A fictional telling of the making F.W. Murnau's "Nosferatu", the scariest depiction of a vampire ever made. And that's exactly the problem. Willem Dafoe's portrayal of Count Orlock is too silly. It's a fine performance, but it's hard to get any level of fear out of it. Max Schreck/Count Orlock is too goofy to even be seen as anything but weird by the rest of the cast and it makes Murnau's sacrificial pact with Schreck lack almost all impact. Until Schreck's reflection is not seen in a mirror do we even view him as a threat.

Yes, it's a dark comedy and John Malkovich is really good. There are some cool directorial flourishes, especially the black and white displayed when the crew is actively making "Nosferatu". It was interesting to hear Murnau coaching the actors during filming since it was a silent film after all.