---
title: "Nosferatu: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/nosferatu-1922/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/nosferatu-1922"
critics_score: 88
critics_reviews: 10
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Nosferatu (1922): what the critics said

Critics' score 88 from 10 reviews: 10 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative.

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 5/5. 

Jones calls the film the most frightening incarnation of the vampire count in horror history. He praises Max Schreck’s mesmerising performance and the tension sustained by Murnau’s silent imagery.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-3ci0nq/nosferatu-a-symphony-of-horrors/)

## Slant Magazine — Rob Humanick

Rating 4/4. 27 November 2007. 

The critic calls the film a silent masterpiece and one of cinema’s preeminent firsts. He especially praises Murnau’s striking visual imagery and Max Schreck’s performance and makeup.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/nosferatu/)

## Time Out — Tom Huddleston

Rating 5/5. 21 October 2013. 

The critic calls the film ground zero for horror cinema. The available description singles out its place in the birth of the genre, while noting its loose adaptation of Dracula.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/nosferatu-a-symphony-of-horror)

## Empire — Kim Newman

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2011. 

Newman gives the film a strongly positive verdict, calling it essential and the greatest screen Dracula. He singles out Max Schreck’s nightmarish performance as the vampire, while noting a few unwise directorial choices.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/nosferatu-review/)

## IndieWire — robbiefreeling

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 October 2010. 

The critic calls the film exceptionally chilling and more bewitching than other adaptations of Stoker’s story. They single out Max Schreck’s unnerving performance and Murnau’s striking use of space and composition.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general/a-few-great-pumpkins-v-first-night-nosferatu-225672/)

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1921. 

The review is clearly positive about the film’s direction and visual craft. It singles out the imaginative cinematography and Max Schreck’s effective pantomime performance.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1921/film/reviews/nosferatu-1200409375/)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page appears to be a Great Movies review, but its text is inaccessible. Its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-nosferatu-1922.Watch)

## Collider — Gaby Shedwick

Rating 9/10. 22 December 2024. 

Shedwick finds the century-old film still terrifying and a cornerstone of horror, despite some dated qualities. She especially praises Max Schreck’s nightmarish Count Orlok and the film’s haunting visual presentation.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/nosferatu-1922-review/)

## Polygon — Siddhant Adlakha

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 January 2022. 

The critic presents Nosferatu as a timeless horror milestone whose plague themes feel newly resonant. They single out the film’s color tinting and Max Schreck’s performance for their lingering, unsettling effect.

[Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/22891878/nosferatu-100-years-vampire-movies/)

## Eye for Film — Keith Hennessey Brown

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 February 2002. 

The review is positive, arguing that the film’s strengths outweigh its awkward moments. It singles out Max Schreck’s compelling performance and Murnau’s blend of naturalistic and expressionistic elements for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/nosferatu-film-review-by-keith-hennessey-brown)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/nosferatu-1922.md