After helming wildly acclaimed A24 movies The Witch and The Lighthouse, Robert Eggers was back in the scene this April with his Viking action saga The Northman. With only three features in his filmography so far, Eggers has established himself as one of the most original voices in Hollywood today.
Even though all of his movies are distinct from each other, recurring themes in Eggers' work include period settings and subversions of existing folklore and mythology. Hence, several classics in the fantasy and supernatural horror genre are perfect streaming picks for admirers of his movies.
Conan The Barbarian (1982)
Stream On Starz
Hailed as one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's best movies, Conan The Barbarian is a classic in the swords-and-sandals genre. Inspired by the works of Robert E. Howard, the movie plays out as a basic revenge story with the titular protagonist unleashing a cycle of violence against the invaders who massacred his family. But the grand scale and the quintessential '80s nature of the movie make it a movie worth revisiting for fantasy and action aficionados.
For those who admired the grandiose and hyperviolent nature of The Northman, Conan The Barbarian makes for essential viewing. After all, Eggers has himself gone on record to admit that the 1982 movie heavily influenced his own latest feature.
Hereditary (2018)
Stream On Kanopy
Hereditary is not just a horror movie with undertones of paganism but also a grueling family drama that tests the limits of personal relationships. The plot kicks off with a dysfunctional family going haywire after a personal tragedy affects all of them. What follows is a series of innovative jump scares and a master-class in acting by Toni Colette.
With Hereditary, director Ari Aster established himself as a talent to look out for while turning distributor A24 into a reputed studio for horror. Given their knack for creating original horror movies that also focus on human emotions, Aster and Eggers can be seen as worthy peers and the poster boys of A24's best horror movies. For those who wish to get into Aster's filmography, Hereditary is the perfect starting point.
Haider (2014)
Stream On Netflix
A modern take on Hamlet set in India's conflict-ridden region of Kashmir, Haider is a Hindi-language crime thriller. The plot is the same as its source material, albeit with localized variations of the play's scenes. The desolate, snowy setting adds to the haunting nature of the movie which is easily one of the loose movie adaptations of Shakespeare plays in recent times.
Eggers' The Northman takes inspiration from Amlet, the original Scandinavian story that inspired the Bard's English play. If the movie succeeds in creating a fascination for unconventional takes on the story of Hamlet, then Haider is the way to go.
Kameradschaft (1931)
Stream On HBO Max
Kameradschaft (or Comradeship as the English title goes) is a claustrophobic survival tale set in the context of a mine collapse. In a mine right on the edge of France and Germany, French workers get trapped under an explosion's rubble. Now, it is up to a team of German miners to rescue them, ignoring the cultural rivalries their respective countries have.
All in all, Kameradschaft is a hopeful take on cross-cultural unity. But with its closed setting and realistic storyline, it also serves as an exploration of human psychology in situations of stress. This is why it makes for a good watch after a "cabin fever" classic like Robert Eggers' Oscar-nominated psychological thriller The Lighthouse.
Mother! (2017)
Stream On Prime Video
The best of Daren Aronofsky's movies meander between the lines of character-driven drama and psychological horror. In Mother, the auteur explores similar themes with his unique adaptation of the Bible. Playing out as an allegorical tale of motherhood, the nightmarish experience goes on to incorporate lore from Abel's death at the hands of Cain to the birth of Jesus Christ.
Aronofsky's exploration of a scripture like the Bible is perfect for fans of Eggers' work as the latter also has a habit for developing new takes on existing mythologies and folklore. For instance, The Witch incorporated ideas from the Salem Witch Trial records and European folklore while The Northman draws heavily from Scandinavian mythology. Traces of Greek mythology can also be found in The Lighthouse.
Antichrist (2009)
Stream On Criterion Channel
A gut-wrenching experimental horror that is bound to polarize audiences, Lars Von Trier is in his controversial best with Antichrist. The movie explores the breakdown of a couple's marriage as they embark on a sensual getaway in an Eden-like forest. However, this turns out to be an exercise in self-destruction with the narrative throwing in shocking instances of violence and nudity that might be artistic for some or downright grotesque for others.
Eggers' experiments with such gratuitous content is different but Antichrist would still be an interesting case study. Further, much like The Lighthouse, the script involves only two characters and their eventual descent into chaos. Both movies also offer some of Willem Defoe's most iconic roles.
Valhalla Rising (2009)
Stream On AMC+ Amazon Channel
When it comes to movies focusing on ultra-violent Viking adventures with a dash of mythology, Valhalla Rising is an easy pick. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, the film is a Danish production that focuses on a Norse man's quest for revenge. As he seeks to find new allies, he comes across a group of Christian Crusaders along with whom he embarks on a marine journey plagued with dark visions.
Valhalla Rising has equal doses of period action and mythological fantasy to satisfy fans of multiple genres. With a controlled performance by Mikkelsen as the lead character One-Eye, his character is quite comparable to Alexander Sarsgaard's Amlet in The Northman. Even the wintry color scheme makes The Northman a spiritual successor to Valhalla Rising.
Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)
Stream On Kanopy
Nosferatu, the earliest of Dracula adaptations from 1922, is an undisputed trendsetter in the horror genre. Even in terms of artistic merit, it set a benchmark for German Expressionism. So, naturally, it was a Herculean task for Werner Herzog to remake Nosferatu in a modern color format. And the result is an equally intriguing take on the same story that balances style with substance.
Herzog's courage to offer his own spin on a familiar horror tale like this would remind modern audiences of Eggers' cinematic takes on established lore. In fact, Eggers himself loves the original Nosferatu so much that he had even planned to remake it himself, according to IndieWire. Maybe, in the future, his version would be a perfect companion to Herzog's remake.
The Green Knight (2021)
Stream On Showtime
Arthurian legends and their subsequent film adaptations often focus on the masculinity and valor of the knights in focus. The Green Knight subverts this portrayal with a fantasy story that also highlights the human side of these warriors. Dev Patel's Sir Gawain wishes to prove his bravery with a trial by combat and Tolkien-like adventures. But deep down, he is also humanized with scenes that show his fear and confusion.
David Lowery's brilliant exploration of this character is comparable to how Eggers treats his muscular Viking hero in The Northman. Even in a movie like The Witch, Eggers tries to stray away from the cliched antagonism associated with witches and offers more context behind a countryside girl's eventual metamorphosis into a witch. Such modern takes on old tales are reflective of the present-day audience's changing mindset.
The Wicker Man (1973)
Rent On Apple TV+
When it comes to movies with occultist and pagan themes, the original Wicker Man is a must-watch. The movie starts off as an investigative thriller with a law enforcer pursuing a cult on a Scottish island. Aiming to recover a missing child, the protagonist goes through frivolous displays of sexual activities and rituals that border on pagan territory.
The landscape shots and the ominous nature of the locals make the island of Summerisle an integral character in itself. This exercise in world-building will impress horror fans of Eggers who has always focused on creating atmosphere-rich storylines, be it in the 17th century New England town in The Witch, the solitary tower in The Lighthouse, or the Icelandic outdoors of The Northman.