The new “Nosferatu” movie that came out in late 2024 has gotten high praise from those who have watched it, but can that high praise also pass to its predecessor from 1922.
The movie is credited as the first vampire movie ever and is the German take on the popular “Dracula” novel by Bram Stoker.

The story follows Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) a home salesman whose job it is to sell Count Orlok (Max Schreck) a home closer to the village where Thomas and his wife Ellen (Greta Schroder) live. After staying in Count Orlok’s castle for a few days Thomas notices something is off and before Orlok is able to take Thomas’ life he escapes and returns home to warn Ellen that Orlok is on his way. Orlok arrives in the village and spreads a plague before going after Ellen.

For a silent film made back in 1922 it holds up surprisingly well. The story and the characters are interesting to watch and the expressions and movements made are truly the highlight of the movie. Most would be deterred by the fact there isn’t any talking but that’s the best part, because instead of focusing on what the characters are saying you get to watch these talented actors and actresses tell a story solely through their movements and facial expressions. The film uses an unique technique called German expressionism which is where when making the movie they acted and filmed based on inner feelings or ideas rather than replicating reality.

The movie’s runtime comes out to be about an hour and twenty one minutes but it definitely doesn’t feel like it. There are parts that seem to drag on forever, like when Count Orlok is transported on a ship, but overlooking those scenes it’s surprisingly fast paced and engaging, keeping your attention for a large majority of the movie. It also helps that like with most silent films there is music playing in the background which helps to fill the silence of no verbal dialog.

There’s a good chance many have seen the original Count Orlok in an unusual way. A screenshot from the movie was used in an early episode of “Spongebob Squarepants.” This reference in such a popular show is credited by many as a reason for the movie’s continued relevance in today’s society. A lot has come out of this movie. Not only was it the first of its kind, but it is also interesting to note that the idea of vampires being killed by sunlight came out of this movie. We would not have our current beliefs of what vampires are or the string of movies relating to them if it wasn’t for this movie’s release. Thankfully the preservation of this movie has been high and not lost or destroyed like many other films that were released at the beginning of the century.

It’s hard to watch a movie without talking, sure, but between the dialog cards and the overall acting you don’t need people to talk to stay invested and have the ability to follow along. There are so many good eye catching scenes throughout the movie that at a certain point you forget that they aren’t talking.
In a world where people can’t watch movies without also looking at their phones it might be nice to just put them aside for a while and watch something where you are forced to be engaged. If you are a horror fan or a fan of movies, definitely consider watching this influential film.