Nosferatu features Invoice Skarsgård morphing into a horrifying vintage vampire in this unique horror film, and it seems that there are specific details that help make him so unsettling.
In a conversation with GamesRadar+, Lily-Rose Depp, who portrays Ellen Hutter in Robert Eggers’ reinterpretation of Nosferatu, discussed how shocking the prosthetics are up close. Her character becomes Count Orlok’s fixation, leading to numerous eerie scenes between them.
“He’s nowhere to be seen,” Depp remarks about Skarsgård’s metamorphosis into the vampire. “But it’s fascinating. We participated in a Q&A a couple of weeks ago, and Bill’s prosthetics makeup artist was present, and I found it really intriguing to hear his insights. I recall him mentioning that the layers of prosthetics around Bill’s eyes were quite thin to retain a sense of humanity in that area.”
Depp elaborates on the rationale behind this choice, which is indeed quite unsettling. “Rob [Eggers] has mentioned that he wanted him to embody a genuine Transylvanian nobleman who had died and then been exhumed,” she adds. “And I believe that’s what contributes to his terrifying presence; he doesn’t come across as a fabricated scary creature. He feels almost like a deceased individual, which, in my opinion, enhances his creepiness, along with, of course, Bill’s incredible performance.”
There are many more concealed details in the discussion as well, including some references back to Max Schreck’s iconic appearance in the 1922 classic, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Terror. “I think the references are quite physical,” Skarsgård conveys to us. “What we aimed to avoid with him was the overtly Max Schreckian posture. But