(NEXSTAR) — It's been 102 years since F. W. Murnau's silent horror masterpiece "Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror," hit theaters — and helped define the vampire genre with conventions that persist today. While the story's old, and you'll likely be somewhat familiar with some of it, horror auteur Robert Eggers' newest incarnation of "Nosferatu" proves that the terrors lurking inside this moody and atmospheric tale still tap into our deepest fears all this time later. Opening on Christmas Day, Eggers' "Nosferatu" stars Nicholas Hoult ("Juror #2") as recently married real estate agent Thomas Hutter, who's given an undesirable task: Travel to Transylvania and sell a property to the mysterious and decrepit Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), who lives in a ruin of castle surrounded by feral wolves and a foggy labyrinth of mountain trails. ‘Babygirl’ review: Nicole Kidman shines in holly jolly erotic thriller To do this, Hutter leaves behind wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), who's recently been plagued by phantasmagoric dreams she's had throughout her life. Ellen's dreams, which feature her happily marrying a dark figure she refers to as "Death," feel prophetic to her, though everyone in her life dismisses her concerns as "hysteria" or "melancholy." Nevertheless, Ellen feels the familiar, disembodied voice calling to her from far away. At Count Orlok's crumbling castle, Thomas slowly learns the truth about the Count: Spoiler — he's a vampire. Further spoiler: He's the mystery spirit who calls to Ellen. Thomas escapes the shadowy fortress but will he make it back home before Orlok — who now knows where Ellen is — comes to claim his bride? This image released by Focus Features shows a scene from "Nosferatu." (Focus Features via AP) Among the film's biggest strengths are its performances, particularly those by Skarsgård and Depp. It's no big surprise that Skarsgård, the man behind our most recent Pennywise the Dancing Clown, is stellar as yet another creature of darkness. As Orlok, a scarily thin and heavily prostheticized Skarsgård terrifies in every scene using both his physicality and a harsh, gutteral voice which Skarsgård told Entertainment Weekly was a whole octave lower than his actual voice. Each time Orlok appears in the shadows, you'll unconsciously find yourself holding your breath, as Skarsgård commands your eyes despite how much you want to look away. Depp, meanwhile, has the film's biggest star-making turn. Though Ellen is locked away in rooms or relegated to bed for rest, that shouldn't give you the impression that Depp isn't given a lot to do. As the mental and emotional torture she experiences via her vampire paramour increases, Depp at several moments is transmogrified into something sinister and wily and Depp wholly devotes her body to the possession. It's electrifying to see this still relative newcomer (her most notable role was last year in HBO's "The Idol") pursue such an ugly and intense role that dazzles as often as it disgusts. Burger King is giving away free chicken sandwiches and bacon cheeseburgers on these days As Orlok arrives in the fictional Germanic village of Wisborg, he brings along a scourge of plague-carrying rodents and the town is overrun with disease. The threat of infection is embedded deep into the "Nosferatu" tale and as we're now just a few years removed from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of plague feels all the more real. Eggers devotes several scenes to the rats and the people they infect and many might find these elements to be among the most squirmy in the entire film. This image released by Focus Features shows Aaron Taylor-Johnson in a scene from "Nosferatu." (Focus Features via AP) Elsewhere, Orlok himself begins to infect the city — offering Eggers, along with DP Jarin Blaschke, production designer Craig Lathrop, and the film's art department, even further opportunities to showcase some of the best imagery and world-building we've seen this year. In addition to the otherworldly spookiness of Orlok's castle and the surrounding wilderness, Eggers and Co. imbue images of Wisborg with a picturesque but incredibly tactile old German city. Much of the movie's visuals also appear to touch upon the striking visual style of Murnau's 1922 film without ever calling attention to themselves or feeling like a copy. Scene to scene, there is a visual feast on screen, whether this be in aerial shots over the city or in murky crypts beneath it, Eggers' film is endlessly stunning. When will ‘Wicked’ will be available on streaming? The film also stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson ("Kraven the Hunter") and previous Eggers collaborator Willem DaFoe ("The Lighthouse"), both of whom make meals of their smaller roles. As the skeptical Friedrich Harding, Taylor-Johnson is perhaps the film's "straight man," and the 34 year-old wears this role (and his 1800s garbs) well. Meanwhile, as a professor who's enamored with the occult, DaFoe gets yet another entry into the "Willem DaFoe as a Looney Oddball Character" canon (see also: "Spider-Man" (2002) and "Poor Things" (2023)) — you know it's always going to be a good time when DaFoe shows up in a film in some kind of costume or wig. "Nosferatu" also deserves praise for being actually scary. Completely devoid of jump scares, Eggers instead employs the masterful tension-building and discomforting foreboding that made films like "The Witch" and "The Lighthouse" among the best horror films of their years. In addition to the fear over loss of bodily autonomy (Ellen), the fear of the unexplainable (Harding) and the fear of infection, "Nosferatu" showcases a tragic backstory for Ellen, whom we learn in the film's first frame, called out for companionship from spirits as a child because she was so lonely. The spirit that came calling? You guessed it. It's a tragic and real piece of the story, since loneliness, which we've all likely experienced, is its own kind of horror and can open a person up to inviting in the wrong kinds of companions. Ellen finally makes the choice to take back her autonomy in the film's beautiful and grotesque final scene, and the story we're ultimately left with is of a woman's triumph over evil. Arriving on Christmas Day and also taking place during winter, Eggers' "Nosferatu" fits perfectly into the same spooky holiday slot as "A Christmas Carol," and feels perfect for the season. All-in-all, 2024 has been a pretty solid year for film and "Nosferatu" is among one of its very best. SCORE: ★★★★★