Willem Dafoe – 10 Best Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 30, 2026

Willem Dafoe has been one of American cinema’s most reliable character actors for four decades, equally at home as a Marvel villain, a motel manager or Vincent van Gogh. Antichrist turns a grieving couple’s woodland retreat into one of the decade’s most punishing films, Wild at Heart chases two lovers through a surreal American South, Shadow of the Vampire wonders whether Nosferatu’s lead is a real vampire, and Nightmare Alley follows a carnival con man’s rise and fall. At Eternity’s Gate, The Lighthouse, The Florida Project, Platoon, Spider-Man and The Last Temptation of Christ round out the list.

Antichrist (2009)

TMDB ★ 6.6

A grieving couple's retreat into the woods becomes one of the most punishing films of its decade.

Directed by Lars von Trier · 1h 44m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: MUBI

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Wild at Heart (1990)

TMDB ★ 7.2

Two young lovers on the run from her deranged, controlling mother encounter a series of bizarre characters.

Directed by David Lynch · 2h 05m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

IMDb ★ 6.9 RT 82% Metacritic 71

A fictionalised account of Nosferatu's making, in which the lead actor might be an actual vampire.

Directed by E. Elias Merhige · 1h 35m · Rated R

Nominated for 2 Oscars16 wins & 30 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Nightmare Alley (2021)

TMDB ★ 6.8

An ambitious carnival worker's con-artist scheme as a fake spiritualist spirals towards his own ruin.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro · 2h 31m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV, FXNow · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

At Eternity's Gate (2018)

TMDB ★ 6.9

Willem Dafoe plays Vincent van Gogh in his final years, shot to put you inside the painter's perception.

Directed by Julian Schnabel · 1h 51m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Willem Dafoe gives a controversial, deeply human portrait of Jesus wrestling with doubt.

Directed by Martin Scorsese · 2h 44m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Spider-Man (2002)

TMDB ★ 7.3

The Green Goblin, still one of the more genuinely unhinged superhero-movie villains.

Directed by Sam Raimi · 2h 01m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV, FXNow · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Lighthouse (2019)

IMDb ★ 7.4 RT 90% Metacritic 83

Two lighthouse keepers slowly lose their minds together on an isolated rock.

Directed by Robert Eggers · 1h 49m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar33 wins & 139 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Florida Project (2017)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A childhood-poverty story told with warmth instead of misery.

Directed by Sean Baker · 1h 52m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Platoon (1986)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 89% Metacritic 92

A young soldier caught between two conflicting sergeants experiences the brutal moral chaos of the Vietnam War.

Directed by Oliver Stone · 2h 00m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars24 wins & 16 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

Willem Dafoe – 10 Best Movies

Antichrist (2009)

Wild at Heart (1990)

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

Nightmare Alley (2021)

At Eternity's Gate (2018)

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

Spider-Man (2002)

The Lighthouse (2019)

The Florida Project (2017)

Platoon (1986)

You might also like

12 Best Movies for a Solo Weekend

50 Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time

15 Best 2010s Drama Movies

10 More Best Danish Movies

16 Best 2000s Movies for a Nostalgia Trip

8 Best Movies of 1986