2) COVID
Both Nosferatu films incorporate the black plague into Orlok’s corrupting influence. Like his decaying castle, every space Orlok occupies drains of life, heightened when he arrives in Harker’s town, and his mere presence spreads plague and nightmare. While the original touches on Orlok’s ship bringing in plague rats, Eggers heightens the terror, showing the chaos, disease, and rot the plague begets. He transforms the black plague into a feature and makes it a full-on plot point, contextualizing the characters’ growing terror with the oncoming festering disease. When the characters talk of quarantine, feeling trapped in their homes, and the danger of trying to walk the streets, one can’t help but be brought back to the tumultuous onslaught of COVID-19.
