Here is a list of Willem Dafoe Movies.
Willem Dafoe is one of the most talented American actors of all time. His strong stage presence and ability to adapt different acting styles and different genres sets him apart from other actors.
Some of the best known Willem Dafoe Movies include; Spider Man 1, 2 and Aquaman 1. In case you like to watch action movies, I assure you that Willem Dafoe Movies and TV Shows hit different.
Without further ado, here is a list of Willem Dafoe Movies in order. Happy viewing later on!
Spider Man
Spider Man 1 and 2 are my best Willem Dafoe Movies.
Willem Dafoe assumes the role of the Green Goblin. He is the villain and the main rival to Peter Parker (Spiderman).
The Green Goblin is able to put up a fight with Spiderman because he possesses supernatural strength as a result of the Goblin Formula. Through out Spider Man 1 and 2 we see Green Goblin and Spiderman at logger heads.
This sci-fi film is 2 hours 1 minute long and has a rating of 7.4/10 on IMDb and a score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Poor Things 2023
Poor Things comes from Dafoe’s heartfelt performance. In Bella’s life, Willem Dafoe plays the brilliant scientist and father figure, Dr. Godwin Baxter.
Wearing voluminous makeup and set against surrealist backdrops, Dafoe portrays Godwin’s sincere affection for Bella and the reasons behind his immense satisfaction in her growth into a unique individual.
This sci-fi film is 2 hours 21 minutes long and has a rating of 7.9/10 on IMDb and a score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Finding Nemo 2003
Dafoe’s gruff voice perfectly brought the character Gill to life in this Pixar classic.
He is the fish’s leader, giving Nemo the courage to help them escape the dentist’s aquarium.
I mean, is it someone else saying, “shark bait”?
In case you are looking for animated Willem Dafoe Movies, this is a good movie to star with.
The adventure animation film is 1 hour 41 minutes long and has a rating of 8.2/10 on IMDb and a score of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Antichrist 2009
Following the death of their kid, Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg portray a couple who take up residence in a secluded cabin. But it’s not that easy in a film helmed by Lars von Trier; it takes work. The two are referred to as He and She in the movie.
The characters, played by Dafoe and Gainsbourg, go to some pretty dark places to cope with their guilt and grief (the infant died while the couple was having sex). Even before then, Dafoe’s character starts to meet a fox who informs him that “chaos reigns.”
If his portrayal of Green Goblin in the “Spider-Man” franchise didn’t tell you, Dafoe is fond of insane roles.
The mystery movie has a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, a rating of 6.5/10 on IMDb, and a score of 54% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The English Patient 1996
Willem Dafoe plays a Canadian operator in this best picture winner who is tortured by the Germans during World War II and has his thumbs amputated. Years into his pursuit for vengeance, it brings him to Ralph Fiennes’ character, a burned-out cartographer.
The sequences starring Dafoe and Fiennes in this epic tale comprise only one plotline, but their exchanges are unforgettable.
The romance/war movie is 2 hours 42 minutes long and has a rating of 7.4/10 on IMDb and a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Florida Project 2017
The Florida Project 2017 is another incredible film that cannot miss to be part of Willem Dafoe Movies
In this Sean Baker independent film, Dafoe plays the sympathetic proprietor of a dilapidated motel located in Florida, not far from Walt Disney World, by the name Bobby Hicks. The film has earned him an Oscar nomination.
Even though the film centers on Brooklyn Prince, a bright six-year-old, and her adventures at the hotel, Dafoe portrays the role of the authority figure in her life well. But even he succumbs to her charms.
The drama film is 1 hour 51 minutes long and has a rating of 7.6/10 on IMDb and a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Last Temptation of Christ 1988
In the intensely contentious epic directed by Martin Scorsese, Dafoe portrayed Jesus Christ in a spellbinding performance that showed us him being seduced by immoral ideas and even tricked by Satan into believing he is not the Messiah.
Irrespective of the criticism surrounding the film, Dafoe’s performance is undeniably fascinating.
The drama film is 2 hours 44 minutes long and has a rating of 7.5/10 on IMDb and a score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.
At Eternity’s Gate 2018
Dafoe’s most recent Oscar nomination stemmed from his outstanding performance as Vincent van Gogh in this film.
Set in the painter’s later years, Dafoe masterfully depicts the man grappling with his inner demons and trying to make sense of his art.
The fiction movie is 1 hour 51 minutes long and has a rating of 6.9/10 on IMDb and a score of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou 2004
Despite appearing in several Wes Anderson films, Dafoe’s performance in “Zissou” remains his most significant.
You can tell Dafoe is having a great time on screen as he plays Klaus Daimler, the first mate of oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray), a devoted teammate who views him as a father figure.
The comedy movie is 1 hour 59 minutes long and has a rating of 7.2/10 on IMDb and a score of 57% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Lighthouse 2019
One of Dafoe’s best performances comes in Robert Eggers’ masterfully chaotic film, which stars him (as Thomas Wake)and Robert Pattinson as lighthouse keepers who gradually go insane.
It’s entertaining to watch the actors go back and forth, attempting to outdo each other on an insane scale.
The horror film is 1 hour 50 minutes long and has a rating of 7.4/10 on IMDb and a score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Mississippi Burning 1998
This critically praised film examines the Freedom Summer killings of 1964 when three Black men active in the Civil Rights movement were killed and set ablaze after being taken into custody by the police.
Gene Hackman and Dafoe (Alan Ward) play FBI agents looking into what transpired. Despite being decades younger than Hackman, Dafoe’s performance as the agent in command of the inquiry stands out among the two excellent actors. Their performances have some lively encounters as a result.
The mystery film is 2 hours 8 minutes long and has a rating of 7.8/10 on IMDb and a score of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Platoon 1986
Platoon 1986 is one of the earliest Willem Dafoe Movies.
Playing Elias, a Vietnam War sergeant whose rivalry with another sergeant (Tom Berenger) leads to his death — one of the most famous deaths in movie history — Dafoe received his first-ever Oscar nomination for this critically acclaimed Oliver Stone film, which is regarded as one of the best war movies of all time.
As his battalion takes off, believing Elias dead, he unexpectedly emerges from the forest, fleeing from enemy forces. Before he can be saved in a stunning slow-motion video, he is eventually gunned down.
The war film is 2 hours long and has a rating of 8.1/10 on IMDb and a score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Shadow of the Vampire 2000
Max Schreck, played by Dafoe in this fictitious account of the shooting of the iconic silent horror film “Nosferatu,” is the actor who plays the vampire in F.W. Murnau’s film and never deviates from the character during filming.
With his long fingernails that click whenever he moves his fingers enthusiastically and prosthetics that make him appear unidentifiable, Dafoe enjoys playing the eerie part.
This horror/drama film is 1 hour 32 minutes long and has a rating of 6.9/10 on IMDb and a score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Streets of Fire 1984
Rock music, dystopian science fiction, 1950s teen movies, and steampunk action scenes are all creatively combined in Streets of Fire. In Streets of Fire, a film set in a vaguely dystopian future when motorcycle gangs rule a criminalized version of Richmond, Dafoe gives one of his most terrifying performances as the cunning biker Raven.
In a breakthrough performance that demonstrated his versatility as a character actor, Dafoe makes the most of this part, which requires him to chew scenery. Even though Streets of Fire blends many genres, the director distills his inspirations into a coherent whole.
This action film is 1 hour 33 minutes long and has a rating of 6.7/10 on IMDb and a score of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Wild at Heart 1990
The lovers Sailor and Lula are the center of attention in this macabre twist on a road trip love story, as they evade evildoers like Bobby Peru, played by Dafoe. Although Dafoe’s strange, surrealist performance wouldn’t have worked in a typical criminal thriller, Lynch’s film has great ambition. Thus, Dafoe’s eccentricity is suitable—possibly the most hateful antagonist in his career in Peru.
This crime film is 2 hours 4 minutes long and has a rating of 7.2/10 on IMDb and a score of 65% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Boondock Saints 1999
A total tonal jumble, The Boondock Saints accomplishes little more than glorify gun violence and ridiculously masculine stereotypes. However, Dafoe’s portrayal of FBI Agent Paul Smecker—entrusted with finding the brothers Murphy and Connor MacManus—is the most enjoyable in the movie.
Willem Dafoe devotes much effort to the ridiculous material; in one moment, Smeck dramatizes a chaotic gunfight. It isn’t easy to picture The Boondock Saints without Dafoe’s direct involvement, even if the series spawned an uninspiring sequel and will return for a third film. Action movie fans will find The Boondock Saints an enjoyable guilty pleasure film thanks to his work alone.
This action film is 1 hour 48 minutes long and has a rating of 7.6/10 on IMDb and a score of 26% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Dog Eat Dog 2016
Willem Dafoe gives a very disturbing yet darkly humorous performance in Dog Eat Dog. He appears as a dangerous criminal who goes by the nickname “Mad Dog,” working with the ex-con Roy to find ransom money.
Though Dafoe’s acting is so ridiculous that it’s difficult not to chuckle at its sheer boldness, Dog Eat Dog tries to shock the audience.
This crime film is 1 hour 33 minutes long and has a rating of 4.8/10 on IMDb and a score of 51% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Vox Lux 2018
The two distinct parts of the movie revolve around the ascent and decline of pop sensation Celeste. Through voiceovers, Dafoe connects the film and provides insightful analyses of Celeste’s career as the narrator. Vox Lux is given crucial context by Dafoe’s voiceovers, which makes it easier for the audience to understand Corbet’s somewhat existential themes. Dafoe’s outstanding performance in the peculiar speech adds an unsettling element to the movie, which alternates from being entirely realistic and wildly imaginative between scenes.
This musical film is 1 hour 54 minutes long and has a rating of 5.8/10 on IMDb and a score of 62% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Siberia 2021
In this surrealist horror movie, Dafoe plays the reclusive Clint, who muses over his life experiences while holed up in a remote cabin during the dead of winter. Flashbacks at some parts of the movie give viewers background information about Clint’s past, but Dafoe’s internalized performance drives most of Siberia.
Because of Dafoe’s part, Siberia is highly dynamic, even though its depiction of bodily horror reaches some unsettling depths. Despite his somewhat unclear past and weak personality, he makes the audience feel sorry for Clint.
This horror film is 1 hour 32 minutes long and has a rating of 4.8/10 on IMDb and a score of 64% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Inside 2023
Inside is one of the latest Willem Defoe Movies.
The sole primary actor in the psychological suspense film Inside is Nemo (Dafoe). Inside, which takes place inside a lavish high-rise apartment in Manhattan, stars Dafoe as a gifted burglar who becomes stuck after his attempted break-in goes wrong. When Dafoe’s character loses sight of reality, what starts as a straightforward robbery thriller becomes a far more sinister endeavor.
Inside is a testament to Dafoe’s distinct appeal that the movie is as engaging as it is, with flashbacks revealing personal information about his infancy and upbringing entwined with his survival efforts.
This thriller film is 1 hour 45 minutes long and has a rating of 5.5/10 on IMDb and a score of 62% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Point to Note: Watch out for Beetle Juice!
Frequently Asked Questions About Willem Dafoe
What was Willem Dafoe’s best performance?
Willem Dafoe’s Best Performances: ‘Spider-Man,’ ‘The Lighthouse,’ ‘Platoon,’ and More.
What movie made Willem Dafoe famous?
Willem Dafoe received his first recognizable award through “Platoon” in 1986.
Does Willem Dafoe have a Hollywood star?
Willem Dafoe has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.