Horror fans are a passionate bunch, especially when it comes to the genre’s irrefutable classics – especially the ones that crept into our nightmares with a quick glance as children, or left scars on our psyches after a full viewing as young adults.

That’s one of the reasons why Robert Eggers Nosferatu, Premiering on Christmas Day, it has become one of the most anticipated remakes of all time. Eggers has only made four films so far (The Witch, the Northman And The lighthouse), but it is already revered for its compelling characters and historical accuracy, both of which elevate an otherwise fantastical and macabre work of film.

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Remakes of German filmmaker FW Murnaus’s 1922 silent expressionist masterpiece Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror have been done before, but never by an author so clearly inspired by his unique ominous nature and aesthetic. It’s almost as if his entire oeuvre led to the creation of this piece of beautiful, dark celluloid.

Indeed, the expectations are high, but Eggers has met them; The first rumors and the results from Rotten Tomatoes already confirm this. The stellar cast (Lily Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård and Willem Dafoe) certainly brings life (and death) to this enchanted vision, but it is the filmmaker’s gift for fusing historical elements and with haunting, slow-paced storytelling that makes this nightmarish new one version goes beyond the shadowy appeal of the original.

During a recent interview with Los AngelesEggers admits there were challenges in making it Nosferatu. “But there were also possibilities because there are so many versions,” he tells me. “There are things that seem intimidating, like the shot of Thomas on the way to the castle and the first encounter with the vampire… That’s a sequence that was done really well in many versions.”

“You also have to think about what hasn’t really been explored and what should be,” he continues. “I think what struck me is that we should tell the story through the eyes of the female protagonist. You know, we may have the opportunity for the story to become more emotionally and psychologically complex than ever before. It’s not just a scary, frightening horror film, and that’s what it is, but it’s more than that. It’s a story of obsession and love. It’s a gothic romance.”

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In many ways, the original is the starting point for everything sinister and bloodthirsty in film, from Universal Monsters to Interview with a vampire. Desire and possession were major themes in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, what inspired Nosferatu and everything in his wake. And over the years, the erotic subtext of the story has almost become the point. Modern vampires are seductive and rarely as unsightly as the original elf-like creatures of silent films. Eggers clearly aimed to give us a little of both.

SPOILER ALERT: There has already been some controversy surrounding his design and appearance of the titular vampire, who has not been shown in any trailers or movie promos other than his scary fingers and sharp claws. Admittedly, I was initially surprised by some of his decisions, but by the end of the story I felt like they were right for the character.

Whether that’s because of Skarsgård (known for his role as a killer clown in Itbut unrecognizable here) and his captivating performance or Eggers’ special effects team and his gift for immersive world building, I’m not sure, but if you don’t want to know what Nosferatu looks like before you see the film, skip that one next two paragraphs.

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“I was trying to understand how to make vampires scary again,” Eggers says of his decision to make Count Orlok/Nosferatu a monster character with a mustache. “(He’s) so iconic with the bald head and the pointy ears,” he explains: “And you know, the vampire we last saw was Edward Cullen (dusk), which isn’t very scary. I had to ask myself, “What would a dead Transylvanian nobleman actually look like?”

He designed an imposing figure in Hungarian costume, “with those long sleeves” and “facial hair”, and defended his choice by saying: “Try to find a Transylvanian gentleman without a moustache.” Think of Vlad the Impaler… Also, in his book, Bram Stoker had the insight to give Dracula a mustache. There are definitely some people who don’t like it, but I would say there are more people who understand the reasons behind it and feel like it gives it some kind of authenticity.”

Speaking of Dafoe’s Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, who helps unravel the sinister connection between the long-suffering Ellen Cutter (Depp) and the Count, as well as the plague she brings to her German town, depicts an era in which medicine and mystical Beliefs clashed in fiery fashion.

Continuing his insightful role in The lighthouse (coincidentally next to it duskis Cullen, aka Robert Pattinson), he is a grounded yet charismatic force Nosferatu. If I ask the actor who also just worked with Tim Burton Beetlejuice Beetlejuice– He speaks highly of his experience on this second film with Eggers.

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“All his films are very personal, which is not usually the case, especially when you watch a period film,” he shares. “He’s very well read in history… these stories, these fables tell us something about ourselves because they take us away from all the noise that we walk around with every day. And he can really play with the language of cinema in a way that you might not be able to in a more naturalistic contemporary film. He is deeply involved in this matter and conducts extensive research. He’s great with actors and creates these beautiful shots that the actors can empathize with.”

It may be hard for Eggers to top himself after that, but after speaking to him, it’s clear that his hunger for storytelling is as great as the beasts at his center that crave flesh. He says he has more to offer the world, including some scripts he’s already started, but he also acknowledges that Nosferatu is, for now, his masterpiece. “It’s a culmination of things I’ve been thinking about for a long time,” he admits.

The viewer gets lost in the fear and fantasy and may even feel conflicted about what the filmmaker is trying to convey. Exploring the ambiguities between good and evil is familiar territory for Eggers (I’m still not sure which). The witch I actually wanted to say). But the feeling of fear that emanates from almost every scene, every word and every background Nosferatu is definitely visually and sensually insightful rather than narratively insightful. And that’s more than enough for a satisfying movie experience. It’s a film to drink and digest, for fans of horror and beyond.