79
Metascore
19 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawThis is Herzog's journey to the heart of darkness, a film that specifically echoes his earlier offerings The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser and his South American odyssey Aguirre, Wrath of God.
- 100Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertNosferatu the Vampyre cannot be confined to the category of "horror film." It is about dread itself, and how easily the unwary can fall into evil.
- 88Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenHerzog’s idiosyncratic horror classic remains a vital conversation between two distinct generations of brilliant German filmmakers.
- 88ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliA superior horror film that offers a greater sense of disquiet than any other Dracula motion picture. Nosferatu the Vampyre may not be scary in a traditional sense, but it is not easily forgotten.
- 80Total FilmJames MottramTotal FilmJames MottramMadness and death hang over Herzog’s Wagner-scored vision like a black cloud, while Kinski adds much poignancy to Dracula, the lonely immortal.
- 75TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineHeld together by the sheer power of Klaus Kinski's performance as the vampire, Nosferatu, the Vampyre evokes several scenes (practically shot-for-shot) from the Murnau classic while slightly altering some of the original's thematic structures.
- 60Time OutTime OutThere are lovely moments – the Carpathian landscapes are stunning, Kinski’s performance is compellingly vile, and it ends with a stirringly weird, Fellini-esque plague festival. But some of Herzog’s choices are simply confounding: Isabelle Adjani has nothing to do except look pale and worried, Walter Ladengast’s Van Helsing is so decrepit as to border on pastiche, and there’s a grey, plodding quality to the film which sidesteps oppressive, doom-laden inevitability and goes straight to slightly dull.
- 50Chicago ReaderDave KehrChicago ReaderDave KehrThe acting is too eccentric and the narrative drive too weak to satisfy fans of the genre, but Herzog's admirers will find much in the film's animistic landscapes and clusters of visionary imagery.
- 50Washington PostGary ArnoldWashington PostGary ArnoldHerzog has nothing of lasting value to offer the vampire tradition. His Nosferatu is at best unintentional, fitfully risible camp.