From other Robert Eggers horror films like The Witch to other visually stunning vampire tales like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, there are a lot of great movies like 2024’s Nosferatu to check out next. Most horror classics don’t need to be remade, and when they are, they tend to be an underwhelming rehash of their predecessor. But Eggers brought his own distinctive vision to the Dracula-adjacent story of Nosferatu. It’s a sumptuous visual feast with gothic visuals, historically accurate sets and costumes, and a completely unique take on the well-worn image of Count Orlok.
Nosferatu is such an original vision of the vampire myth, with a vampire that drinks blood via the chest, and such a singular film within the horror genre as a whole, that there’s no other movie quite like it. But there are plenty of movies that share its best qualities, like its unsettling atmosphere, its gorgeous gothic visuals, and Bill Skarsgård playing a creepy monster. Plus, there are two other versions of Nosferatu itself that are similarly singular, visionary horror masterpieces. These are the best movies for fans of Eggers’ Nosferatu remake to watch.
10
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Nosferatu is an unofficial adaptation of Dracula that brings its dreaded vampire and his medieval surroundings to life in stunningly atmospheric fashion. In 1992, Francis Ford Coppola directed an official adaptation of Dracula — so official that it even has the author’s name in the title — that did the same thing. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is another visually striking reimagining of the story that focuses on the themes of otherness, occultism, and desire. It’s one of Coppola’s most beautiful movies, and it’s elevated by Gary Oldman’s jaw-dropping portrayal of the titular undead count.
9
The Lighthouse
Nosferatu isn’t Eggers’ first horror movie rodeo; he’s already a well-established director within the genre. In fact, he’s one of the main reasons why the term “elevated horror” was coined by snooty critics who felt the need to justify their praise for a horror film. The most confounding of Eggers’ so-called elevated horror movies is The Lighthouse, a black-and-white, square-framed psychological thriller about two 19th-century lighthouse keepers losing their minds in isolation. Like Nosferatu, The Lighthouse has powerful performances, thanks to Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, and unforgettable imagery, like a recurring vision of a mermaid.
8
Nosferatu: A Symphony Of Horror
The movie with the most obvious connection to Nosferatu is the seminal classic it’s based on, F.W. Murnau’s 1922 masterpiece Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. The original Nosferatu may have faced legal troubles for brazenly adapting the Dracula story without permission, but it was eventually recognized as a hidden gem and still holds up as one of the all-time finest horror films. Nosferatu is the original horror film; it created the template for the entire genre. Murnau’s post-war interpretation put a fresh spin on the Dracula narrative, and his shadowy, expressionistic cinematography has influenced the past century of scary movies.
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Sleepy Hollow
While Nosferatu succeeds admirably at capturing the classical feel of the gothic horror genre, it also plays as a bit of a sly self-parody. It has a dark sense of humor, a winking approach to well-worn tropes, and a delightfully subversive climax. In this sense, it plays a lot like the horror movies of Tim Burton — particularly Sleepy Hollow, Burton’s own gothic horror effort. Burton tells the time-tested tale of Ichabod Crane’s investigation into the Headless Horseman’s string of mysterious murders with dazzling visual effects, a captivating atmosphere, and a healthy dose of pitch-black comedy.
6
It
Nosferatu isn’t the first time that Skarsgård has played an iconic monster; he previously played Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the blockbuster film adaptation of Stephen King’s It. Much like Nosferatu, It effectively builds a terrifying mystique around Skarsgård’s malevolent spirit — and when he finally emerges from the shadows, he doesn’t disappoint. It is about a paranormal entity that feeds on children’s fears and leaves adults alone, and director Andy Muschietti used that premise to explore the very real terrors faced by kids that adults often turn a blind eye to, like bullying, neglect, and social anxiety.
5
Crimson Peak
Although it was marketed as a straightforward scary movie, Nosferatu is as much a gothic romance as it is a horror film — and the exact same could be said of Guillermo del Toro’s underrated gem Crimson Peak. Set in 1901, Crimson Peak follows an aspiring author to her husband’s creepy mansion in the middle of nowhere in foggy England, where she discovers some sinister paranormal secrets. Like Nosferatu, Crimson Peak is a classic ghost story with top-tier acting from a star-studded cast and Oscar-worthy cinematography from a visionary filmmaker.
4
Only Lovers Left Alive
Nosferatu is a vampire movie that relies more on character development than jump scares. In that sense, it’s reminiscent of Jim Jarmusch’s supernatural romance Only Lovers Left Alive. Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton star as two disillusioned vampires who have been married for centuries and are struggling to survive in the modern day. It’s hard enough to make a long-term relationship work for the entirety of a human lifespan, but it’s extra challenging when the couple is immortal. Much like Nosferatu, Only Lovers Left Alive uses the conceit of vampirism to tell an unconventional love story.
3
Suspiria
Dario Argento’s Suspiria is a strong contender for the title of greatest horror movie ever made. Jessica Harper stars as an American ballet student at a prestigious German dance academy, who’s shocked to learn that the school is a front for a coven of witches. Like Nosferatu, it’s a fiercely original vision of horror cinema with gorgeous cinematography and three-dimensional characters. Suspiria’s bright, eye-popping colors and enchanting soundtrack by the prog-rock band Goblin are a stark contrast from Nosferatu’s more understated style, but they both dig into deeper themes beyond their classic horror framework.
2
Nosferatu The Vampyre
Eggers’ version of Nosferatu is far from the first remake of the Murnau classic — and it’s not the only one that lived up to the insanely high bar set by the original, either. In 1979, the legendary Werner Herzog directed his own redo, Nosferatu the Vampyre, starring regular collaborator Klaus Kinski as the vampiric villain. This version drops the pretense of being an original story; it even uses the name “Dracula.” Herzog fills the movie with creepy imagery that’ll keep you up at night, and Kinski’s portrayal of the vampire is just as intense and enrapturing as Skarsgård’s.
1
The Witch
Eggers’ first movie, The Witch, instantly established him as a filmmaking force to be reckoned with. Set in New England in the 1630s, The Witch stars Anya Taylor-Joy as a Puritan whose family is cast out into the wilderness. As she and her family get settled on a rural farm, they’re stalked by an evil witch lurking in the woods around them. The Witch introduced Eggers’ penchant for uniquely unsettling imagery, like a raven breastfeeding from a cackling witch, and gave him a reputation as one of the most exciting new voices in horror cinema.
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Every frame of Robert Eggers’ fourth feature film, Nosferatu, drips with gothic horror dread, but how does it compare to his other period films?
Much like Nosferatu, it’s an arthouse horror movie that has the subtlety, thoughtfulness, and delicate sensibility of a prestigious arthouse drama without sacrificing any of the fun or entertainment value of a horror film. They both have wonderfully effective jump scares without relying on them too much; they both subvert familiar tropes in a way that feels brand-new. Long before Nosferatu came along, The Witch put Eggers on the map.
Nosferatu
8/10
- Release Date
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December 25, 2024
- Runtime
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132 Minutes