You’d think that when people talk about vampires in new and upcoming horror movies like Ryan Coogler’s 2025 movie release Sinners, the focus would be on story-specific lore, potential victims, and/or the logic of deterents like garlic. But for Robert Eggers’ long-gestating Nosferatu, the buzz online quickly became all about Count Orlok’s facial hair, specifically his overbearing mustache. The director has indeed seen the complaints, and after giving them some thought, he fired back with a passionate, colorful response.
In a new interview with Empire, Eggers finally addressed the buzz over Count Orlok’s intense design and his now-infamous mustache, which debuted in the director’s bold, atmospheric reimagining of the 1922 classic. The filmmaker, known for his meticulous detail and unapologetic creative decisions, didn’t mince words when addressing the decision to include the character’s blood broom:
I get that. It’s a hard pill for some people to swallow. But I also don’t care, because there’s just no fucking way that this guy wouldn’t have a moustache. 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.