Werner Herzog is one of the most noteworthy filmmaking personalities around. Though many people might now recognize him for his memorable appearance as The Client in Season 1 of The Mandalorian, Herzog has built most of his career behind the camera as an acclaimed director.
With a career that spans several decades, Herzog has dozens of fascinating and challenging movies on his filmography. He is known for his insightful and beautiful documentaries as well as his ambitious and thrilling narrative works. Looking at his top-rated movies as a director, you might not recognize every title, but it is a great introduction to a brilliant filmmaker.
Encounters At The End Of The World (2007) - 7.7
Herzog has a talent for capturing some of the most awe-inspiring images of the natural world. Encounter at the End of the World is a documentary in which he travels to a remote part of Antarctica to explore the land and the people who live there.
The frozen and sometimes volatile land is truly remarkable as seen in this movie. Herzog explores above and below the ice of this forgotten area of the world that makes it look almost like something on another planet.
The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser (1974) - 7.8
Herzog adapted his own book which itself is based on an incredible true story. Kaspar Hauser is a young man who suddenly appeared in Nuremberg in 1828 with a note pinned to his chest. It explained he was a prisoner in a dungeon for many years and is now released for unknown reasons.
The story follows Kaspar as he is taken in by a benefactor who helps him to learn to walk and talk again while slowly reintroducing him to society. It is a fascinating story of a real-world mystery.
Grizzly Man (2005) - 7.8
Grizzly Man remains one of Herzog's most famous documentaries, and it is truly an unforgettable experience. Herzog explores the life of Timothy Treadwell, an amateur bear expert who lived among bears for many years until he and his partner were killed by a grizzly in 2003.
Herzog uses footage shot by Treadwell himself to explore the compassionate life of this eccentric individual and the circumstances of his tragic death. The most harrowing scene in the film shows Herzog listening to the tape that recorded the fatal bear attack and the profound effect it has on the filmmaker.
My Best Friend (1999) - 7.9
One of the most fascinating relationships in the history of filmmaking was between Herzog and actor Klaus Kinski. The pair made five films together and maintained a sometimes turbulent relationship. My Best Friend is Herzog's documentary that explores this long and complicated relationship.
The film is a very honest look at both of these men. Herzog revisits various sites on which the friends filmed their movies and reminisces about their time together. In the end, it is an unorthodox yet loving tribute.
Stroszek (1977) - 7.9
Though Herzog is mostly known for his intense films, he showed a somewhat lighter side with the comedy Stroszek. The story follows a man named Bruno who is released from prison and joins forces with a lonely prostitute and his eccentric neighbor to seek out a better life in Wisconsin.
The movie might not be a light-hearted comedy, but it is quite funny. It is a fish-out-of-water story like only Herzog could deliver, with plenty of absurdity and colorful characters.
Aguirre, Wrath Of God (1972) - 7.9
The ambitious epic Aguirre, Wrath of God shows the scope of storytelling Herzog can manage. The film stars his muse, Klaus Kinski, as a deranged man seeking out the lost city of El Dorado, leading a Spanish expedition in a destructive search that could end in their doom.
Herzog takes a minimalist approach to the story with little dialogue throughout. It helps create the feeling of madness that this journey is all about. The film was hailed by many as a masterpiece of the arthouse world.
Land Of Silence And Darkness (1971) - 8.0
Herzog may be known for astonishing visuals, but he has a real talent for telling very human stories, especially through his documentaries. Land of Silence and Darkness follows an old woman who has lived nearly all her life both deaf and blind while helping others in the same situation.
The movie is an emotional, compelling, and thought-provoking examination of a group of people who are isolated from the world in a way that is hard for most of us to even imagine.
Lessons Of Darkness (1992) - 8.0
Lessons of Darkness is a documentary looking at the oil fields of Kuwait as they were set on fire. It is a tale of destruction told with no narration or interviews.
The approach to the film is effective and powerful, with the hellish images of the field of flames providing more than enough to tell a compelling story. It is a look at war from the point of view of nature.
Little Dieter Needs To Fly (1997) - 8.0
Before Herzog made the war film Rescue Dawn starring Christian Bale, he told this amazing true story in the form of a documentary in Little Dieter Needs to Fly. The movie interviews German-American Dieter Dengler, a navy pilot who was shot down and captured during the Vietnam War.
Dieter tells the story of his time in the war as well as his imprisonment. He returns to the site where he was held captive and recreates his harrowing escape for the cameras.
Fitzcarraldo (1982) - 8.1
Reteaming with Klaus Kinski yet again, Herzog made one of the most ambitious and astounding movies of all time. Fitzcarraldo stars Kinski as Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, a man obsessed with opera who decides to construct an opera house in the middle of the jungle.
The behind-the-scenes stories are as thrilling and wild as the film itself, as Herzog's own wild ambitions mirror those of the protagonist. The result is an unforgettable and surreal journey into the jungle.