io9 Survived the Nosferatu Experience

io9 was invited to the Nosferatu Experience to immerse yourself in the world of the next Focus Features picture directed by Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse). The obsessive vampiric walk was a limited engagement made by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment’s Director of Immersives Jon Braver, who led the team behind the interactive game series. Disappointment on collaboration.

The evening event was held from December 16 to 18 at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. The Masonic Lodge was transformed into the palace of an Orlok count (in Eggers’ film, he’s played by Bill Skarsgård), who invites you on a moody tour of his estate for some business deals. His transformation in the world of Nosferatu it was advanced by a strange soundscape from the film’s composer, Robin Carolan.

A tour, you say? That seemed totally safe – what could really be the harm in checking out a collection of screen-used props and costumes, as well as occult objects and intensely dark magical relics?

However, it was more than just an exhibition; the space was brought to life by actors who leaned into the film’s gothic tone in engagingly haunted ways. For one thing they were very concerned about the contract of the contract of the cavalier association of Orlok – insisting that I sign it, despite the fact that it was in a language that was not decipherable to my eye. And yes, I signed it, what can I say? I am a very curious person when it comes to vampires and I want this Nosferatu really bad. So, of course, he wasn’t listening to any warnings from plague-rat-infested loons and deeply pious beautiful women.

This movie tie-in encounter was definitely a “lite” version of the Disappointment the team’s annual interactive games that do not allow video recording. So if you’ve ever been curious about one of his productions, this was definitely a gateway taste of the West Coast juggernaut’s immersive theater slate. To the Nosferatu Experience that we were able to capture the eerie unease of the film’s tone on camera as the strange inhabitants led us through various corridors to see elements of the film’s plot without much context including slightly black magic rituals graphics and the sense of dread that looms over certain artifacts such as Orlok’s coffin and books of dark magic.

Two women hovered in wild terror at the shadow of the vampire cast on the walls as if he was approaching and it drove the plague victims even more insane. Then the ink was dry on my contract so it was too late, I had to approach my destiny when I approached to meet the Count. What happened exactly, I can only vaguely remember, but I am sure I have two point marks on my neck and a strange aversion to light. So Focus Features, when my Nosferatu Will the coffin bed arrive?

Nosferatu opens in theaters on December 25.

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