A lot gets made about directorial debuts in Hollywood and for good reason. It’s always impressive when a filmmaker arrives on the scene with a bang and delivers a movie that is critically acclaimed, creative, and announces their immense talent to the world. Some of the best modern directorial debuts have come in the horror genre.
James Gunn started with Slither, Jordan Peele arrived with the Oscar-winning Get Out, Ari Aster wowed audiences with Hereditary, and Danny and Michael Philippou helmed the acclaimed Talk to Me. However, there’s one horror debut from 2015 that really marked the launch of a new icon in horror.
The Witch Signaled Robert Eggers’ Arrival As A Horror Icon
With his movie The Witch, Robert Eggers let the world know that he was a force to be reckoned with in horror filmmaking. The Witch is set in New England in the 1630s and centers on a Puritan family that gets banished from their settlement after a religious debate. When they build a new home, things take a dark turn.
One day, the eldest daughter, Thomasin, is playing with her infant little brother, only for him to disappear, and it later gets revealed that a witch has stolen him. What follows is a harrowing tale that is both thought-provoking and visually gripping.
The Witch was met with widespread acclaim, including holding a very impressive 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Eggers’ style was heavily praised, as was the setting, the performances, and the way the slow-burning atmosphere of terror was built. It was clear that a great new name in horror had arrived.
Robert Eggers Has Become One Of The Top Horror Filmmakers Working
While a great debut is always something a director wants, that does make it more difficult to live up to expectations going forward. Some filmmakers do just that, like the aforementioned Jordan Peele and Ari Aster, who followed Get Out and Hereditary with the well-received Us and Midsommar, respectively.
Robert Eggers managed to continue his impressive efforts in every film released since The Witch. First, there was The Lighthouse, a psychological horror that was again a critical darling. He upped the ante with The Northman and is $70 million budget, though that wasn’t really a horror film.
Even with The Northman disappointing at the box office (though reviews were stellar), the director was granted another $50 million budget for Nosferatu, a remake of the 1922 vampire classic. Nosferatu is his most chilling horror project yet and earned several Oscar nominations.
It’s rare that a director puts out four straight movies that are all met with such strong critical acclaim, especially across their first four films in general. That makes it so Eggers is one of the best directors working right now, regardless of what genre he’s covering, but especially in horror.
The Witch Established Robert Eggers’ Signature Style
Although his movies are all different, The Witch works as a perfect debut for Robert Eggers because of how it shows off what would become his signature style. Eggers is known for making movies set in the past, as everything he’s put out is from before the 20th century.
In fact, Eggers has stated that he has no interest in making any movies in the contemporary era, calling the idea of photographing modern technology disgusting to him. His style is perfect for eras of the past because of his incredible attention to detail.
One of the aspects of Robert Eggers’ movies that is always heavily praised is his historical accuracy. While the story of The Witch might be fantastical, the way the era was brought to life was realistic. Eggers even brought in people with experience in building to the style of the era to make it as accurate as possible.
This trend has continued in Eggers’ later films. The Lighthouse expertly portrays the late 1800s, while every aspect of The Northman was extensively researched from the outfits to the music. These are staples of Eggers’ work and it’s what separates him from so many others.
The Witch Also Introduced Anya Taylor-Joy To The World
The Witch didn’t just introduce audiences to Robert Eggers. It also marked the film debut of Anya Taylor-Joy, whose only previous credit was in a background part a few years prior. Taylor-Joy immediately let the world know how talented she was with a remarkable performance as Thomasin in The Witch.
Anya Taylor-Joy’s acting was incredibly well-received and she’s only gotten better since. She went on to win a Golden Globe (and other major awards) for Netflix’s miniseries The Queen’s Gambit and earned another nomination for Emma.
While Taylor-Joy has had success in other genres, horror is where she shines brightest. She was great in M. Night Shyamalan’s comeback hit Split, captivating in Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho, and was part of Apple TV+’s 2025 hit, The Gorge.