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Shadow of the Vampire

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Videos & Photos

  • Trailer 1
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Movie Info & Cast

Runtime:

1hr 32m

Synopsis

The filming of Nosferatu (1922) is hampered by the fact that its star Max Schreck is taking the role of a vampire far more seriously than seems humanly possible.

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.5
72.4K
29.1K
17.4K
RATINGS 105 FANS
3.5
  • Dec 26, 2024

    You know, I’m something of a vampire myself

    1.1K Likes
    JayShmoney
    JayShmoney
    Oct 7, 2021

    I bet the makeup artists saved so much money working with Dafoe, since he kinda already looks like a vampire.

    845 Likes
    Kat
    Kat

    To any fan of the original Nosferatu and of horrorfilm in general this underrated film is a must see. It is a fictionalised retelling of the making of the mother of all vampire films. It has as its premise that Max Schreck, the actor playing the vampire, actually was one…

    520 Likes
    DirkH
    DirkH
  •
    Sep 13, 2018

    Willem Dafoe as Nosferatu in a movie about the making of Nosferatu set in an alternate reality where Max Schreck, the actor from Nosferatu was a real life vampire?! And people don't talk about this?!

    417 Likes
    Felipe F.
    Felipe F.
    Oct 12, 2023

    "Our battle is to create art. Our weapon is the moving picture. Because we have it, our paintings will grow and recede and our light will play across living faces that laugh and agonize. We are scientists engaged in the creation of memory... but our memory will neither blur…

    380 Likes
    André
    André
    Mar 7, 2015

    Who is more of a monster, the vampire or the director?

    347 Likes
    Jane Firehorse
    Jane Firehorse
  •
    Oct 22, 2023

    I ♥️ movies about making movies I ♥️ biopics that take interesting creative liberties I ♥️ movies in which Willem Dafoe hams it up big time Shadow of the Vampire is glacially paced and repetitive, but it's all worth it for that fantastic conclusion. 🧛🏻‍♂️

    289 Likes
    Lou (rhymes with wow!)
    Lou (rhymes with wow!)

    It's a rare treat to see Willem go full naughty boy.

    280 Likes
    Dillon S.
    Dillon S.
    May 27, 2026

    Nicolas Cage producing this is so endlessly fascinating to me

    159 Likes
    Anna🍓
    Anna🍓
See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

82%
Community 408
❤️ LOVE
22%
👍 LIKE
60%
😐 MEH
17%
👎 DISLIKE
2%
Top Reviews
  • sydney
    sydney liked
    Shadow of the Vampire

    super fun honestly! willem dafoe is so spooky in this but unbelievably perfect for the role. really provoking too but kinda in your face about it 🤷‍♀️ what are we willing to give up to make good art? what are we willing to do to make good art and who are we after that?

    2Y
    William Luckenbach
    William Luckenbach loved
    Shadow of the Vampire

    This is one of those rare films which not only pays homage to classic cinema but builds upon its mythology. The casting is perfect and the shot composition is almost a one for one recreation of the original Nosferatu film. 8.5/10

    3Y
    Orlando Ramone
    Orlando Ramone loved
    Shadow of the Vampire

    Shadow Of The Vampire is one of the most unique vampire movies ever made! It’s sad that it does get as much attention as The Lost Boys and Fright Night.

    3Y
  • MovieDaddy
    MovieDaddy liked
    Shadow of the Vampire

    A fantastic companion piece to the original Nosferatu. Amazing character development and memorable performances. A great movie, highly recommended.

    3Y
    MaxSwellivan
    MaxSwellivan liked
    Shadow of the Vampire

    What the hell did I just watch

    2Y
    Sharlot
    Sharlot is "meh" on
    Shadow of the Vampire

    This didn’t need to exist

    28D
  • BIRD
    BIRD liked
    Shadow of the Vampire

    hysterical

    2Y
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Atom Users Reviews

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Metacritic

71
metacritic
Based on 31 Critics
7.5

USER SCORE (87)

Generally favorable reviews based on 87 Reviews
50

There are times when Dafoe's accent strays into Billy Crystal Yiddish, but the notion of Vlad the Impaler aging into a finicky old Jew has its own kind of piquancy.

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Metacritic review by David Edelstein
David Edelstein
Slate
88

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.

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Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
70

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.

View full review
Metacritic review by Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shadow of the Vampire family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is Shadow of the Vampire?
The movie is 1hr 32min long.
What's Shadow of the Vampire about?
The filming of Nosferatu (1922) is hampered by the fact that its star Max Schreck is taking the role of a vampire far more seriously than seems humanly possible.