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Robert Eggers Appreciation Thread
With the recent release of Nosferatu (2024), director Robert Eggers now has four films under his belt, and an announced fifth one, Werwulf (2026), is currently in the works. I think he is one of the most exciting and talented filmmakers out there, and at the rate he is going, I believe he is destined to be remembered as one of the greats. For those unfamiliar with his movies, I will list them chronologically here:
The Witch (2015)
The Lighthouse (2019)
The Northman (2022)
Nosferatu (2024)
Werwulf (2026)
What stands out most to me about all of Eggers's work is how incredibly well he does with the details of these period pieces - the costumes, the dialogue, the settings, etc. You can really feel the passion and commitment to getting everything so right. Frankly, I love each and every one of his four films so far, and he is one of the few directors working today who I am always greatly anticipating the next film from. His content is such a refreshing change of pace from the average modern blockbuster, and I consider us all to be extremely lucky that he is working in the industry and producing the raw, intense, artistic pictures that he is.
And so, with those praises sung, I am posting this thread for everyone to join me in discussing Robert Eggers! At some point I will post my own ranking and thoughts about his movies, and in the meantime I encourage everyone else to do that or just talk about anything related to Eggers. Please enjoy the thread!
The Witch (2015)
The Lighthouse (2019)
The Northman (2022)
Nosferatu (2024)
Werwulf (2026)
What stands out most to me about all of Eggers's work is how incredibly well he does with the details of these period pieces - the costumes, the dialogue, the settings, etc. You can really feel the passion and commitment to getting everything so right. Frankly, I love each and every one of his four films so far, and he is one of the few directors working today who I am always greatly anticipating the next film from. His content is such a refreshing change of pace from the average modern blockbuster, and I consider us all to be extremely lucky that he is working in the industry and producing the raw, intense, artistic pictures that he is.
And so, with those praises sung, I am posting this thread for everyone to join me in discussing Robert Eggers! At some point I will post my own ranking and thoughts about his movies, and in the meantime I encourage everyone else to do that or just talk about anything related to Eggers. Please enjoy the thread!
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Comments
What I love about him is that he doesn't "sell out", i.e. he doesn't succumb to any pressure to deliver fast-paced, lowest-common-denominator products for those with a short attention span and a craving for cheap entertainment. He makes the films he wants to make, regardless of their commercial appeal. He's an artist with a unique voice, seemingly gravitating towards patient, old-school film-making, albeit with modern elements mixed in. Any time I fantasize about a forgotten film from ages ago being remade, I instantly think about Eggers. I get the sense that he has cracked the code for delivering updates without losing the essence of what fundamentally defines the original product.
Nosferatu was impressive, but it didn’t quite get me the same way those other two films did.
Skarsgard was really good, as was Depp. The only weak link in the cast was ATJ in my opinion. It feels like that performance could have been done in at least three different ways by different actors (ie. more sympathetic, more nuanced, or even more unlikeable). He just wasn't anything in that role. Such a shame as he actually had an interesting character to work with.
Well, probably not considering all his films have been shot by actual cinematographers. He was a production designer in his early career but that's as far as it goes (and if anything that makes a lot of sense considering how his films look). I'd say if he makes at least interesting films (and remember he has a hand in writing them) then he's better suited to directing. From my experience being a DoP and a director are actually surprisingly different things, and few can do both (and when it does occur it's often under very particular circumstances).
1. The Lighthouse (2019)
The only spot I feel comfortable with in my ranking is The Lighthouse being at the very top. My mind was blown when I first saw this film at the theater, and it has held up just as marvelously during rewatches. For me, The Lighthouse is the most humorous and rewatchable feature Eggers has produced so far. It is also set apart from his other movies by its black-and-white visuals, the square aspect ratio, and a more nonlinear structure.
The single greatest part of The Lighthouse is the sensational chemistry between Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. Each of them put out phenomenal performances that were both funny and unsettling. The small island makes for a perfect setting that helps lead to the madness and violence that the characters go to. As intriguing as the film's striking, disturbing moments are, like the appearance of the mermaid or the savage death of the gull, it is the many conversations between Winslow and Wake that are the most interesting and entertaining parts for me. It is impressive to pull off a full-length movie with only two main characters so splendidly.
Everything beyond the volatile relationship of Winslow and Wake is also built to perfection: constantly wonderful cinematography, eerie music and sounds when they are called for, solid editing, and a healthy mixture of concrete progression and interpretation in the storytelling. The dialogue and simple but exciting plot are done to perfection. The Lighthouse is one of my all-time favorite films, and I look forward to seeing if Eggers tops it for me down the road.
2. Nosferatu (2024)
Eggers's latest film is by far his greatest box office success so far, and probably his most "mainstream" movie to date, if one must choose among them. Still, Nosferatu is relentless in its bloody violence and morbid sexuality, and it is certainly not a film for everyone thanks to its intense, graphic content! At any rate, it is great to see Eggers be rewarded with a solid amount of positive recognition and financial gain for an uncompromising, passionately made picture.
All of Eggers's movies are dark, but I think Nosferatu might be his bleakest, most disturbing effort to date. Pedophilia, necrophilia, and brutal on-screen child murders are just a few notable elements to watch out for, to the faint of heart. I thought every actor gave a top-notch performance in the movie, but Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok really stole the show; his deep, scary voice and well-conveyed, irredeemable evil were something to behold, and I also loved the design of the character here. All the characters, costumes, and settings looked incredible, honestly!
Also, we have seen this in his other works, but I thought Nosferatu had the best, most consistent portrayal of the occult of Eggers's films. From start to finish, Nosferatu has pressing dread and horrific happenings; it was a real roller coaster that I am very glad I went to the theater to see. I am excited to add this one to my collection when the home release comes, especially to see the extended cut!
3. The Northman (2022)
If there is an outlier in Eggers's filmography so far, I would argue it is The Northman for its genre not being at least partially horror. Instead, it is an epic action film, and a classic revenge story we have seen depicted several times, but seldomly with as much vivid violence and primal human behavior as here! You cannot go wrong with Conan the Barbarian, Hamlet, or The Lion King for similar tales, but The Northman is the rawest, grimiest edition of the lot.
As it is with all of Eggers's movies, the cinematography is glorious, and the movie is constantly beautiful to look at. Alexander Skarsgård and Anya Taylor-Joy headline a stacked cast where everyone delivers the goods. The action is brutal and spectacular, with the greatest highlight being a sword duel at a volcano saved for the end. The Northman really delivers on the spectacle and revenge aspects, and though not much new ground is broken in the way of the plot, I cannot complain when it is executed so well.
One nitpick of mine is that I feel like the film moves on from Amleth's childhood too quickly, and I would have appreciated more content and buildup here before his father's murder. I think that most of the pacing beyond that is solid, though, and the breaks between exposition and action always felt organic. I was extremely impressed with The Northman when I first caught it at the theater, and I have remained so after seeing it since then.
4. The Witch (2015)
Let me just say that it pains me to put The Witch in last place, because I think it is a fantastic film and worthy of just as much praise as the above films. Sadly, this was the only Eggers film that I did not see in a theater, but I have seen it a few times at home and enjoyed it very much nonetheless. It is a truly impressive debut film that does so much with so few things.
All the actors do a great job in The Witch, but Anya-Taylor Joy and Ralph Ineson were especially terrific I thought. The theme of repression is consistently strong and effective in the movie, and seeing a family torn apart thanks to strict religion and paranoia is truly terrifying. The horror of The Witch is arguably the scariest of any of Eggers's movies, knowing that the way the family treated each other really happened and still sadly happens in the world. The spooky elements of the witches in the woods and the devil are cool and all, but it is the family drama and tragedy that is the most captivating and disturbing aspect of the film.
Again, like with Eggers's other movies, the film is well-shot and looks terrific the whole way through. The plot is simple enough, but has plenty of twists and turns that keep things fresh and never boring. My only problem is that I found the portrayal of the witches to be a bit simplistic, and I wish there could have been more unique traits and ideas used in that area, but I also recognize that the main point was Thomasin's own journey in becoming one. Her dark side that sometimes surfaced and character progression was terrific. Overall, just like the other three movies, I love The Witch, and I struggle to really call it "worse."
So there it is! I think all of Eggers's films have been awesome so far, and my order of preference is very difficult to come up with. I do not think there is a wrong way to rank these movies whatsoever. I just cannot wait to see what Eggers comes up with next!
Why would he be better suited to a job he doesn't do?
So it seems the Eggers trends of folk horror and classic monster stars is coming back next! A werewolf film set in the 1200s seems right up Eggers’s alley. He has other projects in the works, too, like The Knight and possibly a western film, but up next, we have a werewolf story with very little other details given. Thoughts and speculation, anyone?
They are also not my go-to thing, but I'm positive that I'm excited for and interested in Eggers's take on it. I'm hoping in addition to the Old English and other likely historically accurate elements, we see some regulars like Ralph Ineson (I'd love for him to have a larger role again like he did in The Witch), Willem Dafoe, and Anya Taylor-Joy in it. I definitely at least expect once again a hard-R-rated experience filled with gorgeous cinematography!
I'm very glad that we only have to wait two years. Eggers seems to have a lot of energy and a lot of ideas to share with us. I'll eagerly be awaiting more details about Werwulf, and we can all enjoy talking more about it the more things come out!
https://deadline.com/2025/01/robert-eggers-labyrinth-sequel-sony-1236265010/
I’ll be honest guys, as a huge fan of both Robert Eggers and the original Labyrinth movie, I think this is a bad idea. Without David Bowie around, it just can’t be the same, even if they commit to an emphasis on practical effects and puppeteering over CGI. I’d be pleasantly stunned if this ends being a good movie, let alone a great one. Just scratching my head wondering why on this one…
I’m also very skeptical of Labyrinth, but considering this news is coming hot off of Nosferatu’s huge success, and that we also got news of Werwulf shortly before, I can only imagine that this is a project Eggers is genuinely excited about and leveraged his success into rather than just a director for hire thing. I’ll have to watch the original film to get a better idea of what Eggers could bring to it, but just from the little I’ve seen it is a peculiar choice for his sensibilities. Very excited for Werwulf though, and I imagine it will probably be a little different than what most expect a werewolf film to be.