attempt to kill the vampire. However, the deal is already signed and completed. Orlok travels to Germany to finally take Ellen and brings destruction and chaos to civilized society. 

Ellen’s condition gets worse the longer she is away from Thomas, being plagued with night terrors aided by her psychic abilities. Gaining a doctor and a professor in search of what was wrong with her, Ellen finally realizes that the cause of all of this pain and despair is on its way, bringing the black plague to the city. After the many deaths and fearsome terrors, she sacrifices herself to Orlok to save the mortal world from his terror. 

“Nosferatu” (2024) is very well crafted cinematically. Eggers took great care in coordinating the color scheme with the film’s plot. The “real world” scenes contain color and life, such as at Thomas and Ellen’s house or in the town. The “vampiric world” scenes are filmed to look black and white, like the castle being set against a night sky with grey stones and white falling snow, giving the scene a monochromatic look.

Watching the film, I got spooked more than once from the eerie score and the offputting visuals. The score of the film was designed to creep out the audience and put them in suspense; gothic brass-based tones, reverberating bass in an eerie silence and dissonant strings paired with echoing vocals are just a couple examples of the gothic score. “The Monastary” was, in my opinion, the creepiest section of the score because, when added to the corresponding scene, it truly brings goosebumps with the increasingly dramatic strings and siren-like drone. The score as a whole reminded me of Eggers’ other work, “The Witch,” with its similar string-focused dissonance and haunting vocals that put the audience at unease.

Since the original “Nosferatu” (1922) was an illegal adaptation, there were many discussions about the copyright of the novel and the films inspired by it, but in the end, more film adaptations were made. My personal favorite films of this particular genre include: “Nosferatu” (1922) because it stands as the original Nosferatu movie and was an inspiration for other such films, Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” (1992) because it was the first movie of this genre I watched and “Nosferatu” (2024) because of the amazing visuals and qualities that were included in previous Dracula films.

There are many similarities and differences between the book and the many movie adaptations. One is the name of Dracula. In Bram Stoker’s novel, he refers to his character as Count Dracula, while the “Nosferatu” (1922 and 2024) films refer to him as Count Orlok or otherwise Nosferatu. The plot remains relatively the same, and, in my opinion, that’s what makes the concept of Dracula widely known; it’s been retold so many times but the basis of the story remains constant. This point is excellently well said in a CrimeReads article written by Olivia Rutigliano on Jan. 3 about the significance of remaking a “Nosferatu” film.  

There is much to be uncovered about the lore behind the creation of the novel and the Dracula franchise. Nonetheless, “Nosferatu” (2024) was made with careful consideration of the novel and previous film adaptations. The suspense was well-crafted and well-timed, leaving the ending of the film melancholic, but bordered with a silver lining. I recommend this film for any fans of gothic horror or those who are just simply looking for a good eerie movie.