‘Nosferatu’ Review: Robert Eggers’ Obsessive Take on Vampire Classic Looks Gorgeous, but Lacks Bite

variety.com:

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic With the reverential early-horror tribute that is “Nosferatu,” Robert Eggers has crafted more than just a remake, but somehow less than a fully satisfying filmgoing experience.

Visually striking as it is, with compositions that rival great Flemish paintings, the obsessive director’s somber retelling of F.W.

Murnau’s expressionistic vampire movie is commendably faithful to the 1922 silent film and more accessible than “The Lighthouse” and “The Witch,” yet eerily drained of life.

In re-creating what came before, Eggers is mindful of Murnau’s distinctive style, but is too gifted simply to mimic. Instead, the meticulously detail-oriented director offers his take on the classic, treating nearly every frame as a work of art unto itself, while further embellishing the story’s Romantic aspects — which might have succeeded, if not for the cast. “Nosferatu” builds to a tragic finale, but is weighed down by pretentious dialogue, somnolent pacing and weak performances, especially that of Lily-Rose Depp as the doomed damsel.