The first trailer for Nosferatu director Robert Eggers's new horror movie Werwulf is here, and it looks like his creepiest movie ever (no small feat).
The footage, which you can see below, is dark – both literally and figuratively – with a pulsing, terrifying score. Aaron Taylor-Johnson foams at the mouth, blood splatters, and Willem Dafoe speaks ominously of a "raving beast." But, we don't actually see the titular werewolf.
Along with Taylor-Johnson and Dafoe, the film stars Lily-Rose Depp, Ralph Ineson, and Bodhi Rae Breathnach.
Eggers has made a name for himself as a master of the haunting and atmospheric, so it's no surprise Werwulf already looks so striking.
"For me, going back to the old folklore is a way in, because you're going to find different stuff – the tropes aren't the same tropes that are so tired that they've become clichés," Eggers told Empire magazine of making a grounded werewolf movie. "So that in and of itself gives it some freshness.
"I've also struggled with the creature, because it's difficult in monster movies to make the monster convincing," he continued. "I think that's another pitfall of werewolf movies – they either look like guys in suits, or they look like CG. Are you willing to go along with that, knowing that they look seriously fake, or not? One of the best horror movies – and monster movies – of all time, is the first Alien, where it's about the monster being a mystery and in the shadows."
Werwulf hits theaters this Christmas Day in the US and January 1 in the UK. In the meantime, check out our guide to the best horror movies to scare yourself silly, or the most exciting upcoming movies.
