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Shadow of the Vampire

Play trailer Poster for Shadow of the Vampire R 2001 1h 33m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 141 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
F. W. Murnau (John Malkovich) is struggling to create his silent classic "Nosferatu" on location in Eastern Europe. The director is obsessed with making this the most authentic vampire movie ever. To that end, Murnau has employed a real vampire, Max Schreck (Willem Dafoe), explaining to the crew that he is the ultimate of that new breed, the "method actor" -- trained by Stanislavsky himself. Schreck will appear only in character and only at night.

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Shadow of the Vampire

Shadow of the Vampire

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Critics Consensus

Shadow of the Vampire is frightening, compelling, and funny, and features an excellent performance by Willem Dafoe.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Brody The New Yorker 10/19/2019
"Shadow of the Vampire" is a gory and grandiose metaphor for the torments and sacrifices made, extracted, and endured in the name of art. Go to Full Review Nell Minow Common Sense Media 12/28/2010
3/5
Vampire satire has some creepy moments. Go to Full Review David Edelstein Slate 09/25/2007
The screenplay, by Steven Katz, suffers from arch, almost unspeakably theatrical dialogue, and, as Murnau, John Malkovich recites his lines as if monomania were synonymous with monotonic: He drains the drama of blood. Go to Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh Sep 12
3/5
Worth the price of admission for John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe's performances alone. Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 12/29/2024
6/10
Ultimately, this picture’s entertainment value will depend largely on the audience’s knowledge of the source material – receiving such a comically morbid spoofing – even if modest amusement can be easily obtained from the performances. Go to Full Review Chuck Klosterman Akron Beacon Journal 10/28/2023
2.5/4
Does this mean Shadow of the Vampire is good? Sort of. Does it means it's bad? Sometimes. But it's usually entertaining. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tim M @tgmacman Apr 25 While perhaps not as atmospheric as it should be, Shadow of the Vampire nevertheless sinks its teeth into alternate film history and gives us an unrecognizable Willem Dafoe in the bargain. See more Jason M @Nautius 02/02/2025 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. See more CT 8 @ct8787 01/07/2025 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. See more Alec B @Alec97 12/30/2024 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. See more Jason W @Thejasonwatts 12/29/2024 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. See more Kyle M @RT77296778 11/16/2024 Poetically scripted and well performed that instills filmic passion with a unique twist that further compels us to revisit its mythically horrific benchmark. (B+) See more Read all reviews
Shadow of the Vampire

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Cast & Crew

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E. Elias Merhige

Director

John Malkovich

F.W. Murnau

Willem Dafoe

Max Schreck

Cary Elwes

Fritz Wagner

Aden Gillett

Galeen

Suzy Eddie Izzard

Gustav von Wangenheim

Movie Clips

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Shadow of the Vampire

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Shadow of the Vampire

Catherine McCormack and Willem Dafoe. Udo Kier and John Malkovich. Eddie Izzard and Willem Dafoe. Willem Dafoe. Willem Dafoe. John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe. Catherine McCormack and Cary Elwes. Willem Dafoe and director Elias Merhige. John Malkovich. Shadow of the Vampire (2000) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis F. W. Murnau (John Malkovich) is struggling to create his silent classic "Nosferatu" on location in Eastern Europe. The director is obsessed with making this the most authentic vampire movie ever. To that end, Murnau has employed a real vampire, Max Schreck (Willem Dafoe), explaining to the crew that he is the ultimate of that new breed, the "method actor" -- trained by Stanislavsky himself. Schreck will appear only in character and only at night.
Director
E. Elias Merhige
Producer
Nicolas Cage, Jeff Levine
Screenwriter
Steven Katz
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
Production Co
Saturn Films, Long Shot Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 26, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 14, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$8.3M
Runtime
1h 33m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)