Nosferatu 2024 ending explained: What happened to Count Orlok? 

Robert Eggers’ new supernatural horror film Nosferatu has been making waves at the box office. After its world premiere in Berlin, the film was recently released in the United States theaters. It has already become the biggest success of Eggers’ career and has received mostly positive reactions.

Nosferatu stars Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe. It revolves around the old, terrifying tale of this vampire who haunts a young woman. The movie follows the horrors she witnesses as they long for each other's presence.

The film is reportedly based on Henrik Galeen’s eponymous film and loosely based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula with some changes in its premise. Unlike the 1897 novel, Eggers’s film takes place in 19th-century Germany. Considering its rising box office numbers, it might not be available online for a while.

The official synopsis for the film reads:

A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

Toward the end of Nosferatu, Count Orlok preys on Ellen’s blood, which leads to her unfortunate death. Eventually, at sunrise, Orlok loses its form, after being exposed to the light as a vampire. Thomas mourns Ellen’s death while realizing her sacrifice to end the plague and more suffering.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu. Reader discretion is advised.

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What happens in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu?

Robert Eggers’ new film follows Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), a young woman from Wisborg married to estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult). He receives an opportunity from his boss, Herr Knock (Simon McBurney) to sell an old house called Schloss Grünewald to a man named Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård).

Thomas meets Orlok without realizing that he is a vampire. Ellen gets haunted by terrifying visions. Thomas dismisses them and leaves her in the responsible company of his friend, Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and his wife. He meets Orlok, who wants to get done with their deal for Schloss Grünewald. While dining, Orlok reveals his identity as a vampire.

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How is Orlok connected to Ellen?

Orlok is not just Thomas’ client but has a shared history with Ellen. In the past, Ellen made a pact with Orlok that let her have a psychic connection with this vampire. So, Orlok traps and torments Thomas. He forces Thomas to sign a document tied with Ellen’s hair that binds him to Ellen.

In Wisborg, Prof. Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe), an occult expert, checks on Ellen’s deteriorating health. Based on his research, he deduces that to defeat the vampire and to prevent the city from an impending plague, a fair maiden must willingly sacrifice her life.

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What happens to Count Orlok at the end of Nosferatu?

Count Orlok is Nosferatu, a vampire summoned by Ellen as a result of repressed desires. So, he cannot be killed by any other means besides the sacrifice of a fair maiden. That’s why, Ellen agrees to sacrifice for the greater good. She tempts Orlok and lets herself be prey to him, who has an endless appetite for blood.

Ellen uses Orlok’s emotions to her advantage to make him lose track of time. So, he devours her blood without realizing that the sun has risen outside. As the sunlight enters the space, he starts losing his form. His demise is linked to his identity as a vampire, which famously cannot tolerate light.

At the end of Nosferatu, Thomas breaks into Ellen's room and finds her having lost a lot of blood, which leads to her death. She sacrifices her life for the good to rise over the evil.

The film’s final frame likely traces back to a Renaissance-period motif known as ‘Death and the Maiden.' In this case, Orlok is the skeletal personification of death whereas Ellen is the Maiden.