Nosferatu director Robert Eggers reveals his favourite film of the year

Nosferatu is the most recent film from horror director Robert Eggers. Building upon the original Nosferatu by F.W. Murnau, Robert Eggers blends elements of dread with the sublime in his latest film. As the year is finally coming to an end, Indiewire recently published a list of sixty-five directors talking about their favorite films from 2024. Nosferatu director Robert Eggers was featured on the list, and the selection of his favorite films from this year is particularly telling.

Among the others, Nosferature director Robert Eggers mentioned Furiosa and Mufasa as two of his favorite films of this year. He was also appreciative of the films Anora and The Substance, which made it to his list of favorite films. Here's all that we know.

What are Nosferatu director Robert Eggers' favorite films from 2024?

There's a lot to unpack and learn from the choice of favorite films made by a filmmaker. For one, it reflects the sensibilities and inclinations of the filmmaker and reflects upon his own body of work. According to IndieWire, Robert Eggers began his list of favorite films with the note that the production of Nosferatu didn't allow him much time to watch as many films in 2024 as he would have liked. However, he went on:

"But here are some things I saw and admired. Like most people on the planet, I loved Anora and The Substance. Both films perfectly executed their entirely specific visions in every way. Magnus von Horn’s Girl with the Needle, Eva Nathena’s Murderess, and Arkasha Stevenson’s The First Omen were all impeccably directed and received little attention. Victoria Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm’s performances in The Girl with the Needle were inspiringly nuanced and powerful."

He then went on to add other titles and performances that resonated with him this year:

"I also loved all the performances in Babygirl from Nicole Kidman to Antonio Banderas. Anya Tayor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth were both excellent in Furiosa. And I really enjoyed Fancy Dance in its solid, economic storytelling. On the other end of the spectrum, the practical FX in Alien: Romulus were glorious. Ten minutes ago, I just came home from Mufasa with my family. It was truly moving to see what Barry Jenkins’ singular voice brought to this massive event film. Also, hats off to Redwood Creek’s restoration and Blu-Ray release of Lev Kulshov’s 1926 By the Law. I hadn’t seen it until this year. I am very eagerly looking forward to seeing The Brutalist on the big screen as soon as possible."

Robert Eggers opens up about making Nosferatu

Filmmaker Robert Eggers made a mark with his debut film The Witch. He then went on to follow it up with The Lighthouse and The Northman. Although he isn't a product of any film school and never formally studied photography, his penchant for creating grim worlds is unparalleled.

Speaking in an interview with The American Cinematographer, Eggers revealed his fondness for the Murnau original:

"I was maybe 9 when I first saw it, and it was very much Max Schreck’s performance, and the haunting atmosphere of the film, and how it distills the Dracula story into a simple fairy tale (that made an impression on me)."

While speaking about the way he approached the characters in the script, Eggers commented:

Trending

"Most importantly, I was thinking, ‘Who are these characters, and how can I build out their backstories and make them real people?’ I also wanted our version to be Ellen’s story. The previous Nosferatu films start out as Thomas Hutter’s story, or Jonathan Harker’s, and then become Ellen’s story, but I wanted it to always be her story. Our film’s prologue comes from the work I did with the novella."

Nosferatu is currently playing in theatres.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

Comment