Robert Eggers’Nosferatuis one of the scariest and most atmospheric movies of 2024, with a mostly original story that draws inspiration from age-old Gothic stories and classic literature. The most blatant influence onNosferatuis Bram Stoker’s famous novelDracula, which strongly impacted the 1922Nosferatumovie and remains a clear source of inspiration for Eggers’ movie. AlthoughNosferatu’s endingdiverges strongly fromDracula’s, the two stories are based on the same ideas and share many of the same character tropes.
The similarities betweenDraculaandNosferaturun deep, and it goes much further than the characters themselves.The stories use their Gothic conventions to explore the same themes, from the transgression of women’s sexuality to the subversion of gender roles in Victorian society. Stoker’s narrative is an extremely powerful one that was very progressive for its time, and Eggers’Nosferatuuses many of the same ideas and characters to present the same concepts to a modern audience. The film’s familiarity hasn’t stoppedNosferatufrom becoming a huge box-office success, either, proving there’s still a place for these stories.
8Count Orlok & Count Dracula
Played By Bill Skarsgard
The most glaring similarity betweenNosferatuandDraculais their titular villain, who is essentially the same character.Both figures are introduced as enigmatic nobility from the distant region of Transylvania, and the first half of both stories takes place in their ancient castle. The reason these two characters are so alike is that they’re ultimately just recreations of the traditional vampire from European folklore, which first inspired Bram Stoker’s novel. His villain, just like Eggers’, is an amalgamation of all these stereotypes that were associated with the frightening creature in the 19th Century.
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An important aspect of Stoker’sDraculanovel is the “otherness”of his titular character. This refers to the qualities that make him different from the rest of the characters, such as his gaunt appearance and thirst for blood, despite the many similarities that he bears.He’s strikingly human but equally unfamiliar,and that’s what makes both Count Dracula and Count Orlok such brilliant villains.Nosferatubuilds on the Romanian folkloreof Stoker’s novel, focusing more strongly on the character’s backstory and the superstitions that exist about him.
7Thomas Hutter & Jonathan Harker
Played By Nicholas Hoult
Jonathan Harker is the protagonist of Stoker’s novel, and his journey throughout the book is strikingly similar to that of Thomas Hutter’s.They’re both wealthy solicitors who travel to Transylvaniain order to greet Orlok/Dracula, and they both end up trapped in his castle with no means of escape. Both Harker and Hutter ultimately make their way back home (to Germany inNosferatuand London inDracula), and serve crucial roles in the defeat of the evil vampire alongside the allies they’re made along the way.
The main difference between Thomas and Jonathan is the former’s more active role in escaping from Orlok’s castle and returning to his wife. In Stoker’s novel,Jonathan is a much more passive characterwho serves to deconstruct the typical masculine heroism of the era. He’s totally at Dracula’s mercy, whereas Thomas is more eager to return home and quickly takes matters into his own hands. Some ofNosferatu’s most shocking scenes, such as Thomas’ encounter with the wolves and his tumble from the castle walls, come as a result of this important character change.
6Ellen Hutter & Mina Harker
Played By Lily-Rose Depp
Nosferatu’s Ellen Hutter is clearly inspired byDracula’s Mina Harker; she’s the wife of the story’s male hero, the object of the vampire’s desires, and ultimately plays a crucial role in the villain’s defeat. This remains the same in both stories, although Eggers’ movie gives her character much more agency and turns her into the film’s main protagonist. InDracula,Mina is more of a side characterwho exists purely to give Dracula a reason to travel to London, whereas Eggers places Ellen at the center of his narrative and focuses more strongly on her dynamic with Count Orlok.
Nosferatu’s ending is much darker, but it gives Ellen a more active role in the story and allows her to take agency of her own destiny, which is a frequent criticism ofDracula.
Another huge change between these two characters can be found in thefinal scene ofNosferatu. In Eggers’ story, Ellen sacrifices herself and allows herself to be preyed upon by Count Orlok, tricking him into seeing the sunlight and killing them both in the process. This is totally different from Dracula’s ending, where Jonathan and his allies manage to kill Dracula before he’s able to convert Mina.Nosferatu’s ending is much darker, but it gives Ellen a more active role in the story and allows her to take agency of her own destiny, which is a frequent criticism ofDracula.
5Professor Von Franz & Abraham Van Helsing
Played By Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe’s Professor von Franz is arguably the standout ofNosferatu’s amazing cast, but his character isn’t quite as original as he may seem. This enigmatic doctor is clearly inspired by Stoker’s own scholar of the dark arts, Abraham van Helsing.These two figures play huge roles in their respective stories, using their knowledge of vampires and folklore to assist the protagonist and deduce a plan to defeat the villain. They’re seen as the leader of the pack, using pseudoscientific methods that are questioned by the other characters but ultimately prove fruitful.
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One of the most interesting things about Stoker’s original Van Helsing character is how topical and contemporary he was. His ability to constantly have one foot in the old world of folklore and another in the progressive realm of science and technology was representative of contemporary fears about where society was heading after the industrial revolution,He’s one of Stoker’s most poignant characters, and this carries through toNosferatu’s Von Franz. He’s a very progressive character who represents those who push against the grain and don’t shy away from doing something new.
4Anna Harding & Lucy Westenra
Played By Emma Corrin
AlthoughNosferatu’s Anna Harding is clearly inspired by Stoker’s Lucy Westenra, these are perhaps theDraculacounterparts whose narratives add up the least. In the original story, Lucy is the first of the vampire’s victims upon his arrival in England. Instead of merely being killed by the villain, as Anna is inNosferatu, Lucy is converted into a vampire and disappears into the streets of London to find her own prey.She’s ultimately tracked down by Van Helsing and murdered in her own crypt,which gives the protagonists all the information they need to finally kill Dracula.
This journey is completely different to Anna’s inNosferatu, who isn’t converted into a vampire, but rather killed by Count Orlok to punish Ellen for her sexual encounter with Thomas. She becomes a pawn inNosferatu’s complex love triangle, with her death raising the stakes of the final act and giving Ellen a tangible reason to sacrifice herself; she doesn’t want any more of her friends to die in the same way.
3Friedrich Harding & Arthur Holmwood
Played By Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Friedrich is another character who’s clearly inspired by Stoker’s figures but doesn’t share many similarities with them beyond their basic backstory. In this case, it’sDracula’s Arthur Holmwood who serves as inspiration forNosferatu’s Friedrich.The character is an extremely wealthy aristocratwhose personality contrasts strongly with Jonathan Harker’s - he’s much more brash and active whereas Harker is often tentative and passive, which creates an interesting dynamic between the two. He’s also married to Lucy Westenra, which mirrors Friedrich’s marriage to Anna inNosferatu.
Early in the book, Lucy is proposed to by three different characters (Arthur, Dr. John Seward, and Quincy Morris), but she ultimately chooses Arthur to be her husband.
One aspect ofDraculathat’s completely written out ofNosferatu,which could have given an extra dimension to Friedrich’s character, is Lucy’s “suitors”. Early in the book, Lucy is proposed to by three different characters (Arthur, Dr. John Seward, and Quincy Morris), but she ultimately chooses Arthur to be her husband.This initially creates tension between the men, but they eventually become friends and work together when Lucy is converted into a vampire. It’s a powerful subplot that helps develop Arthur’s character in fascinating ways, but it’s notably absent fromNosferatu.
2Dr. Sievers & Dr. John Seward
Played By Ralph Ineson
As mentioned, Dr. John Seward is one of three men who propose to Lucy Westenra at the beginning ofDracula, and despite her rejection, he’s clearly in love with her for the remainder of the story. This isn’t the case inNosferatu, but his character still exists in the form of Dr. Sievers. However,this adaptation focuses more closely on the Doctor’s work at the asylumrather than his dynamic with Lucy and Mina. He’s the one conducting experiments with Herr Knock, which ultimately tips him off to Orlok’s return.
Nosferatuis one ofRobert Eggers’ best films, and his decision to drift away from some aspects ofDraculaproved extremely smart. Leaving out the drama of Seward’s relationship with Lucy and focusing purely on the dark, Gothic side of this story gaveNosferatuan extremely gritty, atmospheric dimension that’s not always present in Stoker’s novel.Sievers is a much simpler character than Seward, but this works to the film’s benefit.
1Herr Knock & Renfield
Played By Simon McBurney
Conversely, Herr Knock is one of the few characters inNosferatuwho’s almost identical to hisDraculacounterpart. He’s an obvious spin on Stoker’s Renfield, an asylum patient who serves as the vampire’s contact in London to prepare for his arrival.The figure is viewed as “insane”because of his apparent ramblings and erratic behavior, but his ailment ultimately proves to simply be Dracula’s spell.
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Herr Knock serves a very similar role inNosferatu, warning the other characters of Orlok’s return through his unnerved ramblings. Much like in Stoker’s novel, it’s Dr. Sievers’ observation of Herr Knock’s behavior that makes him suspect the worst, leading him to enlist Professor van Franz’ help as a result. In both versions of the story, it’s ironic that Knock/Renfield’s attempts to help the vampire actually give the protagonists a head start at defeating him.
Nosferatu
Cast
Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name from director F. W. Murnau. Robert Eggers is crafting his own version of the story for the reboot as writer and director, with Bill Skarsgård stepping into the shoes of Count Orlok. Nosferatu tells the tale of a young woman who falls victim to a vampire utterly infatuated with her.
