It was okay. Not what I thought it would be. Too much of a nod to classic cinema production, and not enough humor/horror. But it had it's moments and I can cross it off the list of movies I wanted to see.

Definitely one of the better vampire movies out there. Malkovich and Dafoe are fantastic. I have no idea why, but finding a hard copy of this gem is almost impossible.

Honestly this is more interesting and way more fun than some run of the mill "making of" movie. The idea of an ancient vampire getting just as bewitched by the camera as all of the humans is just great.

A fun and interesting concept. A mix of suspense, thrills and whimsy. It's theatre meets film and history meets fantasy in this reimagining of the making of the original Nosfaratu.

Poetically scripted and well performed that instills filmic passion with a unique twist that further compels us to revisit its mythically horrific benchmark. (B+)

By far one of the best films about filmmaking. An excellent and imaginative blend of film history and fantasy, as well as a genuine love-letter to early cinema.

Shadow of a Vampire is a film that tries to be many things all at once: dramatic retelling of the making of Nosferatu, dark comedy, horror, and character study. The problem is it does not take the time to do any of those things well. The "making of" aspect of the film has both a reverence for the early days of filmmaking, but also shows it to be a bit hackneyed, as well, which undercuts the Murnau character's final speech at the end of the film. Are we supposed to be in awe of Murnau or not? I was not by the end of the film. Quite the opposite, in fact. The dark comedy will land with some, but a person watching this film wholly for the comedic bits will find themselves unamused by the other scenes of the film that are serious. The tonal whiplash is strong with this film. The horror is played for dry laughs. There is no weight to the scenes. It is like, "That scamp Schreck is feeding on the crew again. Lol!" Why everyone who is left of the cast and crew are not abandoning ship when people start to die is a mystery unexplored. The show must go on, I guess. Lastly, you would think this film would at least lean into being a character study of Murnau and/or Schreck, especially with the talents of Malkvich and Dafoe respectively, but we don't spend as much time with them as we want to. We get quick scenes of character development but not enough to really invest you in the film's characters, No one in this film is sympathetic or as interesting as they should be. That said, Willem Dafoe is excellent as Max Schreck, the film is beautiful to look at, and the soundtrack is fantastic.

Shadow of the Vampire is a fantastic, engrossing film. Outstanding performances from Willem Dafoe (incredibly creepy and unnerving portrayal of 'real' vampire Count Orlok) and John Malkovich make this a much watch for any fan of vampire films, especially considering the biopic nature of this movie documenting the actual filming of Nosferatu.

Including the cast, what can be most appreciated and appreciated about this film is how it combines reality and fiction, to show what could be the origin of the expressionist classic Nosferatu. As a curiosity, it's worth the effort.

"Shadow of the Vampire" is a "historical fiction" about the making of the 1922 F. W. Murnau silent film "Nosferatu," and to really enjoy the piece the viewer should first watch the earlier film (which is surprisingly good in its own right.) The cast is uniformly strong, but John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe are standouts.

Great performance by Malkovitch and Dafoe

With a killer premise and poor execution this is the sort of movie they should remake. This movie has the potential to be so. much. better.

For any fan of Nosferatu, Shadow of the Vampire makes for an inspired diversion in an improbable blend of behind-the-scenes satire and art-house fright-fest. A gory and grandiose metaphor for the torments and sacrifices made, extracted and endured in the name of art. Borrowing the techniques of silent films, including the use of intertitles to explain elided action and iris lenses, E. Elias Merhige's direction is sublime in its respect for the era, managing to make the film equal parts frightening and surprisingly funny. Avoiding the pitfall of irony, Willem Dafoe, in a performance that's both skin-crawling and sympathetic, encapsulates the role of Nosferatu so perfectly that when real scenes from the silent classic are slipped into the frame, you don't notice a difference. A shame he hasn't landed the role in Robert Eggers' upcoming remake of the silent original, but I look forward to Bill Skarsgård's take all the same. Shining brightly as a labour of love, Shadow of the Vampire is a carefully crafted and wholly absorbing curiosity led by its outstanding performances that is more than worthy of your time, be you a fan of the original or not.

Fun little masterpiece of a movie. Underrated, I almost never hear it mentioned, and I love horror and I love these actors. I didn't know going on who would be the vampire or director, I just knew the premise and the two lead actors. They all did incredible, all the supporting actors too. What a movie!

Great Cast. Great premise.

A pretty good film....DAFOE is AMAZING....and scary the films big drawback is malcovich with his usual non acting job and mouth open idiotic thing

Esta película se centra en el rodaje de la película de 1922 realizada por Murnau (interpretado por John Malkovich) con la ayuda de Max Schreck (interpretado por Willem Dafoe) en el papel del conde que resulta ser un vampiro real. Esta película supuestamente toma como referencia un cierto rumor sobre la película de Murnau, ya que se sospechaba que el actor que había interpretado al conde en aquel entonces era un vampiro real. Shadow Of The Vampire se basa en aquel rumor y debo decir que la actuación de Willem Dafoe como aquel actor vampiro es bastante admirable. Malkovich y Dafoe interpretan muy bien sus papeles. Willem Dafoe se lleva toda la atención, ya que logra interpretar un excelente personaje muy excéntrico y oscuro. La película tiene muy buena dirección y producción. Sin duda, Shadow Of The Vampire es una película espectacular que sigue el legado de Nosferatu. Mi calificación final para esta película es un 9/10.

Rating: 7/10. 70/100

The best acting performance from Willem Dafoe! With the best makeup and hairstyling ever done in a movie!

Willem DaFoe... hilarious.