A foundational vampire film and a landmark of silent-era horror, Nosferatu still works as pure atmosphere: stark imagery, eerie movement, and a genuinely uncanny central performance. Its influence on gothic horror is enormous, and even when the story feels simple by modern standards, the visual invention makes it… Read more
78% ★★★★☆ (529,028)
Nosferatu
Where to watch: Amazon
Movie · Horror · Fantasy · NR
1922 · 1h 29m · ★ 78% (529K)
A symphony of horror.
Director: F. W. Murnau
Starring: Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schröder
Overview
The mysterious Count Orlok summons a happily married real estate agent to his castle, located up in the Transylvanian mountains, to finalise a terrifying deal.
Director
F. W. Murnau
Production
Prana-Film
Cast
Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schröder, Georg H. Schnell, Ruth Landshoff, Gustav Botz, Alexander Granach, John Gottowt, Max Nemetz, Wolfgang Heinz, Albert Venohr, Eric van Viele, Karl Etlinger, Guido Herzfeld, Hans Lanser-Rudolf, Loni Nest, Josef Sareny, Fanny Schreck, Hardy von Francois, Heinrich Witte
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, AMC+, Philo, Shudder, FlixFling, Eternal Family, Cultpix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Kino Film Collection, Bloodstream, Chilling
Curator Review
Verdict
A foundational vampire film and a landmark of silent-era horror, Nosferatu still works as pure atmosphere: stark imagery, eerie movement, and a genuinely uncanny central performance. Its influence on gothic horror is enormous, and even when the story feels simple by modern standards, the visual invention makes it essential viewing.
Best for
silent film enthusiasts
horror fans interested in film history
viewers who love gothic atmosphere and expressionist imagery
people curious about the roots of vampire cinema
Skip if
you need fast pacing or modern-style scares
silent films are a dealbreaker
you want a highly detailed or psychologically complex vampire story
Overview
Nosferatu is one of those movies that feels less like an old film and more like a spell that never stopped working. Murnau turns shadow, architecture, and gesture into dread, and Max Schreck’s Count Orlok remains one of cinema’s great nightmares: ratlike, stiff, and somehow more disturbing because he seems so inhumanly real.
Worth noting
The plot is simple, but the film’s power comes from how it moves through space. Doorways, staircases, coffins, and windows become instruments of menace, and the silent format only sharpens the sense that every image matters. Even now, the film can be funny in places, but that only makes the horror stranger and more memorable.
Bottom line
If you come to it for jump scares, you may find it restrained. If you come for atmosphere, visual invention, and a direct line to everything vampire cinema became afterward, it’s indispensable. It’s a classic for a reason, and its influence is still visible in horror a century later.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Gunnar Larson (4.5★) · 15997 likes
I only watched this to understand the Spongebob reference
👽 Zara 👽 (3★) · 8388 likes
damn, i can't believe nosferatu's shadow grabbed ellen's titty like that
meg (3★) · 7773 likes
I'm sorry, but the part where Nosferatu is trying to sneak around the town lugging that huge coffin made me laugh so hard. There's even a bit where he stops and looks both ways before crossing the street. We stan a safety conscious king!
Sarah Jane 🔪 (4★) · 6793 likes
I cannot EVEN imagine what the audiences thought of this film in 1922. Max Schrek is horrifying. I have to believe more than one person ran out of the theatre screaming. Hell, people were barely used to watching films let alone see this fucking freak looking at you. Yeeesh! I love this film. This is always a go-to for showing on one of the television screens at a Halloween party.
siobhan (4★) · 4017 likes
ladies when we say we like guys who look pale and sleep-deprived this is what we mean 😍