Summary
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The Northman is a Viking epic by Eggers, different from his usual style but still authentically crafted with Norse mythology.
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Nosferatu, a remake by Eggers, showcases stunning gothic imagery and top-notch performances, but falters in storytelling and pacing.
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The Witch, Eggers' folk horror debut, offers a slow-burn elevated horror experience with a haunting atmosphere and standout performances.
Robert Eggers is a prolific writer and director who has made some of the most gorgeous, surreal, and captivating arthouse films alongside his cinematographer Jarin Blaschke. Eggers' films often evoke deep, complex horror elements tied to folklore and mythology, and feature memorable, haunting shots that resonate with audiences in a way no other filmmaker can achieve.

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After his 2015 indie horror debut, The Witch, Robert Eggers' career as a director has only grown bolder with each new project, even remaking the 1922 classic, Nosferatu. With Eggers you can always count on performances and images that shatter expectations, so here is the ranking of his masterpieces.
4
The Norman
“I will avenge you, father! I will save you, mother! I will kill you, Fjölnir!”
Main cast |
Released |
Rotten tomatoes score |
IMDb rating |
Where to stream |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Björk, Gustav Lindh, Elliott Rose, Phill Martin, Eldar Skar, Olwen Fouéré, Edgar Abram and Oscar Novak |
2022 |
90% |
7 |
Peacock |
For his third film, Robert Eggers has chosen to take a different path from his usual, disturbing folk horror atmospheres. The Northman adapts the 13th-century Scandinavian legend of Amleth, which inspired Shakespeare's Hamlet and Disney's retelling of The Lion King. However, it's still all done in Eggers' signature slow-burn arthouse style, so this Viking epic is nothing like The Last Kingdom or the Vikings TV shows.
Alexander Skarsgård plays the skilled Viking warrior Amleth, who all his life has sought revenge on his uncle for killing his father to usurp the throne and then marrying his mother. It's a brutal and harrowing story, but one that unfolds very slowly and is full of interesting imagery and references to Norse mythology. This one, however, may not keep you as engaged as other films with this type of revenge plot.
Amleth keeps her identity hidden and infiltrates her uncle Fjölnir's estate as a slave. Before enacting his revenge on his uncle, he maneuvers in a gruesome and twisted way to torment Fjölnir and kill everyone around him. He also falls in love with a Slavic sorceress named Olga, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, and sees that she will give birth to his children. The story turns into a struggle with fate for Amleth, which ultimately leads to a duel on a volcano between him and his uncle.
While it might seem like the least exciting of his films, Eggers once again achieves excellent visuals, cinematography, and use of light and color, and highlights Norse mythology and culture in a way that mainstream films have never done before . The character designs of the Valkyries, as well as including nods to Valhalla, Odin, a Seer, Yggdrasil and traditional Viking customs, make The Northman a highly underrated film.
3
Nosferatu
“Does evil come from within us or from beyond?”
Main cast |
Released |
Rotten tomatoes score |
IMDb rating |
Where to stream |
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Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Ineson and Simon McBurney |
2024 |
87% |
7.8 |
Peacock (after its theatrical run) |
Of all of Robert Eggers' previous works, Nosferatu generated the most hype and was probably the director's most anticipated release. It's a remake of an unofficial adaptation of 1922's Dracula with strong influences from Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 Dracula, but you can also clearly see where Eggers' production design, cinematic vision, and folk horror roots emerge.
Bill Skarsgård delivers an incredible performance in his transformation as Count Orlok, making the titular vampire one of the most menacing, formidable, and truly scary horror villains of recent times (even more so than Pennywise). The voice, makeup, character designs and costumes are perfect and her power over the other characters, especially Lily-Rose Depp's character, is dark, disturbing and enchanting to witness.

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The gothic imagery is nothing short of stunning, with some scenes looking like paintings, as is typical of Robert Eggers' style. The lighting and cinematography are impeccable, probably the best of 2024, and the final scene has one of the most grotesque and stunning shots in modern horror cinema that will stick with you. Where Nosferatu fails a bit is in its storytelling and pacing.
Some scenes could feel out of place at times, as if they were randomly cut together and lacked context, and the story overall felt like a rushed version of the original tale that needed to be fleshed out better. Some parts also seemed unnecessary to include and Willem Dafoe's character, while brilliant, sadly seemed unimportant given the ending. However, the caliber of performances from all actors will warrant significant award recognition.
2
The witch
“Would you like to live delightfully?”
Main cast |
Released |
Rotten tomatoes score |
IMDb rating |
Where to stream |
---|---|---|---|---|
Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson, Daniel Malik, Bathsheba Garnett, Sarah Stephens and Julian Richings |
2015 |
91% |
7 |
VOD |
The Witch was Robert Eggers' first foray into folk horror and period drama, and it's a film that will immediately cement you as a fan. This film is a perfect example of what is called “elevated horror”. It's a horror film reminiscent of the classic independent arthouse trend A24 and helped grow and popularize the studio in its early years. You really need more horror made like this today.
What made it special is that it's unlike any other story that focuses on a wicked witch in the woods or the period of the witchcraft trials. It's creepy and disturbing in a slow, original way, creating an excellent atmosphere through its sound design and isolated forest setting. The things that happen to the children here are distressing and difficult to watch at times, which is part of the horror nuance; even the child actors are just as phenomenal as the adults, which is a challenging goal to achieve.

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Underrated actor Ralph Ineson truly impresses as the father, Prometheus' Kate Dickie leaves the Alien universe to play a grieving Puritan mother in 1600s New England, and Anya Taylor-Joy gives a memorable, groundbreaking performance as the daughter Major, Thomasin. , who bears the brunt of the tragic events that unfold.
The downfall of this family due to the devil's presence in their midst is sinister and twisted in all the right ways. Witches are a more enigmatic presence and the black goat of the family, Black Phillip, comes with such an unexpected twist that it really puts a twist on what you think the devil might be. The film ends on the darkest and most unforgettable note, with a disturbing final ritual that will confuse and haunt you to this day.
1
The Lighthouse
“Unlucky to kill a seabird!”
Main cast |
Released |
Rotten tomatoes score |
IMDb rating |
Where to stream |
---|---|---|---|---|
Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman and Logan Hawkes |
2019 |
90% |
7.4 |
HBO Max |
The lighthouse is an unparalleled masterpiece by Robert Eggers. The writer-director's sophomore effort surpasses The Witch technically, narratively, and artistically, and the film has still eclipsed everything he's accomplished since. There is a psychological aspect, an emphasis on art history and Greek mythology (particularly the sirens and the figures Proteus and Prometheus), rich symbolism drawn from folklore, and a purely disturbing and atmospheric descent into madness between two guardians of the lighthouse.
All of this is driven by the powerful performances of the only two main characters, Thomas Wake and Ephraim Winslow, played by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson respectively. A mystery unravels between the two strangers as they remain isolated at the lighthouse, and when a violent storm hits, the two become increasingly distraught and paranoid, where strange hallucinations and phenomena take over.
The rapid-fire sailor one-liners and dialogue between Dafoe and Pattinson are sharp, expertly written and very funny, generating tension, humor and shock. The lighthouse itself becomes this evil presence, representing unspeakable knowledge that can be dangerous to handle. Then, there's also a moment that directly recreates Sascha Schneider's Hypnosis, and the entire film is stylistically framed in black and white with a 1.19:1 aspect ratio.
The Lighthouse was nominated for an Oscar for its stunning cinematography, as this scale of atmosphere and environmental storytelling is difficult to capture so effectively in film. The final shot, once again, is graphic and heartbreaking and will stick in your mind. And truly, this is one of those rare films that talks about what cinema and cinema are and should be studied.

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