She opens herself to any supernatural being. It's not specific to Nosferatu. She does this because she is ostracized by her family and community because of her strangeness. It's not made entirely clear what that was, as all her unusual behavior in the film can be ascribed to Nosferatus influence. The not human stuff is to do with her ability to perceive the supernatural. Like Dafoes character says near the end she is like an ancient mystic but in the modern age. Answer from Childish_Redditor on reddit.com
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/truefilm › nosferatu movie explained?
r/TrueFilm on Reddit: Nosferatu movie explained?
January 27, 2025 -

Ok so i recently watched nosferatu and i found it to be amazing. It's a gothic tale. Set design is impressive, cinematography and music is fire, good acting performance butt I'm not so intrigued by the plot. Maybe there is something I'm not understanding . So ellen called out nosferatu because she was lonely? And that was before she met thomas?

Was it about her sexual desire? So nosferatu was awake after that call maybe because she has some psychic abilities?

Then she marries Thomas and forget about nosferatu and before she married thomas she used to have sex with nosferatu?

What did orlock want? Why was he drawn to her and why he needed her consent?

How did she have that psychic tendencies? Why did orlock say she is not of human kind?

So she's the one who called out the nosferatu because of her sexual desire? when she was a child she was lonely. So was it her consent or was it coercion? Because she told thomas he could never satisfy her like orlock could. I'm confused about this. She called him and he was awoken. Then she marries Thomas and forgets about him but she still enjoys the dream with orlock? So I don't get if she was raped and it was coercion or she wanted it and it was consent because the story shows it's both

What is the meaning of this movie?

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She opens herself to any supernatural being. It's not specific to Nosferatu. She does this because she is ostracized by her family and community because of her strangeness. It's not made entirely clear what that was, as all her unusual behavior in the film can be ascribed to Nosferatus influence. The not human stuff is to do with her ability to perceive the supernatural. Like Dafoes character says near the end she is like an ancient mystic but in the modern age.
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I stand by a previous comment I made - "Much of gothic literature is a sort of negative romanticism about enlightenment era anxiety that these new rational liberal institutions reshaping society can't account for the full span of human nature and human history and human drives. In Nosferatu, the human drive that is most relevant is sexuality; it announces itself immediately - within the first dream we get a man in Depp's bedroom who seems compelling to her and clearly sexual moaning, we get her waking up and trying to get her husband to stay with her in bed, bemoaning the end of their honeymoon etc etc. So here, the fantastical elements and dynamics map basically onto the conflict being a woman too horny (and too non-normatively horny - queer, sadomasochistic, non-monogamous) for a prudish society that expects a marital pair to be both a loving social institution which can contain and positively channel all a person's sexual desires and a complimentary unit of economic actors. Especially so that second one unless they're rich - its the dividing line between our two main "married couple who fuck a lot" pairings, it's what drags Thomas away from her and gets him to sign that contract, it's set at a time where the main thing happening in the world was industrialisation and economic rationalisation was moving the work sphere away from the home etc etc. I would also argue that it's more "interplay" between love and carnal desires than "difference" - Ellen is clearly wild for her husband, and her eventual consummation with Orlok is staged as a cod-marriage - she says she does not love him, and he answers that he is only her desire, but I think the film's framing invites us to complicate this thing we might otherwise see as a dichotomy. And given that it's not currently the birth of the Modern era, we can ask "why now?" We can ask what the relevance is of the specific period just as well as we can ask what's the relevance of the portrayal of the vampire. If we're talking about the tension between human desires and enlightened narratives of the ordering of society, we can talk as much about now as about the Victorian era. There are a couple of ways we might historicise this. The one I've thought through most is that we're currently in a time - post MeToo, extremely conscious of popular discourse about trauma and the kinds of "problematic" relationship dynamics which can facilitate commonly trauma-inducing events - where people are very scared of sexuality and are very insistent upon its being structured in a very mannered and psychosocially hygienic way, moreso than I can recall in recent memory. The thing about that is that a brief look at the romance novel shelves or the front page of PornHub tells us that our desires go far beyond that - and right now we're getting films which prod at that tension and at the prospect of what happens when those constraints and repression break down. I'm not entirely satisfied with this - I think there's a read of upstream economic shifts which could be productive to consider - but there's plenty here I think."
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Forbes
forbes.com › forbes homepage › lifestyle › arts
The Sensual Horror Of ‘Nosferatu,’ Explained
December 30, 2024 - Robert Eggers ‘Nosferatu’ is all about sex, death and shame; the film builds on the story of the 1922 original by introducing a supernatural gift to Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp).
Discussions

Nosferatu movie explained?
She opens herself to any supernatural being. It's not specific to Nosferatu. She does this because she is ostracized by her family and community because of her strangeness. It's not made entirely clear what that was, as all her unusual behavior in the film can be ascribed to Nosferatus influence. The not human stuff is to do with her ability to perceive the supernatural. Like Dafoes character says near the end she is like an ancient mystic but in the modern age. More on reddit.com
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January 27, 2025
The True Meaning of Nosferatu
While I agree with most everything here, I would argue that Thomas’s desire to gain wealth and standing to validate himself (to his own ruin) is a direct result of the male gendered expectations. He too falls prey to Orlock. Fredreich and Dr. Whilhem are slaves to societal reason, as to fight it would be to ruin themselves as well. We are all slaves to an illness of the society which has nothing but appetite, which will devour us all. More on reddit.com
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December 29, 2024
What is Nosferatu about?
Slight pushback on Harding: he doesn't die because he fucks his dead wife, he fucks his dead wife because he's already dying. You can see on his face that he's already contracted the plague when he dives into that sweet, sweet necrussy. Wife and kids are dead, he's on the way out, so he fully succumbs to Orlok (the plague & the appetite). More on reddit.com
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January 11, 2025
**Spoilers** In Nosferatu (2024), the premise of the movie is “Dracula is down bad and there isn’t a horny jail in sight”.
So like the Coppola's movie, but with less Keanu Reeves More on reddit.com
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May 16, 2024
She opens herself to any supernatural being. It's not specific to Nosferatu. She does this because she is ostracized by her family and community because of her strangeness. It's not made entirely clear what that was, as all her unusual behavior in the film can be ascribed to Nosferatus influence. The not human stuff is to do with her ability to perceive the supernatural. Like Dafoes character says near the end she is like an ancient mystic but in the modern age. Answer from Childish_Redditor on reddit.com
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SYFY
syfy.com › syfy-wire › the-ending-of-nosferatu-explained
The Ending of Nosferatu, Explained
Robert Egger's Nosferatu, a visionary reimagining of the 1922 German silent film of the same name, is in theaters now, giving the world a good look at Bill Skarsgard's Count Orlok at last. With just days left to go in the year, one of the most-anticipated genre films in recent memory is now available for the world to see, which means a lot of film fans will spend their holidays poring over every detail.
Published   January 8, 2025
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Nosferatu_(2024_film)
Nosferatu (2024 film) - Wikipedia
2 weeks ago - Nosferatu is a 2024 American Gothic horror film written and directed by Robert Eggers. It is a remake of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922), which was in turn inspired by Bram Stoker's novel Dracula (1897).
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Substack
filmdaze.substack.com › p › the-triumph-of-patriarchal-order
The Triumph of Patriarchal Order in 'Nosferatu'
March 1, 2025 - To be traditionally masculine means to be rational and strong and independent, means to be a person to whom dominance and leadership come easily; to be traditionally feminine is to be earthly and in need of guidance so as to live piously or rationally. Anyone not fitting this inflexible dichotomy — a madwoman, for example, or a person of a different race or religion, people who have other things to worry about than serving a Christian patriarchy — is labelled a threatening “other.” · Nosferatu as a story serves as a perfect case study of a Western patriarchal society’s battle against “otherness.” Count Orlok represents an ethnocultural “other,” a non-White being threatening the White man and his power.
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MS NOW
ms.now › home › in an age of vapid remakes, ‘nosferatu’ does something unusual
How Robert Eggers' 'Nosferatu' plays with the meaning of the movie he honors
The original “Nosferatu” hinted at German anxiety about outside intrusion and social change, and functions as antisemitic allegory in the aftermath of World War I. Eggers’ version flips the story inward to focus on an individual who is ...
Published   October 30, 2025
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Darkfilmtheories
darkfilmtheories.com › nosferatu-film-theories
New ‘Nosferatu’ Film Theories: Major Themes and Hidden Meanings
October 27, 2025 - We loved it. And we talked about it basically until the ball dropped and we went to bed. Here are some of the theories, themes, and meanings we discussed. Shot from the “Nosferatu” official trailer.
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Film Colossus
filmcolossus.com › nosferatu-explained-for-cinephiles-i-am-appetite
Nosferatu Explained For Cinephiles | I Am An Appetite - Film Colossus
December 28, 2024 - Nosferatu uses the vampire as a metaphor for sexuality and what happens when a culture demonizes female passion by treating it as something monstrous.
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ScreenRant
screenrant.com › home › nosferatu › i thought i understood nosferatu's ending, but robert eggers' explanation proved me wrong
I Thought I Understood Nosferatu's Ending, But Robert Eggers' Explanation Proved Me Wrong
March 8, 2025 - At the end of Nosferatu, I assumed that Count Orlok's fate had to do with classic vampire lore, yet a recent Robert Eggers interview has proved that this isn't quite true. Based on the 1922 movie, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, 2024's Nosferatu tells the story of Ellen Hutter, a young newlywed who is haunted by horrifying dreams.
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Medium
medium.com › @erin.m.underwood_72534 › nosferatu-2024-movie-review-a-modern-take-that-divides-audiences-add2aa70ebb4
Nosferatu (2024) Movie Review — A modern take that divides audiences | by Erin Underwood | Medium
January 2, 2025 - Vampires have always had a way of lurking in the shadows of cinema, and Nosferatu has remained one of the most iconic vampire stories in cinema since the original silent film debuted in 1922. Here we are, 100 years later, and Nosferatu is back because vampires really never die.
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Quora
quora.com › What-exactly-is-a-Nosferatu
What exactly is a Nosferatu? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): Nosferatu is as others stated a Romanian term for a Vampire. Note that Dracula is a name. In point of fact Vlad the Impaler the historical prince Dracula was based on.
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NDSMCObserver
ndsmcobserver.com › article › 2025 › 01 › nosferatu-is-a-chilling-christian-horror-film
‘Nosferatu’ is a chilling Christian horror film - The Observer
January 15, 2025 - He is the personification of sin, tempting us to give in to our evil desires that only make him more powerful and us weaker. We see that in how he exploits Thomas’ greed and careerism to invade Germany by way of real estate business.
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/Film
slashfilm.com › 1739217 › nosferatu-meaning-vampire-guide
What Does Nosferatu Mean? A Guide To All Of Your Pressing Questions - SlashFilm
December 17, 2024 - (In the meantime, you can celebrate the 85th birthday of the technicolor "Oz" with "Wicked: Part One.") However, "Nosferatu" is technically older than he appears — because the character is, in all but name, Count Dracula. Now, the vampire himself is not named Dracula in Murnau's film (nor is he called "Nosferatu,") but rather Count Orlok (played by Max Shreck). The story follows the major beats of Bram Stoker's novel, though, aside from moving ...
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Rotten Tomatoes
rottentomatoes.com › m › nosferatu_2024
Nosferatu (2024) | Rotten Tomatoes
November 30, 2025 - Robert Eggers' NOSFERATU is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
Release date   Dec 25, 2024
Director   Robert Eggers
Rating: 73/100 ​ - ​ 10K votes
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Blavity
blavity.com › entertainment › nosferatu-ending-explained
'Nosferatu' Ending Explained: How Does the 2024 Film Stack Up With the Century-Old Original? - Blavity
The evil vampire then sets the rats loose upon the population of the town, just as Thomas returns on horseback. Ellen reveals that the Count, AKA Nosferatu, has been communicating with her telepathically, demanding that she relinquish her flesh to the forces of evil in a satanic sexual ritual.
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ScreenRant
screenrant.com › home › movies › movie features › nosferatu ending explained: what happens in ellen and orlok's final encounter
Nosferatu Ending Explained: What Happens In Ellen And Orlok's Final Encounter
February 21, 2025 - The original Nosferatu is an interpretation of Bram Stoker's gothic horror novel Dracula, and the similarities between the overarching plots are very obvious for those familiar with the novel.
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YouTube
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NOSFERATU (2024) Ending Explained and Breakdown!
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
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Quora
quora.com › Why-was-the-1922-vampire-film-called-Nosferatu
Why was the 1922 vampire film called Nosferatu? - Quora
Answer (1 of 6): Well, Nosferatu means vampire in German language. And I think it’s available on YouTube. But if you’d like to watch recent version of it - do watch. I believe it’s still running in theatres.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Nosferatu
Nosferatu - Wikipedia
3 days ago - Nosferatu was produced by Prana Film and is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. Various names and other details were changed from the novel, including Count Dracula being renamed Count Orlok. Although those changes are often represented as a defense against copyright infringement accusations, the original German intertitles acknowledged Dracula as the source.