When it comes to classic horror movies, Nosferatu is one of those that we didn’t think needed a reboot. And yet, 2024 brought us a reboot that worked. The question for many is whether it is something to watch with the kids or not.
The gothic tale is one of obsession and danger. It follows a young woman who is haunted by a terrifying vampire infatuated with her. Think of it as a darker story of Count Dracula. After all, the movie is filmed at Hunedoara Castle, also known as Corvin Castle. It’s located in Transylvania, the place where Vlad Dracula was briefly imprisoned.
Bill Skarsgård takes on the lead role in Nosferatu, leading an outstanding cast. Lily-Rose Depp is the young woman haunted by the vampire, with the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicholas Hoult, and Willem Dafoe rounding out the cast.
Nosferatu age rating: Explaining the R rating
This is not a movie for the kids. It’s officially rated R, and it certainly earns that when it comes to the violence and gore depicted. This is most definitely an updated version of the original 1930s movie.
Sex & nudity: There are various mentions of sexual words throughout the movie, including “c*m.” One scene shows female breasts with thrusting to indicate sex happening on the screen.
Violence & gore: This is where the movie earns the R rating. There are visual scenes that depict the deaths of children, with the biting of the necks and impalment. We have one scene where a man eats the head of a bird off, with visual blood squirting out, and as the images of the movie release show, there is a view of a woman with her eyes bleeding out during a dream sequence.
Language: Considering the level of violence, the language is on the milder side. The worst of the words is “b*****d,” but there are also mentions of the words damn and hell, which considering when the movie is supposed to be set are strong curse words.
Alcohol & drugs: There are scenes where some of the characters are smoking cigars and drinking wine. We also see some characters smoke opium. While today, these are either heavily moderated or outlawed, at the time, they were common practice. It’s worth having conversations about history and the uses of opium in the past with children.
Overall verdict: Who is Nosferatu appropriate for?
This is one of those movies to avoid for the kids. It’s something to watch in theaters yourself. Even the older teens may find some of the scenes in this movie uncomfortable, as it is visually heavy when it comes to violence and gore.
If you are going to watch it, I’d recommend watching the 1930s version of the movie first. It’s good to see how film and television have developed over the centuries.
Nosferatu is now available to watch in theaters.