65 Werner Herzog Movies & TV Shows, Ranked Best to Worst

Inspired from events of Peruvian rubber baron Carlos Fitzgerald’s life. Irishman Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, known as Fitzcarraldo in Peru, is passionate about opera and determined to build an opera house, for which he decides to earn through rubber industry. Thinking up a plan, he enlists the natives of Peruvian jungle to haul a 180-ton steamboat over a mountain to facilitate rubber transportation. 

Little Dieter Needs to Fly is a war documentary film which revolves around American pilot Dieter Dengler, who was shot down over Laos, during the Vietnam War, and held prisoner for a significant amount of time. Three decades later, he returns to the places where he was kept captive, and describes the details of his imprisonment, the friendships he made, as well as his daring escape.

This biographical adventure film tells the story of Don Lope de Aguirre, a ruthless and power-hungry Spanish conqueror, who is on an expedition to find El Dorado, the seven cities of gold. 

Grizzly Man is a 2005 American documentary film, which chronicles the life and death of grizzly bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell. The film also includes some of Treadwell’s own footage of his interactions with grizzly bears, as well as interviews of people involved with Treadwell. 

A hapless busker in Berlin, Bruno Stroszek is head over heels with a prostitute. With nothing at stake, the new couple plan to emigrate to the United States with Scheitz, their neighbor whose nephew lives in Wisconsin. However, Stroszek's American dream comes crashing down when his beloved pet bird, Beo, is confiscated by the custom agent.

This documentary film revolves around Werner Herzog, an iconic German filmmaker, who steps before the camera to discuss his complicated relationship with  Klaus Kinski, his longtime friend and collaborator.

Werner Herzog, acclaimed filmmaker, travels all the way to Antarctica, where he meets unique people who has devoted and risked their lives, as well as abandoned civilization to study the continent’s wildlife as well as its natural wonders.  

After a life of confinement, a young man is suddenly released into society. Unable to communicate properly, he is exploited in a circus sideshow. However, a kind hearted Professor helps him adjust to society and teaches him to read and write.  

This documentary film revolves around the indigenous people living in Bakhtia, a village located in the heart of the Siberian Taiga.

Jonathan Harker, estate agent from Wismar, travels to Count Dracula’s castle to sell him a property in Wismar. Encouraged by a portrait of Jonathan’s wife, Lucy, Dracula agrees and reaches Wismar bringing along death and plague. As he longs to end his loneliness with Lucy’s love, she realizes that only a pure-heart woman like her can put an end to Dracula’s horror.

During Vietnam War, Dieter Dengler’s—a German-born American navy pilot—aircraft is shot down in Laos while on a secret operation. He is held in captivity in a prison camp and tortured but together with other prisoners, he soon hatches an escape plan. After the escape, there are more problems to deal with—avoid getting caught again, contact American aircraft and most importantly stay alive.

Into the Abyss is a documentary film which revolves around capital punishment in America. Filmmaker Werner Herzog explores the subject by interviewing a death row inmate, along with the families of the victims affected by his killings, as well as members of the Texas justice system.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a documentary film which shows us filmmaker Werner Herzog and his crew, who are given a rare opportunity to film inside the Chauvet Cave in France, where the walls are covered with some of the oldest surviving paintings of the world.

In this documentary film, filmmaker Werner Herzog examines the ways in which human interaction has been impacted by the internet, artificial intelligence as well as robotics.

After having an illegitimate child with his lover Marie, a soldier named Franz struggles to earn money in his small town, hoping that he can provide for them. He is eventually forced to volunteer for a local doctor, who puts him in a pea-only diet. This drives him to madness, and things only get worse when he realizes Marie is having an affair with another man.

A local artist in a rural community passes away without passing on his skills to anyone. However, the owner of the glass factory tries his best to recover the lost knowledge which was only held by the deceased artist. The villagers working for him also become obsessed with learning those skills, and soon they descend into madness.   

Hell breaks loose at an oppressive asylum after the patients are not allowed to go on an excursion. They break windows and dishes, engineer food fights and even kill a large pig, followed by mock crucifixion of a monkey.

New Orleans police sergeant, Terence McDonagh’s personal life is in mess.  He is not only addicted to painkiller thanks to an injury he suffered while saving a prisoner during Hurricane Katrina, but is also a habitual drug user and gambler. In addition, he also hobnobs with the underworld. But things begin to change when he is assigned to investigate the murders of five illegal immigrants.

A child having domestic issues who is also an outcast among his classmates, eventually develops a bond with one of them, due to his speaking crow. 

Detective Havenhurst and his partner Detective Vargas receive a call, and they drive to the scene of a murder. They find the body of Mrs McCullam, who was stabbed with an antique sword. They soon realize that the murderer is her son Brad, when he takes two hostages in the house across the street. It soon seems that Brad is delusional and has lost touch with reality.

Letze Worte (Last Words) is a short film about the last man on the island of Spinalonga, Crete, which was used as a leper colony. He refuses to leave the island and is forcibly evicted, after which he declines to speak, but only plays lyre in a bar in Crete. The story is narrated by various characters who keep repeating the lines.

A fort, once a WWII battle site for Russians and Germans, lies abandoned. Four men break into it and wear the uniforms they find there. As they discover guns, each tries to practice it differently. They carry out the ‘soldier’s’ drills, exercises, and get set for an imaginary enemy. Finally, their leader orders them and they storm out of the fort gates.

Massnahmen gegen Fanatiker (Precautions Against Fanatics) is a German language film featuring several horse trainers and track workers, who are talking about their roles on the track.  Although shot in a documentary style, their dialogue makes it difficult to classify the film and the director himself describes it as an “elaborate on camera practical joke”.  

Gertrude Bell was an English writer, spy, explorer, archaeologist and political officer who had worked for the British empire. In the early 20th century, she travels to the Middle East to join her uncle, who was in a high diplomatic position in Tehran. She falls for Henry Cadogan, an embassy employee, but her parents disapprove of him, which makes Henry commit suicide. Gertrude decides to devote the rest of her life exploring and writing about the region, and provide the British Empire with knowledge from the tribal leaders of the area.  

German director Werner Herzog’s first movie is based on six of the twelve labors of Heracles. The movie is interspersed with scenes of young male bodybuilders working out in a gym and posing on stage flexing their muscles. Each of the labors is seen through on-screen texts followed by modern-day challenges for the bodybuilders. 

Five unrelated people are shot dead in broad daylight and the accused is a former U.S. Army sniper, James Barr. However, he refuses to plead guilty and instead asks for Jack Reacher, an ex-military investigator. Reacher soon arrives and along with defense attorney Helen Rodin, sets out, to uncover the identity of the real perpetrators. 

This adaption of Ronald Bass 1978 novel of the same name tells the tale of a couple—Chris and Annie—who lose their children in an accident. Their attempt to get back to their life is further shattered when Chris is killed and a brokenhearted Annie ends her life. Chris finds himself in heaven but is aghast to know that Annie is in hell and sets out save her with the help of Albert.

This comedy drama film tells the story of a young man living in Paris, who manages to make a living by impersonating Michael Jackson. One day, during a show, he meets a woman who impersonates Marilyn Monroe. He finds himself instantly attracted to her angelic beauty, and he decides to follow her.

Jack Faro, a recovering drug addict, is the grandson of a casino legend and a former poker champion, who loses everything to his addiction as well as alimony. In order to win back his casino, he makes up his mind to enroll in the upcoming World Championship of Poker which is to be held in Las Vegas, an event which was created by his grandfather.  

Little Dieter Needs to Fly is a war documentary film which revolves around American pilot Dieter Dengler, who was shot down over Laos, during the Vietnam War, and held prisoner for a significant amount of time. Three decades later, he returns to the places where he was kept captive, and describes the details of his imprisonment, the friendships he made, as well as his daring escape.

Grizzly Man is a 2005 American documentary film, which chronicles the life and death of grizzly bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell. The film also includes some of Treadwell’s own footage of his interactions with grizzly bears, as well as interviews of people involved with Treadwell. 

This documentary film revolves around Werner Herzog, an iconic German filmmaker, who steps before the camera to discuss his complicated relationship with  Klaus Kinski, his longtime friend and collaborator.

Werner Herzog, acclaimed filmmaker, travels all the way to Antarctica, where he meets unique people who has devoted and risked their lives, as well as abandoned civilization to study the continent’s wildlife as well as its natural wonders.  

This documentary film revolves around the indigenous people living in Bakhtia, a village located in the heart of the Siberian Taiga.

Into the Abyss is a documentary film which revolves around capital punishment in America. Filmmaker Werner Herzog explores the subject by interviewing a death row inmate, along with the families of the victims affected by his killings, as well as members of the Texas justice system.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a documentary film which shows us filmmaker Werner Herzog and his crew, who are given a rare opportunity to film inside the Chauvet Cave in France, where the walls are covered with some of the oldest surviving paintings of the world.

In this documentary film, filmmaker Werner Herzog examines the ways in which human interaction has been impacted by the internet, artificial intelligence as well as robotics.

Humans were living in peace in the town of Dillford, along with zombies and vampires, until the alien apocalypse occurs. Things turn upside down, and humans, vampires and zombies turn against one another. One human teen, along with a vampire and a zombie, unite together in order to fight the aliens and bring them down.

This animated biographical film chronicles the life of Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, the man who is known for designing Japanese fighter planes during the Second World War. 

Penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private are kidnapped by the villainous scientist Dr. Octavius Brine, also known as Dave the octopus, who resents their cuteness. They are rescued by the Arctic elite undercover spy organization, The North Wind. Now they must stop Dave from using his Medusa serum and turning all penguins into horrible monsters. 

Jonathan Harker, estate agent from Wismar, travels to Count Dracula’s castle to sell him a property in Wismar. Encouraged by a portrait of Jonathan’s wife, Lucy, Dracula agrees and reaches Wismar bringing along death and plague. As he longs to end his loneliness with Lucy’s love, she realizes that only a pure-heart woman like her can put an end to Dracula’s horror.

A local artist in a rural community passes away without passing on his skills to anyone. However, the owner of the glass factory tries his best to recover the lost knowledge which was only held by the deceased artist. The villagers working for him also become obsessed with learning those skills, and soon they descend into madness.