My personal ranking of Egger’s films
Okay I know this conversation has been posted here many many times but I feel like I finally nailed down my personal ranking of his films:
- The Lighthouse
What more needs to be said, this Is Egger’s at his most unhinged and unshackled. The cinematography and atmosphere is simply breathtaking and every single shot feels vital to the film.
Pattinson and DaFoe give some of the best performances of their careers and are completely in their element. Egger’s was able to bring out some breathtaking acting from them.
The film itself lives and dies from its eccentricities- honestly it can be a bit of a tough watch the first time around. The mystery surrounding the story is bewildering at first admittedly. However the slow burn buildup of conflict between the two men is so well done that you don’t even realize how truly insane the situation has gotten until you’re deep in it with them.
I truly cannot say enough how much I love this movie. He set the bar incredibly high with this one and honestly I’m not sure when or if he’ll ever be able to top it.
- The Northman
This film being number is controversial to say the least. To some of yall this is his best movie, to others it’s a complete waste of time. Personally I find the overall “simplicity” of the movie, along with the restraint he used as far as his directorial quirks, makes it a very solid watch. The tone was bleak and uncompromising, it didn’t try to reinvent the wheel or convolute itself to please arthouse snobs, it was just a story of revenge through and through.
Amleth has been discussed many times before, some seeing him as the actual antagonist to the film, and others seeing him as flawed hero. I appreciate that Egger’s didn’t try to reduce the film into a simple “good vs evil” story, nor did he unnecessarily bloat the film with a bunch of moral gachas.
It’s a simple film at its core- Amleth has one goal, revenge. Will the revenge consume him? Is his will strong enough to carry through on his promise? Will his values crack under duress or new revelations? Can he learn to live without it and shake the threads of fate?
Admittedly the film has some awkwardness to it- I personally find ATJ’s performance kind of flat in this movie, despite adoring her as an actress. There is a noticeable lack of charisma from any character in this movie- but that seemed very intentional to me. I don’t believe you’re supposed to like any of the characters in the film, nor root for one over the other. It’s like watching a runaway car on a collision course to a group of pedestrians- shocking, horrific, and somehow inevitable despite it being somewhat preventable.
The movie is a tragedy, and delivers well upon that premise.
- the VVitch
When people hear the name Robert Eggers, this is the film they think of. If you weren’t around at the time it’s hard to explain how intensely and how quickly this movie exploded onto the scene. I’m giving credit where credit is due right now at the start- this film is a cultural milestone. Even if Egger’s subsequent works had all flopped- nobody could take away his accolades for this film.
It’s dreary, dreadful, and downright oppressive. It’s a slow burn with very little up and downs in terms of action or excitement- it simply just forces you to endure the same monotonous trudge into hell that the family experienced.
Admittedly, at times I do find the movie a bit of a bore, but the first 3/4ths of the movie is all in service to setting up a bleak climax.
Very solid movie, only slightly overshadowed by his following works in my personal opinion. Although, nobody could ever be faulted for having this one at the top of their list.
Also- Black Phillip 🐐
- Nosferatu
I want to state this right at the top- this is a fantastic film and I very much enjoyed it. However, when compared against Egger’s other works it’s hard to see it as anything more than just “fine”.
The cinematography and color grading of this movie was amazing. The movie was absolutely gorgeous despite it being so bleak and dark. The actors did their jobs well, however none were even close to reaching the heights Pattinson and DaFoe achieved in Lighthouse. Even DaFoe, being the recurring cast member he is, seemed far less riveting in this film than his usual appearances.
The story itself was simple- Egger’s didn’t take any risks and the film noticeably lacked a lot of his eccentricity. He very clearly restrained himself in order to ensure the film could be appreciated by a wider audience, and in turn generate more revenue.
I think he did the story justice and brought Nosferatu back into modern culture- however it just doesn’t grip me nearly as much as his others. It’s clear he wanted to make the movie, and was very interested in the subject matter, but in the end played it too safe and ended up in a situation where neither side of the fence was particularly enamored by it. General audiences still found the film too “arthouse” for their liking, despite the restraint he exhibited, while die hard fans sorely missed Egger’s cutting loose.
In my personal opinion, the film is fine. It’s a solid movie, I’ll never say no to watching it, but when I get the urge to watch an Egger’s film- I do not think of Nosferatu first.