Every Robert Eggers Movie Ranked, Including Nosferatu

Few modern filmmakers have established such a distinctive voice in such a short time as Robert Eggers. Since his 2015 debut with The Witch, Eggers has become synonymous with meticulously researched historical settings, psychological horror, and an uncompromising commitment to period authenticity. His films challenge audiences with archaic dialogue, complex themes, and a willingness to dive deep into humanity’s darkest corners. However,  those who dare to give Egger’s movies the attention they demand are rewarded with unforgettable stories that linger in the mind and haunt the spirit. Whether exploring religious fanaticism, masculine psychology, or ancient mythology, Eggers creates immersive experiences that echo the wicked side of human existence.

With Eggers’ fourth film, Nosferatu, opening on Christmas Day, now seems like a good time to reflect on the director’s brief filmography. Here’s every Robert Eggers film ranked from worst to best:

4. Nosferatu (2024)

Eggers’ most commercially accessible film to date still bears his unmistakable signature, even as it reimagines F.W. Murnau’s 1922 horror masterpiece. Nosferatu follows Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), a real estate agent sent to close a deal with the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). However, the film’s true heart emerges through Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), Thomas’s wife, whose connection to the vampire becomes the narrative’s driving force. 

While the first half of Nosferatu closely follows the original’s blueprint, Eggers finds his own voice by weaving in elements of Bram Stoker’s Dracula that the silent film had omitted, particularly in exploring the complex relationship between Ellen and Orlok. Depp’s captivating performance drives the film’s second half, creating a disturbing dance between predator and prey that elevates the vampire mythology. Despite some pacing issues and occasionally too-dark cinematography, the film’s final act delivers some of the most striking horror sequences in recent memory, proving that Eggers can balance his artistic vision with broader commercial appeal without sacrificing his signature attention to detail and atmosphere.

[RELATED: 7 Best Vampires in Movie History]

3. The Northman (2022)

This brutal Viking epic represents Eggers’ most ambitious project, combining meticulous historical accuracy with a primal revenge narrative. The film follows Prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), who witnesses his uncle murder his father and kidnap his mother as a child. Years later, he embarks on a blood-soaked quest for vengeance that challenges his understanding of fate and honor. 

Drawing from the same Scandinavian legend that inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Eggers creates the most comprehensive cinematic portrayal of Viking civilization ever attempted in The Northman, from its religious practices to its social structures. The film’s unflinching depiction of Norse culture refuses to romanticize its setting, instead examining how vengeance shapes both individual destiny and societal structure. The result is a visceral experience that makes most historical epics feel sanitized in comparison while still maintaining the director’s commitment to psychological complexity and thematic depth.

2. The Witch (2015)

Eggers’ debut feature announced a major new voice in horror cinema through its sophisticated exploration of religious paranoia and feminine power. Set in 1630s New England, the film follows a Puritan family banished from their colonial plantation to a remote farm bordering an ominous forest. When their infant son vanishes mysteriously, the family begins to fracture under suspicion and religious hysteria, with teenage daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) bearing the brunt of their paranoia. 

The Witch‘s commitment to period-accurate dialogue and design creates an authenticity that makes its supernatural elements all the more terrifying, while its exploration of religious fundamentalism remains painfully relevant. Taylor-Joy’s breakthrough performance captures the suffocating reality of living under patriarchal religious authority, while Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie deliver haunting portrayals of parents whose faith becomes their undoing. The film’s genius lies in how it validates both supernatural and psychological interpretations of its events, creating a complex meditation on faith, family, and liberation. Its final moments remain some of the most powerful in modern horror, offering a dark celebration of feminine rebellion against religious oppression.

1. The Lighthouse (2019)

Eggers’ The Lighthouse is a masterpiece that pushes cinema to its technical and thematic limits while telling the story of two lighthouse keepers slowly descending into madness on a remote New England island in the 1890s. Shot in stark black-and-white using vintage lenses and a nearly square aspect ratio, the film creates a claustrophobic nightmare that traps viewers alongside its protagonists. 

In The Lighthouse, Willem Dafoe plays Thomas Wake, a veteran wickie with an almost religious devotion to the lighthouse’s beacon, while Robert Pattinson portrays Ephraim Winslow, his new assistant harboring dark secrets. Their isolation becomes a pressure cooker for psychological warfare, sexual tension, and possible supernatural horror. The film’s exploration of masculine psychology and power dynamics creates a hypnotic experience that defies easy interpretation, with each viewing revealing new layers of meaning. Dafoe and Pattinson deliver career-defining performances as they spiral into maritime-flavored madness, their archaic dialogue becoming increasingly Shakespearean as reality crumbles around them. Through its technical precision, mythological depth, and thematic complexity, The Lighthouse establishes itself as a singular achievement in contemporary cinema.