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Willem Dafoe

Actor

 
Loveless, TheLoveless, The (1981) Recommended
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)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 FireStreets 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.To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) Recommended
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…
PlatoonPlatoon (1986) Recommended
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, TheLast Temptation of Christ, The (1988) Recommended
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 BurningMississippi Burning (1988) Recommended
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 SpiritTriumph 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 HeartWild 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 EvidenceBody 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 SleeperLight Sleeper (1992) Recommended
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 SandsWhite 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)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 DangerClear and Present Danger (1994) Recommended
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…
VictoryVictory (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…
AfflictionAffliction (1997) Aro Favourite
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 BridgeLulu 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, TheBoondock 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 PsychoAmerican 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 VampireShadow of the Vampire (2000) Recommended
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 FactoryAnimal Factory (2000) Recommended
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-ManSpider-Man (Spiderman) (2002) Recommended
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 FocusAuto Focus (2002) Recommended
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 MexicoOnce 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, TheReckoning, 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, TheClearing, 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…
ControlControl (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, TheLife Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The (2004) Recommended
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 LevelxXx - 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…
ManderlayManderlay (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 ManInside Man (2006) Recommended
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 DreamzAmerican 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'aimeParis, Je T'aime (Paris, I Love You) (2006) Recommended
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 HolidayMr. 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 TalesGo 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…
AnamorphAnamorph (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 GardenFireflies 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 ResurrectedAdam 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. FoxFantastic Mr. Fox (2009) Aro Favourite
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…
AntichristAntichrist (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…
DaybreakersDaybreakers (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 AssistantCirque 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…
FarewellFarewell (2009) Recommended
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?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, TheHunter, The (2011) Recommended
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 CarterJohn 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 TracksBoot 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 FurnaceOut 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…
NymphomaniacNymphomaniac (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, TheGrand Budapest Hotel, The (2014) Aro Favourite
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, TheFault in Our Stars, The (2014) Recommended
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 ManA Most Wanted Man (2014) Recommended
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 WickJohn Wick (2014) Recommended
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 DogDog 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, TheGreat 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…
MountainMountain (2017) Aro Favourite
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 ExpressMurder 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 MondayWhat 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, TheFlorida Project, The (2017) Aro Favourite
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…
AquamanAquaman (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 GateAt 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, TheLighthouse, The (2019) Aro Favourite
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 BrooklynMotherless 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 AlleyNightmare 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 HomeSpider-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, TheNorthman, 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…

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