The First Reactions To Bill Skarsgard's Nosferatu Have Critics United

Some lucky critics got to see an early screening of Robert Eggers' take on the classic vampire tale "Nosferatu" — and they all say it freaking rules.

The film, which stars Bill Skårsgard as the titular bloodsucker alongside Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and Willem Dafoe (among many others), is already earning raves from the fortunate folks who got to see it first. "'Nosferatu:' strangely comforting this week to watch a film that feels conjured from the darkest depths of pure evil," critic Jordan Raup wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). "Eggers' most assured work, one in which you can feel his obsessions flow through every nocturnal frame. Lily Rose-Depp and Bill Skarsgard are out of this world." Carlos Aguilar agreed, saying, "After a few months I can finally share I loved ['Nosferatu']. It further crystallizes Eggers' exploration of evil as an elemental force, as inherent to existence as desire, emerging from the same divinity as kindness. It's so inextricable from us, fighting it demands great sacrifice."

"Robert Eggers' ['Nosferatu'] is a knockout," Gizmodo and io9 reporter Germain Lussier raved. "Gory, creepy, propulsive, with a hint of devilish humor. Lily-Rose Depp is fantastic as the woman at the center of it all and Bill Skarsgard's vampire is wholly unique and grounded. Not my favorite Eggers but excellent nevertheless."

I cannot stress this enough: the people who have already seen Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu" think it absolutely rips. "Robert Eggers digs deep into the native soil beneath Nosferatu and Dracula, finding the gruesome (yet perversely alluring) core of the creature's appeal," Den of Geek editor David Crow proclaimed. "He also transforms THE vampire story into a Jungian tragedy and one of the most achingly beautiful films this year." 

Matt Neglia, who runs The Next Best Picture, took advantage of his verified account on X and wrote a lengthy screed about precisely why Eggers' movie is just that good. "Robert Eggers continues his impressive streak of crafting highly detailed and transportive period films with ['Nosferatu'], one of the most seductively macabre films ever made," Neglia declared, digging into everything from the performances to the film's music to the cinematography. 

"Lily-Rose Depp gives every ounce of her body and soul to this eye-popping performance of tormented possession, while the overall portrayal of Count Orlok is so utterly compelling every moment he's on screen that his presence lingers even when he's not," Neglia continued. "Bill Skarsgård's dark, alluring performance, the grotesque makeup, atmospheric sound design, Jarin Blaschke's spellbinding cinematography & Robin Carolan's haunting score all come together to reimagine a gothic classic, culminating in a breathtaking final shot that sent chills through my body as I left the theater. I cannot wait to succumb to the darkness all over again."

Something else the critics made sure to highlight in their reactions to the newest take on "Nosferatu" is that it's really unsettling ... so for anyone who's easily spooked, they may want to know that this movie could scare the pants off of them. "['Nosferatu'] is a hypnotic, psychosexual nightmare," Discussing Film editor Andrew Salazar wrote of the film before specifically praising Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and Bill Skårsgard for their central performances.

Courtney Howard agreed, saying that the movie "goes HARDER than any other horror film this year" and calling it "a gorgeous grotesquerie of dread-infused terrors & a divine dark delight." (She also singled out Depp, Skårsgard, and Hoult in her post.) Griffin Schiller of FilmSpeak offered up a similar take, writing, "['Nosferatu'] surpasses the hype as Eggers delivers a wickedly sinister reimagining of the iconic legend. A deeply chilling nightmare that lingers. If you love the horny fever dream of Coppola's 'Dracula' you'll adore this. Lilly Rose Depp is ASTOUNDING! Easily one of the year's best."

Producer Perri Nemiroff also provided a supersized review on X, calling the film a "chilling stunner" before going on to single out performances like everyone else. "That quality is heavily tied to four particular performances — Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Simon McBurney, and Lily-Rose Depp," she continued. "Skarsgård continues to prove he's an unparalleled creature actor. Hoult delivers big blending sheer terror with a palpable love that drives his character. McBurney is wildly captivating as Knock, teeing up the evil on the horizon. And then there's Depp who's an utter powerhouse, brilliantly carving her character's intoxicating path toward the darkness."

"Nosferatu" hits theaters on December 25, 2024.