Nosferatu first reactions are in, and critics say the Bill Skarsgård vampire movie "goes harder than any other horror film this year"

Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen in Nosferatu — (Image credit: Focus Features/Universal Pictures)

The first reactions to Robert Eggers' upcoming vampire remake Nosferatu are in, and they're full of praise for the horror movie.

Nosferatu stars Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlock, with Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter, Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding, Emma Corrin as Anna Harding, Willem Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, and Ralph Ineson as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers.

"Robert Eggers’ #Nosferatu goes HARDER than any other horror film this year. Holy fuck. A gorgeous grotesquerie of dread-infused terrors & a divine dark delight. Bill Skarsgård’s Count Orlok is pure sinister nightmare fuel. Lily Rose Depp & Nicholas Hoult’s best work to date," says critic Courtney Howard.

"#Nosferatu is incredible. From the cinematography, to the sets to the sound design I was completely swept away - it's absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to see it again. People always say this but… definitely one to see on the big screen," says our sister publication SFX magazine's Darren Scott.

"Nosferatu is paralyzing fear fully realized under the vision of writer and director Robert Eggers. Dude is just clearing his throat in cinema. He hasn't yet begun to sing, and I'm digging all of his numbers. Bill Skarsgård is menacing while Lily-Rose Depp is haunting. Every movie gets automatically upgraded simply because Willem Dafoe is in it. An artisan wet dream. Gorgeous and horrifically brilliant. I'm a fan," says Variety's Clayton Davis.

"Robert Eggers continues his impressive streak of crafting highly detailed and transportive period films with NOSFERATU, one of the most seductively macabre films ever made," says Next Best Picture's Matt Neglia. "Lily-Rose Depp gives every ounce of her body and soul to this eye-popping performance of tormented possession, while the overall portrayal of Count Orlok is so utterly compelling every moment he's on screen that his presence lingers even when he’s not. Bill Skarsgård's dark, alluring performance, the grotesque makeup, atmospheric sound design, Jarin Blaschke's spellbinding cinematography & Robin Carolan's haunting score all come together to reimagine a gothic classic, culminating in a breathtaking final shot that sent chills through my body as I left the theater. I cannot wait to succumb to the darkness all over again."

"Nosferatu displays Robert Eggers visionary creativity. Lily Rose Depp is superb. Willem Dafoe is having a blast. A major below the line player. Could it crack BP? Hmmmm. Rose Depp has a shot in packed supporting actress race," says The Playlist's Gregory Ellwood. "There is a shot at the end of Nosferatu which is incredibly inspired. Top notch filmmaking. Score, Production Design, Costumes, Make-up, and Cinematography, as always with Eggers films, masterful"

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.