A longstanding and well respected Hollywood staple,Willem Dafoeis one of modern cinema’s most prominent success stories. A frequent collaborator with acclaimed filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Robert Eggers, and Yorgos Lanthimos,Dafoe’s best movieshave earned him four Academy Award nominations to date across the course of a long and storied career, with the actor featuring across virtually every genre of film imaginable. However, while Dafoe’s career may be thriving, the same cannot be said for many of his film characters.
Much likeThe Lord of the Rings’star Sean Bean, the actor’s dramatic charges have an unfortunate habit of dying before the credits roll, often in comically brutal fashion. Dafoe is more than aware of the status quo when it comes to hischaracters' frequent movie deaths, admitting in an interview with Empire magazine that he loves watching his characters bite the dust onscreen. Accordingly, with a host of options to choose from, narrowing downWillem Dafoe’s greatest movie death is quite the challenge.
Shadow of the Vampire
Cast
Shadow Of The Vampire is a horror comedy film that reimagines the making of the 1922 German silent film Nosferatu. The film stars John Malkovich as F.W. Murnau, the director of Nosferatu, and Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck, the actor playing the vampire Count Orlok. The story takes a fictionalized approach to the filming of Nosferatu, suggesting that Schreck was actually a real vampire.
It’s somewhat ironic that Willem Dafoe’s bow in 2000’sShadow of the Vampirestands as one of his more obscure roles, particularly given the fact that the actor received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination off the back of his performance. The movie chronicles a fictionalized account behind the making of 1922’sNosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, with the additional twist that the actor charged with playing the movie’s Count Orlok turns out to be a real vampire.
10 Gothic Vampire Movies To Watch Before Robert Eggers' Nosferatu
Ranging from cinematic classics to contemporary standouts, the best movies to prepare audiences for horror maestro Robert Eggers' fourth feature film.
Taking on the role of the aforementioned Max Schreck, Dafoe turns in one of his most chilling performances to carry the movie in impressive fashion. Appropriately for the star of the show, Schreck also goes out in memorable style,burned to a crisp in the sunlight against the backdrop of an unforgettably unhinged rant from John Malkovich’s Frederich Murnauto conclude the film.
At Eternity’s Gate
At Eternity’s Gate portrays the final years of Vincent van Gogh, the renowned yet troubled artist, as he resides in Arles, France. The film explores his creative process and the profound connection he establishes with the landscapes that inspire his iconic paintings.
Earning rave reviews off the strength of his raw performance, Willem Dafoe’s bow as iconic Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh in 2018’sAt Eternity’s Gatesaw the actor receive his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor. The movie also offers a dramatized theory behind the painter’s mysterious death; while van Gogh is widely acknowledged to have shot himself,At Eternity’s Gatedepicts his demise as accidental manslaughter rather than suicide.
Shadow of the Vampire(2000)
At Eternity’s Gate(2018)
Best Actor
It’s a creative decision that invites haunting introspection about whether one of the most talented human beings in the history of civilization died in a freak accident rather than as a result of his own demons. It’s an exceedingly evocative demise to boot, with Dafoe’s charge poignantly electing to take responsibility for the gunshot as a self-inflicted wound rather than blaming the real culprits;two young boys who were playing at cowboys-and-Indians.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
From director Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel stars Ralph Fiennes as Gustave H., the renowned concierge of the film’s titular hotel. Fiennes is joined by Tony Revolori as Zero, a newly hired bellhop who serves as Gustave’s partner-in-crime throughout the film. An older Zero, played by F. Murray Abraham, serves as the narrator for the story, which chronicles the adventures of Gustave and Zero after Gustave is framed for the murder of the wealthy Madame D., his patron and lover.
Earning nine Academy Award nominations upon release in 2014,The Grand Budapest Hotelis widely regarded asWes Anderson’s best movie. The film also marked the third collaboration between the director and Willem Dafoe, with the actor stepping into the menacing boots of J.G. Jopling. A ruthless henchman and assassin in the employ of Adrien Brody’s Dmitri Desgoffe-und-Taxis, Jopling relentlessly hunts Zero and Gustave in pursuit of the priceless painting,Boy with Apple.
Asteroid City(2023)
Saltzburg Keitel
Regrettably, for the sinister hit man, that’s exactly how he meets his end. Jopling shuffles off his mortal coil in a darkly comical sequence that exemplifies the whimsical tone of Anderson’s picture perfectly, withZero pushing him off a cliff from behind as Dafoe’s charge attempts to dislodge a dangling Gustave.Disappearing over the precipice with a howl of comical despair, even the most cynical of viewers will have a hard time keeping a straight face during this one.
John Wick
John Wick is a 2014 action thriller featuring Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman. The film follows John Wick as he emerges from retirement to avenge the loss inflicted by a group of gangsters, setting the stage for a relentless pursuit and exploration of a shadowy underworld.
Willem Dafoe possesses such an extensive filmography that it’s easy to forget that he had a role in one of the most successful action franchises of all time. The 69-year-old playedsupporting cast member Marcusin 2014’sJohn Wick, an elite assassin and marksman who served as a mentor to Keanu Reeves' titular character. Unfortunately, this proves to be his downfall, withJohn’s old friend tortured and killed on the orders of Michael Nyqvist’s Viggo Tarasovfor double-crossing him.
Led by Ana de Armas,John Wickspin-offBallerinais slated for release on August 08, 2025.
In one of Dafoe’s most badass death sequences, Marcus meets his end on his own terms, breaking free from his tormentors and taking out two guards before being gunned down and finished off by Tarasov. Despite the indignity of his character being savagely tortured beforehand, Dafoe goes out with a bang, departing theJohn Wickuniverse with an epic sign-off for the ages.
The Card Counter
The Card Counter, directed by Paul Schrader, follows William Tell, a former soldier turned gambler who excels in counting cards. Oscar Isaac stars as Tell, a man haunted by his past and seeking redemption. As he navigates the world of high-stakes poker, he encounters a young man seeking revenge and a mysterious financier. The film explores themes of guilt, justice, and personal reparation.
An acclaimed 2021 crime drama spearheaded by Oscar Isaac as gambler William Tell, Dafoe takes on the principal role ofThe Card Counter’slead villain. TheSpider-Manstar portrays Tell’s nemesis, Major John Gordo, a"civilian consultant"guilty of perpetrating war crimes in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison. Convicted for his participation at Abu Ghraib while Dafoe’s charge walked free, Isaac’s charge eventually gets his revenge on Gordo, taking out his foe with his bare hands during the movie’s final act.
The two men can be heard roaring in pain as they struggle for superiority, with a bloodied and wounded Tell eventually emerging victorious.
While his brutal end takes place off-screen, Gordo’s demise represents one of Dafoe’s most memorable deaths because, despite not being able to see anything,the audience can hear every single bit of the pair’s “dramatic reenactment” of their time together in Abu Ghraib.The two men can be heard roaring in pain as they struggle for superiority, with a bloodied and wounded Tell eventually emerging victorious in harrowing style to capThe Card Counter’sending.
To Live and Die in L.A.
To Live and Die in L.A. follows Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William Petersen) as he hunts down Eric “Rick” Masters (Willem Dafoe), a ruthless counterfeit artist responsible for killing his partner. Directed by William Friedkin, the film explores the gritty underworld of Los Angeles, highlighting themes of vengeance and obsession while portraying the high-stakes world of federal law enforcement.
Based on the novel of the same name,To Live and Die in L.A.is a neo-noir action thriller fromThe Exorcistdirector William Friedkin featuring Dafoe in his sixth career feature film appearance. The American plays Eric Masters against the backdrop of one ofFriedkin’s best movies, a counterfeiter who serves as the 1985 film’s chief antagonist.To Live and Die in L.A.also bears the prestigious honor of being the first film that one of Dafoe’s characters dies in,going out in a spectacular manner befitting of the occasion.
…Masters accidentally lights himself on fire attempting to do the exact same thing to John Pankow’s John Vukovich.
One of Dafoe’s most memorable and darkly comical deaths, Masters accidentally lights himself on fire when he is shot attempting to do the exact same thing to John Pankow’s John Vukovich. The latter adds insult to injury by continuing to unload his gun into Dafoe’s screaming charge as Masters burns to death in harrowing fashion, serving as the coup de grâce for one of the actor’s most brutal demises.
Wild at Heart
Wild at Heart is a 1990 film directed by David Lynch, based on the novel by Barry Gifford. The story follows Sailor Ripley, played by Nicolas Cage, and Lula Pace Fortune, played by Laura Dern, as they embark on a violent and surreal road trip across the American South. The film intertwines elements of romance, crime, and dark fantasy, earning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
A crime drama fromTwin Peakscreator David Lynch, 1990’sWild At Heartsees Dafoe take on the role of Bobby Peru, one of the acclaimed movie’s main antagonists. A sinister and unsettling villain who attempts to force himself upon Laura Dern’s Lula, Peru is the epitome of the word"scumbag", a career criminal who gets his just deserts in gloriously satisfying fashion.
Dafoe stars alongside Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, and Crispin Glover.
In one of Dafoe’s most memorable death sequences, Peru is shot multiple times by a police officer during the botched robbery of a feed store. Clearly not content with what would be considered a vanilla death by his high standards, Dafoe’s stricken charge falls to his knees to land chin first on his own shotgun.The impact sees the hapless Peru blow the top of his own head off in cartoonishly gory fashionfor one of the actor’s most comical and unforgettable demises.
The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse is a psychological thriller directed by Robert Eggers. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson star as Thomas Wake and Ephraim Winslow, two lighthouse keepers who begin to experience strange and supernatural phenomena after they get stranded on a remote island in the 1890s.
Horror virtuoso Robert Eggers has swiftly carved out a reputation for himself as one of the most exciting filmmakers plying their trade in cinema today. The director is also known for his frequent collaborations with Willem Dafoe; the actor has appeared inevery single one of Eggers' moviesbar 2015’sThe Witch.Dafoe plays Thomas Wake in 2019’sThe Lighthouse, a psychological horror widely regarded as one of the finest films of the 21st century.
Nosferatu(2024)
Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz
In keeping with tradition,Dafoe’s character bites the dust in exceedingly brutal fashion, even by his standards.The actor turns in a brilliant jump scare in line withThe Lighthouse’swacky aura by unexpectedly appearing from out of the blue to attack Robert Pattinson’s Thomas Howard with an ax as he reaches for a cigarette. Despite wounding his foe in a valiant effort, Wake is overpowered and thrown to the floor by Howard, who proceeds to cave his skull in with one savage swing of the weapon.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the first film in Sam Raimi’s trilogy starring Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. Released in 2002, the film introduced superhero fans to a live-action Norman Osborn, played by Willem Dafoe, who is transformed into his villainous alter ego, Green Goblin, after being forced out of Oscorp Industries. At the same time, Peter Parker is grappling with his newfound abilities as the iconic wall-crawler.
One ofWillem Dafoe’s best villain roles,Spider-Man’sNorman Osborn, better known as the Green Goblin, arguably represents one of the actor’s most impressive performances. Once a warm and affable individual, Osborn becomes deranged and villainous after a failed experiment turns him into the Green Goblin, with Dafoe capturing each side of the character’s various personalities in scarily convincing fashion.
The Academy Award nominee’s demise as Osborn is also one for the ages, one that lands with an extra emotional heft given his alter ego’s status as such a wicked villain. Slyly attempting to impale Spider-Man with his flying glider,the Goblin accidentally skewers himself in spectacularly gruesome fashion instead,after Tobey Maguire’s charge leaps out of the way at the last second courtesy of his spider-senses.
Platoon
Platoon is a war drama directed by Oliver Stone, featuring Charlie Sheen as a young soldier experiencing the harrowing realities of Vietnam. Released in 1986, the film chronicles his moral struggle within a divided platoon, led by the contrasting characters of Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. Platoon offers a raw depiction of the harsh conditions and ethical dilemmas faced by soldiers, contributing to its critical acclaim and multiple Academy Awards.
Contentiously Dafoe’s most celebrated and memorable career role, the American’s bow as Sergeant Elias Grodin in Oliver Stone’sPlatoonearned him his first Academy Award nomination. Although Dafoe and fellow cast mate Tom Berenger would ultimately go on to lose out on the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Michael Caine, the actor produces one of his most iconic characters in the 1986 war film, a status quo due in no small part tohis greatest movie death.
“It’s A Little Overplayed”: Oliver Stone’s Oscar-Winning 1986 War Movie Loses Accuracy Points From Expert
Military history professor Bill Allison takes a look at scenes from Oliver Stone’s 1986 movie, Platoon, rating them for their real-life accuracy.
Thegoosebumps-inducing war movie momentsees Elias shot down by NVA troops after he is left for dead by Berenger’s villainous Sergeant Barnes. Accordingly, this means that his comrades witness Grodin’s harrowing death from their helicopter as they evacuate. The iconic image of a dying Elias with his arms thrust into the air has become synonymous withPlatoonand the Vietnam War itself, an unforgettable moment that wouldn’t be possible without another demise from the ages fromWillem Dafoe.
