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Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu the Vampyre)

Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu the Vampyre) (1979)

tomatometer

94

Average Rating: 7.7/10
Reviews Counted: 36
Fresh: 34 | Rotten: 2

Stunning visuals from Werner Herzog and an intense portrayal of the famed bloodsucker from Klaus Kinski make this remake of Nosferatu a horror classic in its own right.

86

Average Rating: 7/10
Critic Reviews: 7
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 1

Stunning visuals from Werner Herzog and an intense portrayal of the famed bloodsucker from Klaus Kinski make this remake of Nosferatu a horror classic in its own right.

audience

80

liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 19,914

My Rating

Movie Info

For Werner Herzog's 1979 remake of F.W. Murnau's classic 1922 silent horror-fest Nosferatu, star Klaus Kinski adopts the same makeup style used by Murnau's leading man Max Schreck. Yet in the Herzog version, the crucial difference is that Nosferatu becomes more and more decayed and desiccated as the film progresses. Essentially a retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Nosferatu the Vampyre traces the blood-sucking progress of the count as he takes over a small German village, then attempts to

PG,

Art House & International, Horror

Werner Herzog

Feb 16, 1999

20th Century Fox

Cast

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All Critics (36) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (2) | DVD (16)

To say of someone that they were born to play a vampire is a strange compliment, but if you will compare the two versions of Nosferatu you might agree with me that only Kinski could have equaled or rivaled Max Schreck's performance.

November 24, 2011 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comment (1)
Chicago Sun-Times
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You can love this movie without having to admit it's merely an okay version of Dracula.

October 29, 2008 Full Review Source: Time Out New York
Time Out New York
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Between the hordes of stowaway rats that accompany Dracula's arrival, and a town-plaza dance of folly by doomed survivors (a Herzog addition), it's like being present at the birth of a medieval legend.

October 29, 2008 Full Review Source: Village Voice
Village Voice
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The acting is too eccentric and the narrative drive too weak to satisfy fans of the genre, but Herzog's admirers will find much in the film's animistic landscapes and clusters of visionary imagery.

September 21, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment (1)
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Fascinating, but flawed.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comments (2)
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It's funny without being silly, eerie without being foolish and uncommonly beautiful in a way that has nothing to do with mere prettiness.

May 9, 2005 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comments (3)
New York Times
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The Dracula make-up is a homage to Max Schreck's Count Orlock, but Werner Herzog's 1979 effort owes little else to FW Murnau's silent classic.

October 10, 2012 Full Review Source: Total Film
Total Film

Herzog tears down as much as he revives in this beguiling incantation of silent cinema

April 27, 2010 Full Review Source: CinePassion | Comment (1)
CinePassion

Replaces unnerving gore with an eerie, erotic beauty.

September 25, 2009 Full Review Source: Film and Felt
Film and Felt

Werner Herzog's 1979 homage to F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent film is an appropriately chilling telling of the Gothic tale filled with delightfully scary touches and recreated camera angles from Murnau's original.

April 12, 2009 Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com
ColeSmithey.com

Sometimes dismissed for being too slowly paced and too slavish to its source, it is in fact superior to the original.

November 25, 2008 Full Review Source: ESplatter
ESplatter

A serious-minded, true-in-spirit redux.

October 9, 2008 Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com
DustinPutman.com

It is a simple and well-known story but sadly this version overcomplicates it to its detriment.

October 7, 2008 Full Review Source: BBC

Sumptuous yet earthy, philosophical yet humorous, it's a masterpiece in its own right.

September 21, 2007 Full Review Source: Film4

A competent, atmospheric remake, but, considering the quality of Murnau's masterwork, is it necessary?

September 21, 2007 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine
Empire Magazine

Herzog and Kinski succeed here because they convey a sense of pity for a creature so visually repulsive it's hard to look at him.

September 21, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide
TV Guide's Movie Guide

The film's reason for being (it's a shrine to Herzog's favourite German director) is also the end of the conversation.

May 17, 2005 Full Review Source: Film Freak Central
Film Freak Central

Audience Reviews for Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu the Vampyre)

This film holds a special place in my heart because it was my first exposure to Werner Herzog and his films. I loved it when I first saw it, and that was just on a general level.

Now that I am actually a fan of Herzog, and know things about him I can appreciate this even more. But, looking at it from just my original perspective, this is a very impressive, spellbinding, and masterful horror film.

It's a remake of the Murnau classic, and it takes even more liberties with the original source material than Murnau did, but this is nevertheless a wonderful vampire movie. It's hands down one of the top 5 creepiest and unnerving films I've ever seen. The atmosphere, mood, and tone are hauntingly unnerving, and I've never been so filled with dread during an opening credits sequence like I am with this one.

Kinski as Dracula is one of the scariest things ever. He's ugly, creepy, and, despite being more restrained than usual, is quite memorable as a chilling bloodsucker. Isabelle Adjani is the epitome of seductive, pale, gothic beauties, and she
August 1, 2006
cosmo313
Chris Weber

Super Reviewer

A remake of the silent classic courtesy of director Werner Herzog. It is very slow and some may find it boring, but the dark creepy atmosphere is constant and Klaus Kinski is great in the lead role as the Vampire. It's not a blood drenched film, but if you're in the mood for something a little slow paced and atmospheric then check it out!
January 9, 2011
WrenchLT
Lee ?

Super Reviewer

    1. Jonathan Harker: Ready my horse, I have much to do.
    – Submitted by timothy r (19 months ago)

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Foreign Titles

  • Nosferatu (DE)
  • Nosferatu the Vampyre (UK)
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