Willem Dafoe
Actor
Loveless, The (1981)
- Dir. Kathryn Bigelow, Monty Montgomery
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Robert Gordon, Marin Kanter
- A brooding, fetishised love–letter to the motorcycle movies of the 1950s (THE WILD ONE et al), with a bike gang having a troubled interlude in…
Hitchhiker, The (TV Series) (1983)
- Feat. Page Fletcher, Gary Busey, Peter Coyote…
- An early HBO series of mystery–thriller stories, related only by the character of The Hitchhiker (Page Fletcher), who introduces and closes…
Streets of Fire (1984)
- Dir. Walter Hill
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Michael Pare, Rick Moranis…
- Surprise hit is an unusual blending of motorcycles, 50s rock'n'roll melodrama and tough, futuristic street action. Lane plays a pop diva who is…
To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
- Dir. William Friedkin
Feat. William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow
- Super–charged policier with slimeball cop Petersen on the trail of big–time counterfeiters led by Dafoe. Swirlingly paced, with a car…
Platoon (1986)
- Dir. Oliver Stone
Feat. Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen
- This film won the Best Picture Oscar for its compelling and sincere account of the Vietnam, also ushering the era of 1980s film reappraisals of the…
Last Temptation of Christ, The (1988)
- Dir. Martin Scorsese
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey…
- Brave, earnest film controversial for its assumption that Christ suffered from mortal doubt when chosen to carry God's message. Willem Dafoe plays…
Mississippi Burning (1988)
- Dir. Alan Parker
Feat. Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe
- Three boys mysteriously disappear in Ku Klux Klan country in 1964. This film details the FBI investigation based on true events. A…
Triumph of the Spirit (1989)
- Dir. Robert M. Young
Feat. Willem Dafoe
- Harrowing tale of a Greek–Jewish boxer (Willem Dafoe) who is deported to Auschwitz during WW2.
Wild at Heart (1990)
- Dir. David Lynch
Feat. Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd…
- Disturbing, provocative and always stylish, the director parodies himself and many other great film–makers in this mother of all road movies.…
Body of Evidence (1992)
- Dir. Uli Edel
Feat. Madonna, Willem Dafoe, Joe Mantegna…
- Madonna does the femme fatale thing. Willem Dafoe does the lawyer whose penis clouds his judgement thing. Did she bonk the old geyser to death for…
Light Sleeper (1992)
- Dir. Paul Schrader
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Susan Sarandon, Dana Delany…
- Writer of TAXI DRIVER delivers a complex, understated character study of an ex–junkie drug–courier (Willem Dafoe) unable to escape the…
White Sands (1992)
- Dir. Roger Donaldson
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Mickey Rourke…
- When Deputy Willem Dafoe discovers a dead man and half a million bucks, we know something is mighty queer. Enter Mickey Rourke and all is explained.
Fishing with John (TV Series) (1992)
- Dir. John Lurie
Feat. Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Dennis Hopper…
- Neo–beatnik musician John Lurie hosts his own candid, off–beat TV show in which he takes a hipster celebrity pal on an exotic fishing…
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
- Dir. Phillip Noyce
Feat. Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer…
- Vulnerable hero Jack Ryan again in meatier, superior follow–up to PATRIOT GAMES that masterfully stages its action around a credible, complex…
Tom and Viv (1994)
- Dir. Brian Gilbert
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Miranda Richardson
- A moving exploration of the intense yet painful relationship between Nobel prize–winning poet T.S. Eliot (Willem Dafoe) and his lovably…
Victory (1996)
- Dir. Mark Peploe
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Irene Jacob, Sam Neill…
- Adventure film set in 1913 and based on the novel of the same name by Joseph Conrad. After attempting to rape a woman, a man living in Dutch occupied…
Affliction (1997)
- Dir. Paul Schrader
Feat. Nick Nolte, James Coburn, Sissy Spacek…
- A murder–mystery obscured in a snowbound landscape of wrecked relationships and alcoholic longings, this gets right under the skin of its…
Lulu On the Bridge (1998)
- Dir. Paul Auster
Feat. Harvey Keitel, Mira Sorvino, Willem Dafoe
- A baffling series of events beset jazz–saxophonist Harvey Keitel after a near–death experience in this hard–to–summarise,…
Boondock Saints, The (1999)
- Dir. Troy Duffy
Feat. Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman Reedus, Willem Dafoe…
- Irish–Bostonian brothers Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus become vigilante saints after knocking off some Russkie wise guys, becoming…
American Psycho (2000)
- Dir. Mary Harron
Feat. Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto…
- Mercifully sanitised adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis' controversial novel, that wallowed in the depraved mind/antics of a homicidal Wall Street…
Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
- Dir. E. Elias Merhige
Feat. John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Catherine McCormack…
- A fanciful yet elegant take on what might have transpired during the making of silent horror classic, NOSFERATU, centred around a battle of wills…
Animal Factory (2000)
- Dir. Steve Buscemi
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Edward Furlong, Tom Arnold…
- Retaining the indie principles that distinguished TREES LOUNGE, dir. Buscemi crafts unflashy, insightful drama out of ex–con Edward…
Spider-Man (Spiderman) (2002)
- Dir. Sam Raimi
Feat. Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe…
- New–improved re–spinning of the Marvel comic book superhero that finds a perfect match of material and director, and the crucially…
Auto Focus (2002)
- Dir. Paul Schrader
Feat. Greg Kinnear, Willem Dafoe
- A savvy true Hollywood story detailing the sordid life of “Hogan’s Heroes” TV star Bob Crane, whose illicit 'sex addiction' led to…
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
- Dir. Robert Rodriguez
Feat. Johnny Depp, Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek…
- The final 'installment' in dir. Rodriguez' violent Mexican trilogy (see EL MARIACHI and DESPERADO), with Banderas again the loner in a dusty town,…
Reckoning, The (2003)
- Dir. Paul McGuigan
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Paul Bettany, Vincent Cassel…
- A sober minded recreation of plague–blasted England of the Middle Ages, with Bettany cowling–up as a monk on the run who falls in with a…
Clearing, The (2004)
- Dir. Pieter Jan Brugge
Feat. Robert Redford, Willem Dafoe, Helen Mirren…
- An unusually flavoured and structured kidnapping thriller, in which wealthy entrepeneur Redford is abducted by a polite, former–employee…
Control (2004)
- Dir. Tim Hunter
Feat. Ray Liotta, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Rodriguez…
- Ray Liotta is typically compelling as an unrepentant sociopath on 'death row', who, in return for his life, agrees to become a guinea pig in a…
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The (2004)
- Dir. Wes Anderson
Feat. Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett…
- Another snorkle into the 'Cinema Absurd with Wes Anderson', delivering an intricate comedic conceit woven around a washed–up oceanographer…
xXx - The Next Level (xXx - State of the Union) (2005)
- Dir. Lee Tamahori
Feat. Ice-Cube, Willem Dafoe, Peter Strauss…
- Bridge–burning sequel to the extreme–sports–spy hit, kills off the original star (Vin Diesel) in the opening scene, before ramping…
Manderlay (2005)
- Dir. Lars Von Trier
Feat. Bryce Dallas Howard, Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe…
- Part two of Lars von Trier’s ‘USA’ trilogy reemploys DOGVILLE’s Brechtian framework of stage outlines and minimal props in the odyssey of…
Inside Man (2006)
- Dir. Spike Lee
Feat. Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster…
- Proficient, personalised heist thriller from dir. Spike Lee (25TH HOUR) in which a smooth and cold super–crim (Owen) engineers the robbery of…
American Dreamz (2006)
- Dir. Paul Weitz
Feat. Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Willem Dafoe…
- Although not fulfilling the audacious thematic ambitions signalled by its title, this media satire does conjure a watchably absurd vision of the US…
Paris, Je T'aime (Paris, I Love You) (2006)
- Dir. Olivier Assayas, Gurinder Chadha, Sylvain Chomet
Feat. Fanny Ardant, Juliette Binoche, Steve Buscemi…
- A prestige line–up of actors and filmmakers converge in this grand anthology of love letters to the city of romance. With each vignette…
Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007)
- Dir. Steve Bendelack
Feat. Rowan Atkinson, Emma de Caunes, Willem Dafoe…
- Rubber–faced Rowan Atkinson returns to the big–screen with the bumbling Bean, his most accessible, successful comic hero.
This time…
Go Go Tales (2007)
- Dir. Abel Ferrara
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Bob Hoskins, Asia Argento…
- Abel Ferrara's mouthy comedy is a welcome return to form set entirely inside the walls of a failing strip club where Willem Defoe presides as the…
Anamorph (2007)
- Dir. Henry Miller
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Scott Speedman, Clea Duvall
- Moody thriller in which Willem Dafoe plays detective to a delusional psychopath who leaves each crime scene in the style of a painting…
Fireflies In The Garden (2008)
- Dir. Dennis Lee
Feat. Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson…
- A heavyweight cast helm this drama centered on a family who finally uncover their deep–seated grievances after a tragic accident.
Despite…
Adam Resurrected (2008)
- Dir. Paul Schrader
Feat. Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi…
- Troubling tale of a former Jewish circus entertainer who was spared from the gas chamber by serving as the camp commandant's pet dog.
Based on…
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
- Dir. Wes Anderson
Feat. George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman…
- Wes Anderson’s quirky, buttoned–up sensibility is a fantastic match for Roald Dahl’s classic tale about a sly, debonair fox (George…
Antichrist (2009)
- Dir. Lars Von Trier
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg
- Delivering laughter and revulsion in equal measure, Lars von Trier’s hugely controversial psychosexual opus – about a grieving couple who retreat…
Daybreakers (2009)
- Dir. The Spierig Brothers
Feat. Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill…
- Inventive take on the vampire genre has a world populated with the fanged undead facing a food shortage with the human population rapidly dwindling.…
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009)
- Dir. Paul Weitz
Feat. Chris Massoglia, Josh Hutcherson, John C. Reilly…
- Disjointed family friendly fright fest has a teenager accidentally trigger a war between two vampire factions. Despite an excellent cast and a great…
Farewell (2009)
- Dir. Christian Carion
Feat. Guillaume Canet, Emir Kusturica, Gary Lewis…
- This riveting Cold War yarn from the dir. of JOYEUX NOEL brings to light the little–known true story of a disillusioned KGB colonel (played by…
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? (2009)
- Dir. Werner Herzog
Feat. Michael Shannon, Willem Dafoe, Chloe Sevigny…
- Dir. Werner Herzog and David Lynch as producer team up for this bizarre tale of an actor driven to murder his mother in sunny, suburban San Diego…
Hunter, The (2011)
- Dir. Daniel Nettheim
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Frances O’Connor…
- Willem Dafoe plays a mercenary sent to hunt for an endangered Tasmanian tiger in this sparse, psychological showcase of the Australian wilderness.
John Carter (2012)
- Dir. Andrew Stanton
Feat. Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton…
- Edgar Rice Burroughs's classic sci–fi novel is the basis for this hulking intergalactic adventure extravagantly financed by Disney studios,…
Boot Tracks (2012)
- Dir. David Jacobson
Feat. Stephen Dorff, Michelle Monaghan, Willem Dafoe
- Charlie Rankin, recently released from prison, seeks vengeance for his jail–house mentor William The Buddha Pettigrew. Along the way, he meets…
Out of the Furnace (2013)
- Dir. Scott Cooper
Feat. Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson…
- Christian Bale plays a destitute ex–con whose resolve to cut ties with his past is tested when his brother falls in with a notorious group of…
Nymphomaniac (Nymphomaniac: Vol. I & II) (2013)
- Dir. Lars Von Trier
Feat. Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgard, Stacy Martin…
- The controversy–baiting director Lars Von Trier's wild and poetic opus detailing a woman’s erotic journey from birth to middle age as told by…
Grand Budapest Hotel, The (2014)
- Dir. Wes Anderson
Feat. Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric…
- Dir. Wes Anderson at last marries his quirky, meticulous aesthetic to a marvellously exotic setting and characters to create arguably his finest film…
Fault in Our Stars, The (2014)
- Dir. Josh Boone
Feat. Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff…
- A pair of offbeat teengers – one terminally ill – embrace the journey of life in this sweeping teen romance based on John Green's popular…
A Most Wanted Man (2014)
- Dir. Anton Corbijn
Feat. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe…
- Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a German spy in this taut John le Carré thriller about a mysterious Chechen immigrant with possible terrorist ties.
John Wick (2014)
- Dir. Chad Stahelski, David Leitch
Feat. Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen…
- A superbly choreographed "kick–ass" thriller that appropriately resurrects Keanu Reeves as an ex–hitman who comes out of retirement to…
Dog Eat Dog (2016)
- Dir. Paul Schrader
Feat. Nicolas Cage, Willem Dafoe
- Demonstrating that age hasn't tamed him, 70–year–old director Paul Schrader delivers this frenetic, nihilistic black comedy based on the…
Great Wall, The (2016)
- Dir. Zhang Yimou
Feat. Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, Jing Tian…
- Inventive mash–up of historical epic and action fantasy places Matt Damon in China during the Song dynasty, as a European mercenary in the…
Mountain (2017)
- Dir. Jennifer Peedom
Feat. Willem Dafoe
- A reflective but adrenaline–fueled documentary exploring our timeless enchantment with mountains, in the unique form of a collaboration between…
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
- Dir. Kenneth Branagh
Feat. Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe…
- Adaptation of the novel by Agatha Christie, in the capable hands of director Kenneth Branagh, who also stars as Hercule Poirot, the renowned…
What Happened To Monday (Seven Sisters) (2017)
- Dir. Tommy Wirkola
Feat. Noomi Rapace, Glenn Close, Willem Dafoe
- By the director of DEAD SNOW and featuring a dynamic performance from Noomi Rapace as seven different characters.
A dystopian future government is…
Florida Project, The (2017)
- Dir. Sean Baker
Feat. Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Willem Dafoe
- An impoverished mother and her 6–year–old daughter are the focus of this vibrant offering from acclaimed indie director Sean Baker…
Aquaman (2018)
- Dir. James Wan
Feat. Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe…
- Bombastic superhero movie based on the DC comics character Aquaman, the half–human, half–Atlantean heir to the underwater city of…
At Eternity's Gate (2018)
- Dir. Julian Schnabel
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Mads Mikkelsen…
- Immersive, naturalistic portrait of Van Gogh during the time he lived in Arles and Auvers–sur–Oise, France. Directed by Julian Schnabel…
Lighthouse, The (2019)
- Dir. Robert Eggers
Feat. Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, Valeriia Karaman
- A brilliantly salty psychological two–hander from Robert Eggers (THE WITCH), with Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe playing a pair of…
Motherless Brooklyn (2019)
- Dir. Edward Norton
Feat. Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw…
- Handsomely mounted neo–noir crime movie, the culmination of a 20 year passion project for writer, director and star Edward Norton, based on the…
Nightmare Alley (2021)
- Dir. Guillermo Del Toro
Feat. Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette…
- Dark and stormy neo–noir thriller from director Guillermo del Toro (THE SHAPE OF WATER) about a low–ranking carnie (Bradley Cooper) who…
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Dir. Jon Watts
Feat. Tom Holland, Zendaya , Benedict Cumberbatch…
- Spider–Man adventure which acts as a sequel to both FAR FROM HOME (2019) and HOMECOMING (2017), and slots into the bloated Marvel Cinematic…
Northman, The (2022)
- Dir. Robert Eggers
Feat. Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy…
- An action–filled epic from Robert Eggers (THE LIGHTHOUSE, THE WITCH) that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s…
Boy and the Heron, The (Kimitachi wa Do Ikiru ka) (2023)
- Dir. Hayao Miyazaki
Feat. Robert Pattinson, Dave Bautista, Mark Hamill…
- A 12–year–old boy, struggles to settle in a new town after his mother's death. However, when a sinister talking heron informs him that…