Filmmaker Robert Eggers has established a reputation for stylistic endeavors that may not always hit the mark, but still have enough to at least be passably interesting.

Now the man behind “The Witch,” “The Lighthouse” and “The Northman” tackles one of the most infamous horror creatures of all in “Nosferatu.”

This may be the best crafted film yet in Eggers’ storied career – a lavishly exquisite retelling that is faithful to the original source material, while adding a modern flare that only enhances that material.

“Nosferatu” borrows heavily from the original source material with Ellen Hutter (Lily Rose-Depp) a recently married young woman who had an encounter with a demon spirit years ago.

When her husband Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) is summoned to Transylvania to complete a real estate deal with a mysterious nobleman known as Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), Ellen starts to have visions of her past – and possible other-wordly connections to Orlok.

Fans of the 1922 original will see plenty of nods to that film in this “Nosferatu,” but it isn’t the only film with an incarnation of these characters that Eggers draws from.

There are plenty of nods to Francis Ford Coppola’s early 90s vampire saga “Bram Stroker’s Dracula” which has not held up as well as the original “Nosferatu.”

Eggers has always had a keen eye for horror behind that camera and he uses that strength to near perfection here – with every shadow, every decision in the set decision, every lighting decision serving a purpose.

From a technical standpoint this is a film that deserves awards consideration: whether it be Jarin Blaschke’s bone-chilling cinematography or Craig Lathrop’s impeccable production design.

This is a film where you can tell there was a lot of attention to detail and that attention just elevates the entire viewing experience to another level.

The cast is just as good, headlined by perhaps career best work from Rose-Depp as a cursed young lady. Skarsgård once again plays an effective monster much like he did as Pennywise in the “It” films, while Willem DaFoe has a small, but effective role as the vampire hunter who is called on to stop Olak.

Everything comes together under the watchful eye of Eggers, who also served as the writer adapting the source material. This clearly feels like a passion project with Eggers wanting to be respectful of material while also providing a version that can be appreciated by a new generation of horror films.

The end result is perhaps on of Eggers’ best films to date – with “Nosferatu” finding that great balance between nostalgia and modern horror.

In a year chocked full of quality horror films, “Nosferatu” is right up there as one of the best in the genre in 2024.

If You Go
“Nosferatu”
Starring: Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Rating: R for bloody violent content, graphic nudity and some sexual content
Playing at: Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Highland Cinemas (Glasgow)
Grade: A-