Nosferatu is easily one of the best films of the year, and here are 21 interesting facts about it

If it hasn’t landed on your radar yet, Nosferatu is Robert Eggers’ latest high-profile horror film, and you should know that it’s really good. Everything from the cinematography to the costume and production design to the direction is top notch.

A person wearing patterned clothing stands in front of dramatically lit curtains, evoking a suspenseful or mysterious mood — Focus Features / Courtesy of the Everett Collection

A gothic reimagining of the legendary 1922 silent film of the same name (itself an adaptation of Bram Stokers). Dracula), Eggers’ Nosferatu is not only beautifully made, but also creepy. In some scenes my stomach tightened so much that I thought I was going to lose my dinner.

A shadowy figure stands in a Gothic room with arched windows and rays of light that create a mysterious atmosphere — Aidan Monaghan /© Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection

The film stars Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter, a young real estate agent, Lily-Rose Depp as his cursed bride and Bill Skarsgård in a frighteningly wild portrayal of the vampire Count Orlok.

A group of people in contemporary clothing talking to each other — Rounding out the cast are Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney and Willem Dafoe (who, ironically, was nominated for an Oscar for playing an actor in the role of Count Orlock in the 2000 film). *shadow of the vampire,* a fictional narrative about the creation of the original *Nosferatu* Film.)

Focus Features / Courtesy of the Everett Collection

And here are some very fascinating behind-the-scenes facts about the film that I learned from the production notes:

FYI: There are no major spoilers. However, some small plot details are mentioned.

1.Eggers actually wrote and performed a stage adaptation of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (the 1922 film) with a classmate while he was still in high school.

Movie poster for "Nosferatu" with shadow figure and text in Gothic style. Reads, "Succumb to the darkness." This Christmas in the cinema — Focus Features / Courtesy of the Everett Collection

2.And after the success of his first feature film The witchIn 2015, Eggers wrote a draft of Nosferatu with the intention of making it his next film.

Person in contemporary clothing with a hood clasping his hands and looking attentively ahead in a dim environment — However, his next projects ended *The lighthouse* in 2019, followed by *The Northman* in 2022.

A24 / courtesy of the Everett Collection

3.Before filming even began, Eggers wrote a novella with detailed backstory and scenes…

A figure's shadow is cast on a tiled floor in a dimly lit environment, creating a mysterious and suspenseful atmosphere

4.…and as Eggers was writing this, he discovered that he wanted to make Ellen’s (Depp’s) journey the “driving force” of the film.

A person in period clothing and a large, ornate bonnet walks through a narrow alley, evoking a Victorian ambience — “She is not only a victim of the vampire, but also of 19th century society,” Eggers explained. “This is Ellen’s story. There is a prologue that begins with her childhood and an unexplained but frightening haunting.”

Focus Features / Courtesy of the Everett Collection

5.Continuing his immersion, Eggers also extensively researched the occult and historical depictions of vampires. In fact, he did so much research that his office was apparently filled with “hundreds of books” on these topics.

Medieval woodcut depicting people interacting with a horned figure on a throne, suggesting a meeting or transaction — Universal Images Group via Getty Images

6.Depp worked with a movement coach, Marie-Gabrielle Rotie, an expert in Japanese Butoh (a dance form), to choreograph Ellen’s moves during her pose sessions.

Performers in flowing costumes pose dramatically on stage during a theatrical performance — Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images

7.To achieve a very specific and stylized “romantic moonlight” look, cinematographer Jarin Blaschke used real candlelight to light her scenes.

Actor and crew member review footage next to a candle on a dimly lit set — “It’s all real flame,” Blaschke said. “We just kept using candles until we got the right exposure. It got messy, but it’s very gratifying to shoot on film and have real candles.”

Focus features / About youtube.com

8.Filming took place in Prague and several practical filming locations were used. Apparently Eggers wanted to include Prague’s architecture in the film.

Focus Features / Courtesy of the Everett Collection

9.The filmmakers also traveled to Transylvania, Romania to photograph the exterior of Hunedoara Castle (also known as Corvin Castle), which served as Orlok’s Castle in the film.

A distant castle under a moonlit sky is viewed from a snow-covered path, evoking a mysterious or fantasy setting in a television or film scene — Focus Features / Courtesy of the Everett Collection

10.But they also built a lot of sets… 60 to be exact, including five city blocks. (For comparison, an average film may consist of a dozen or fewer sets.)

Victorian era street scene with people in period clothing including hats and bonnets walking and interacting between market stalls — “I wanted to build as much as possible,” Eggers said. “It gives me the most control over how Jarin and I like to move the camera.”

Focus features / About youtube.com

11.And many of the sets featured moving parts to accommodate the film’s elaborate camera work.

Three people on the film set look at a monitor. They wear casual jackets and discuss a scene surrounded by camera equipment — Eggers explained, “Often we are required to have movable walls and ceilings. There are several shots where a wall opens on a hinge to let the camera through, and then rotates and closes again. That’s a lot, but it’s a lot of fun.”

Aidan Monaghan /© Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection

12.The sets were so detailed that you would never be able to see everything just by watching the film. For example, there was a paper on a desk that was written as if it were a letter from Ellen.

A person holds a vintage lamp and wears a patterned outfit with ruffles, creating a dramatic and classic atmosphere — Actress Emma Corrin explained: “I remember Rob and I rummaging through one of the desks that they had lined with note paper. The letter is written as if it were a letter from Ellen, and all the envelopes are addressed with my character’s name.”

Focus Features / Courtesy of the Everett Collection

13.Speaking of practical production techniques, the tears of blood Ellen cries were real and not CGI. Makeup artist Traci Loader used eye blood specifically made to create red tears.

A person with long hair and an expression of shock or horror has dramatic blood-like makeup on their face — Aidan Monaghan /© Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection

14.The language Nosferatu uses to “talk” to Ellen (in her nightmares/ghosts) is called Dacian and is a dead language.

A woman in a nightgown floats above the floor of a room, looking to the left, while the curtains billow dramatically nearby — Romanian screenwriter Florin Lăzărescu helped the filmmakers with the translation.

Focus Features / Courtesy of the Everett Collection

15.While the film’s music features many obscure and ancient instruments, they are actually custom-made instruments as well. An example is a toaca-like device (a percussion instrument) constructed by drummer Paul Clarvis.

Hands hold mallets and strike wood, a semantron instrument resembling a toaca — Roberto/Getty Images

16.As part of their research to create Count Orlok’s look, Eggers and special effects makeup artist David White explored the decay of flesh and bone through medical and historical research papers and books.

Anatomical representation of the upper arm muscles and nerves, labeled for educational purposes — Eggers also shared images of nobles of the time, their hairstyles and facial hair, as well as images depicted throughout the centuries, including folk art with white to get the right look.

Vintagemedstock / Getty Images

17.It can be hard to see, but you may notice that Orlok’s “Vampire Bite” doesn’t have the traditional appearance of a fang. Apparently Eggers didn’t want the classic vampire look, but rather a more “gnarly and slightly broken” look for the teeth.

A shirtless man with an intense facial expression in a dimly lit scene — Focus Features / Courtesy of the Everett Collection

18.Bill Skarsgård had to sit in the makeup chair for three and a half to four hours each time, with several people working on his head and others working on his hands.

A scene in which a concerned actor looks at an ornate chalice held by a person with long nails — Aidan Monaghan / © Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection

19.Some of the “animal” sounds you hear from Orlok were created by recording the movement of stones. Senior sound editor Damian Volpe explained: “I dragged a big piece of granite around on the ground just to see what kind of sounds I could make.”

Actors in period costumes with torn shirts and fake blood lean on a stone wall next to a door with two dogs inside — Aidan Monaghan /© Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection

20.This is Eggers’ fourth collaboration with his core film team: production designer Craig Lathrop, cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, costume designer Linda Muir and editor Louise Ford, who has worked on all of Eggers’ previous films.

A film director in a warm jacket and hat looks intently into a large camera on set and concentrates on the scene — Aidan Monaghan / © Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection

21.And finally, you’ll probably find this funny/interesting, but Chris Columbus, aka the director of iconic family films like Home alone And Ms. DoubtfireHe is the producer of the film.

Group of actors in formal wear at a film premiere with a yellow arrow pointing to a man on the far right — He was also an executive producer on two of Eggers’ previous films: *The Witch and the Lighthouse.*

Tristar Media/Getty Images

Nosferatu hits theaters on December 25th and you can watch the official spooky trailer here:

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Nosferatu is easily one of the best films of the year, and here are 21 interesting facts about it

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