Synopsis
Director F.W. Murnau makes a Faustian pact with a vampire to get him to star in his 1922 film "Nosferatu."
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Cast
- John MalkovichF. W. Murnau
- Willem DafoeMax Schreck
- Udo KierAlbin Grau
- Cary ElwesFritz Arno Wagner
- Catherine McCormackGreta Schröder
- Eddie IzzardGustav von Wangenhein
- Aden GillettHenrik Galeen
- Nicholas ElliottPaul
- Ronan VibertWolfgang Müller
- Sophie LangevinElke
Recommendations
- 90
Village Voice
Manages to turn a highly dubious concept into a subtle and deliciously mordant comedy. - 88
Chicago Sun-Times
"Willem Dafoe is Max Schreck." I put quotes around that because it's not just a line for a movie ad but the truth: He embodies the Schreck of "Nosferatu" so uncannily that when real scenes from the silent classic are slipped into the frame, we don't notice a difference. - 88
Boston Globe
He's (Dafoe) the stuff bad dreams are made of. He's also the best movie vampire since Schreck's original. He deserves a bloody Oscar. - 83
Entertainment Weekly
Kicky, elaborately constructed fantasy. - 75
New York Post
A clever, funny, extended joke about ruthless directors, method actors and the power of the cinema. - 70
Los Angeles Times
Willem Dafoe's performance in Shadow of the Vampire is so irresistible it not only breaks that cycle but turns an otherwise just adequate film into something everyone will want to take a look at. - 70
TV Guide Magazine
A creepy, clever, film buff's delight of a fantasy. - 67
Austin Chronicle
For all its stentorian performances, though, Shadow of the Vampire is a bit much, from the detailed period sets to the final, bloody scene.
