Robert Eggers Defends His Nosferatu’s Look: “There’s just no f**king way that this guy wouldn’t have a mustache.”

Released on Christmas 2024, Nosferatu was a solid box office hit, earning $181.2 million from a $50 million budget. The movie cemented Robert Eggers’ reputation as one of the best horror directors of our time, and it received a lot of praise from everyone.

And while the movie did not outshine Murnau’s original movie, it was a success and it brought a new twist to an already-known story. But, while everyone – on a general level – liked the movie, some aspects were the subject of debate.

One of them was Orlok’s design, which was significantly different from the one Max Schreck sported in the original movie. And while it is good that Eggers decided not to copy the original, his choice caused some confusion.

As you remember, Eggers’ Orlok was different. While Max Schreck’s Orlok looked like a demon or a monster, the new Orlok was more like a walking corpse or, if we want to be honest, a true vampire.

And that was a good choice. The costume was period and location authentic, which added to the overall design, but Eggers decided to add a giant mustache that was completely uncharacteristic of the character. Just imagine Max Schreck with a mustache…

And while some welcomed the change, others hated it and this was, by all means, the most controversial aspect of the movie. In a recent interview, Eggers defended his choice and his arguments make sense.

The director acknowledged that some had a problem with it. “I get that. It’s a hard pill for some people to swallow,” he said. But he also added that the mustache was historically accurate, seeing how Orlok is from Romania, and at the time, mustaches were quite common among men in that part of Europe.

“But I also don’t care, because there’s just no fucking way that this guy wouldn’t have a moustache,” he said. “I love the way Max Schreck looks too [in Murnau’s original], and it’s a change. So, fair play, as people say over here.“

Personally, whether you liked it or not, you cannot argue that the change Eggers made is random. There is a basis for it and, ultimately, it contributed to the authenticity of the movie, which is always positive.

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