Robert Eggers's Nosferatu is now on release at Cineworld, so how many times have you seen it already?
If you're planning another cinema date with the vampire scourge, are you brave enough to confront the demonic Count Orlok in IMAX? The outsized dimensions of this special viewing format make Bill Skarsgard's bloodsucker even more towering and intimidating, plus the pin-sharp resolution and digitally enhanced sound promise to do wonders to the film's gorgeous aesthetic qualities, from Jarin Blaschke's cinematography to Robin Carolan's score.
Make a pact with IMAX and pledge yourself to watch this must-see horror movie on the biggest screen you can find. Here are five Nosferatu scenes that promise to take on a terrifying life of their own when viewed in the format.
NOSFERATU SPOILERS AHEAD
1. Hutter arrives at Orlok's castle
We're all familiar with the castle arrival sequence, whether it's the previous two incarnations of Nosferatu (1922 and 1979) or the manifest adaptations of Dracula, the Bram Stoker novel that inspired Nosferatu in the first place.
Eggers and Blaschke work wonders in conjuring their own depiction of arcane, surreal evil and mystery, beginning with the moment when unsuspecting estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is greeted by Orlok's undead carriage. The breathless quiet of that scene builds to the arrival at the castle gate, proceeds with the silhouetted reveal of Orlok in the distance and builds to the most uncomfortable dining scene of the year.
The spectral interplay of light and shade, the clanking of the castle gates shutting behind Hutter, the booming bass resonance of Skarsgard's vocal delivery and the menacing throat singing on the soundtrack make the scene a visual and aural marvel. The screen curvature and enlarged screen size of IMAX, in combination with the bespoke audio quality, only promises to make this creepy sequence feel all the more horrifyingly immersive and believable.
2. Hutter breaks into the crypt
This was the part that had us all yelling at the screen, "Don't go in there!" It's the classic horror movie set-up as the terrified Hutter, realising that he's at the mercy of an all-powerful vampire, attempts to finish off Orlok in his grave. Needless to say, it goes wrong, Hutter is pursued by Orlok's wolves (Hoult has confirmed that real wolf-dogs were used on the set) and eventually becomes a sacrificial martyr as the monstrous Nosferatu greedily slurps from his chest.
The myriad details in this scene are meant to be experienced again in IMAX, from the demonic crest on Orlok's coffin to the, erm, unexpected details of vampire anatomy. (Hoult also confirmed that he took this Orlok prop home with him and had it framed.) Flippancy aside, the sheer menace generated by the editing, lighting, sound, music and make-up will be amplified all the more by an IMAX presentation. If you've ever wanted to be in the spine-tingling presence of an undead Transylvanian nobleman (Eggers has said this was his main brief in designing Orlok), then now's your chance.
3. Orlok arrives in Wisborg
This scene is a liberal adaptation of the Demeter crossing chapter in Bram Stoker's Dracula. The previous iterations of Nosferatu have tackled Orlok's unstoppable journey from Transylvania to Germany (Wisborg in this instance) but Eggers goes harder on the physical details, namely the infamous use of 2,000 live rats that signal the onset of Orlok's horrendous plague. A shout-out must be made to the underrated Simon McBurney who is a blood-soaked force of nature as Orlok's crazed puppet, Herr Knock.
From the crash of the waves to the squeaking of the rats, the pools of light cast by the oil lamps to the multifaceted shadows adorning the Wisborg streets, one needs to experience Orlok's arrival in all its IMAX majesty.
4. Orlok visits Ellen
IMAX comes into its own during the film's quieter moments, allowing Skarsgard's bass-heavy voice (achieved by lowering his voice an entire octave) to amplify and throw more emphasis onto the detail of his archaic speech. Just imagine those rolled r-sounds and that deathly inhale of breath stalking your hearing from around the IMAX auditorium – it would be enough to make anyone reach for the nearest crucifix.
This is one of the most important scenes in the film, locating Ellen Hutter (the excellent Lily-Rose Depp) as the heart of the piece. This is the moment when Ellen transitions from a nominal victim to an empowered individual, not a hysteric who flies in the face of science and rationality but an afflicted woman who must confront the demonic scourge that she unwittingly invoked when she was a child. Depp's tremulousness and Skarsgard's sheer overpowering size are what IMAX screens were made for.
5. Orlok and Ellen's final union
We never believed that an instance of necrophiliac vampire sex would make for a tragic and heartbreaking scene, but one can always rely on Robert Eggers to invert our expectations. Once Ellen has accepted her role as sacrificial victim, necessary to end both Orlok and his accompanying plague, it results in one of the most ghastly yet visually arresting climaxes seen in a horror movie for quite some time.
This is where Robin Carolan's score gets to shine in its IMAX presentation, soaring to melancholic heights as Ellen and Orlok realise their long-held union, only for it to result in their collective demise. Those long tracking shots, another Eggers signature, will surely resonate all the more strongly via the IMAX canvas, compelling us to hold our gaze amid painterly horror and destruction. IMAX promises the best kind of Nosferatu horror experience: one that sucks you into an unblinking nightmare that you'd rather turn away from, but which holds one's gaze owing to its sheer filmmaking craft.
Visit the link below to book your IMAX tickets for Nosferatu.
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