The unexpected movie Robert Eggers called a masterpiece: “I watch it once a year”
After his gothic retelling of the most notorious vampire story in history, Robert Eggers is the man of the moment, adding a whole new dimension of deranged desire to his version of Nosferatu. With a particular fascination for folklore and fairytales, the director has created a slate of dark and grimy films that explore the often-terrifying underbelly beneath these classic stories, adding modern twists to traditional characters.
From the homoerotic undertones of The Lighthouse, the Shakespearean roots of The Northman and his unsettling debut feature The Witch, the director has curated a unique cinematic palette that is both rooted in conventional characters and monsters but often with a socio-political or moral lens that makes it more akin to a modern fable, doing so by exaggerating our fears of things that go bump in the night.
However, despite his roots in the horror genre and making spectacles out of fantastical concepts and creatures, the director named one surprising film he considers a masterpiece, forming an unexpected connection and collaborative relationship with the director.
Whether you know it or not, Chris Columbus has had a huge impact on many of our childhoods after helming some of the most classic children’s films of all time. His filmography is one huge nostalgia trip, having a hand in some of the most successful franchises of all time through his work on the first two Harry Potter films and directing standalone films like Mrs Doubtfire and Home Alone. In addition, he had a producer credit for The Goonies, which might just be one of the most influential pirate adventure movies of all time.
However, while there are many infamous projects to choose from, Eggers described himself as a keen fan of one in particular, citing the impact of Kevin’s adventures while left alone and the impeccable creation of the overall film.
When discussing it, Eggers said, “I watch it once a year… I think it’s a masterpiece. It’s a timeless movie. It’s impeccably photographed. Unlike many movies in this kind of genre, it’s not over-shot. It’s a really well-crafted film”.
In many ways, films like Home Alone are a relic of the past. Many current movies look oversaturated and unnatural due to an overload of special effects and coverage. The less-is-more approach to filmmaking seems to be fading, with many filmmakers going all guns blazing with their visual effects, music, and sound design, leading to almost overwhelming projects that feel more akin to TikTok than anything else.
This is absolutely a quality that we can see in Egger’s work, with the director opting for well-lit frames and a minimal yet consistent style that is not overdone but simply well executed in each element, bringing back an element of old-school cinema through his attention to detail. For Eggers, his relationship with Colombus extends beyond just inspiration, with the director working with the horror auteur as both a mentor and producer, with Colombus producing his upcoming film Werwulf, which is due to be released in 2026.
