Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) (Collector’s Edition) (4K Ultra HD Review)
DIRECTED BY: Werner Herzog
STARRING: Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz
RATED: PG/REGION O/1:85/2160P/NUMBER OF DISCS 2
AVAILABLE FROM Scream Factory
Herzog’s Art-House Nightmare Never Looked So Beautifully Miserable
Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre is the kind of remake that doesn’t just honor the original — it stares deeply into its soul, broods for a moment, and then says, “Yes, let’s make this even weirder.” And honestly, bless him.
Klaus Kinski plays Count Dracula with all the calm subtlety of a man who slept in a haunted attic for three months to “prepare.” He slithers through the film like a pasty, sorrowful ferret, equal parts terrifying and pitiful. It’s an iconic performance that makes you think, “Wow, this vampire really needs a hug… and also a restraining order.”
Isabelle Adjani, meanwhile, spends the movie floating around like a gothic angel who has absolutely had it with men, monsters, plagues, and whatever emotional swamp Kinski is radiating at any given moment. She’s luminous, tragic, and looks permanently two steps away from ascending to another plane out of sheer exhaustion.
Herzog’s direction is peak Herzog: dreamlike, moody, slightly disorienting, and so committed to atmosphere that you can practically smell the mildew. Every frame feels like it belongs in a museum—possibly one run by a cult, but still. The pacing is slower than a vampire crossing a threshold uninvited, yet the film’s hypnotic weirdness keeps you glued to it like you’re under its spell… or at least under the influence of 1970s German cinema.
And the rats. My god, the rats. So many rats. It’s like Herzog said, “We need more chaos,” and someone delivered an entire plague with a bow on it.
But here’s the thing: despite (or because of) all the eccentricity, it’s genuinely breathtaking. And now, Scream Factory’s 4K release takes that moody, melancholy nightmare and makes it look stunning. The colors are richer, the shadows deeper, the textures crisp enough to count every wrinkle on Kinski’s delightfully grotesque makeup. It’s easily the best the film has ever looked — like seeing a pristine oil painting of pure dread.
In short: Nosferatu the Vampyre is a beautiful, slow, strange, utterly fascinating fever dream — and the new 4K restoration makes it more haunting than ever, which is probably exactly what Herzog wanted.
Extras
DISC ONE – 4K BLU-RAY
- TWO-DISC (4K BLU-RAY/BLU-RAY) COMBO PACK RELEASE
- NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
- TWO VERSIONS OF THE FILM: ENGLISH AND GERMAN
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF BOTH VERSIONS OF THE FILM
- Two Audio Commentaries with Werner Herzog (One in English, One in German, moderated by Laurens Straub with English Subtitles)
DISC TWO – BLU-RAY
- NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
- TWO VERSIONS OF THE FILM: ENGLISH AND GERMAN
- Two Audio Commentaries with Werner Herzog (One in English, One in German, moderated by Laurens Straub with English subtitles)
- Vintage Featurette – The Making of Nosferatu
- Theatrical Trailers
- Still Gallery
