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Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog

Director, actor, writer and producer, also cinematographer · Born September 5, 1942 (84) · Munich, Allemagne

Oscar nominee · Primetime Emmy nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 6 other major award bodies

Werner Herzog (German: [ˈvɛɐ̯nɐ ˈhɛɐ̯tsoːk]; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unique talents in obscure fields, or individuals in conflict with nature. He is known for his unique filmmaking process, such as disregarding storyboards, emphasizing improvisation, and placing the cast and crew into similar situations as characters in his films. Herzog started work on his first film Herakles in 1961, when he was nineteen. Since then he has produced, written, and directed more than sixty feature films and documentaries, such as Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974), Heart of Glass (1976), Stroszek (1977), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Fitzcarraldo (1982), Cobra Verde (1987), Lessons of Darkness (1992), Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997), My Best Fiend (1999), Invincible (2000), Grizzly Man (2005), Encounters at the End of the World (2007), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), and Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010). He has published more than a dozen books of prose, and directed as many operas. French filmmaker François Truffaut once called Herzog "the most important film director alive." American film critic Roger Ebert said that Herzog "has never created a single film that is compromised, shameful, made for pragmatic reasons, or uninteresting. Even his failures are spectacular." He was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2009. Description above from the Wikipedia article Werner Herzog, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 5, 1942 (84)
From
Munich, Allemagne
Works as
Director, actor, writer and producer, also cinematographer
Titles
72 on MovieCove · 149 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 56% in 30 days

What are Werner Herzog's films like?

Across their 71 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Ideas and Society.

Genres

Documentary36 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Ideas
22%
Society
20%
Self
20%
Survival
16%
Power
9%
Morality
7%
Bonds
7%
Art14 titles, browse their movies with this themeNature11 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession10 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose8 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation10 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma7 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 68 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 23 · Serious 12 · Dark 33

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 33 · Stylized 18 · Heightened 17

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 23 · Charged 23 · Intense 22

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 41 · Shifting 20 · Whiplash 7

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 52 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 3

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 54 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 3

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 44 · Full focus 11

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 29 · Affecting 16 · Heavy 23

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 25 · Ambiguous 22

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.

Shadow
2 of 4
Herald
1 of 4
Mentor
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
44
Tense
30
Melancholic
27
Dread
15
Warm
16
Other
52

How their films linger

Thought-provoking46 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting27 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet24
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous37
  • Cyclical2
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Werner Herzog's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 55 of their 72 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (34).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Werner Herzog's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

149 credits, 72 with a MovieCove page; 107 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Celebrity Caregiver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Executive Producer

  • Bucking Fastard(2026)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Ghost Elephants(2025)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Felicidad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Producer

  • Mi casa amarilla (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Consulting Editor

  • Sirena (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Actor

  • Reeling(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Theater of Thought (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Director · Executive Producer · Screenplay

  • The End(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • About a Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Actor

  • The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft(2022)

    Director · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Orion and the Dark(2024)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Arc of Oblivion(2023)

    Executive Producer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Notes from a Dromedary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Creative Consultant

  • Flores del precipicio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Producer

  • Last Exit: Space(2022)

    Executive Producer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • El Poso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Producer

  • The Andinist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as The Painter (Narrator)

  • Dear Werner (Walking on Cinema) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds(2020)

    Director · Writer · as Self - Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as (archive footage)

  • The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as (archive footage)

  • The Mandalorian(2019)

    Show 3 episodes · as The Client

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Family Romance, LLC(2019)

    Director · Camera Operator · Cinematographer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Meeting Gorbachev(2018)

    Director · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin(2019)

    Director · Writer · as Self - Interviewer and Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Love Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Consulting Producer

  • The Last Scene (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Executive Producer

  • Paradox Bullets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The Empty Goal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Thanks

  • The Golden Gate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Executive Producer

  • The whole world is country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Consulting Producer

  • A Gray State(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Salt and Fire(2016)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Man with One Story (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Into the Inferno(2016)

    Director · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World(2016)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Blimp-Maker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Thanks

  • Freaks of Nature(2015)

    as Perfect Being (voice)

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Queen of the Desert(2015)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Red Army(2014)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Penguins of Madagascar(2014)

    as Documentary Filmmaker (voice)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Look of Silence(2014)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Lemonade War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Neighborhood Hero

  • Rick and Morty(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Shrimply Pibbles (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Home from Home: Chronicle of a Vision(2013)

    as Alexander von Humboldt

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • From One Second to the Next (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • The Last Shepherd (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Thanks

  • Jack Reacher(2012)

    as Zec Chelovek

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Act of Killing(2012)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Strawberryfields (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Turnlehrer

  • The Killers: Unstaged (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · as Self

  • Dinotasia(2012)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • On Death Row(2012)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Creator · Writer · as Werner Herzog

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Into the Abyss(2011)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Ode to the Dawn of Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Cinematographer · Sound

  • Cave of Forgotten Dreams(2010)

    Director · Screenplay · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • When Herzog Rescued Phoenix (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Happy People: A Year in the Taiga(2010)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done(2009)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • A Night Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Technical Advisor · Thanks

  • Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans(2009)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Plastic Bag (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Plastic Bag (voice)

  • La Bohème (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • The Lonely (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Parks and Recreation(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Keg Jennings

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Blast!(2008)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Lohengrin: Bayreuth Festival Opera (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Stage Director

  • Mister Lonely(2007)

    as Father Umbrillo

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Encounters at the End of the World(2007)

    Director · Sound · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Rescue Dawn(2006)

    Director · Author

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Grand(2007)

    as The German

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • All In This Tea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Actor

  • The Devil's Muse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Creative Consultant

  • Metalocalypse(2006)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Henry Rollins Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Colbert Report (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Wild Blue Yonder(2005)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Grizzly Man(2005)

    Director · Writer · as Self / Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • American Dad!(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Werner Herzog (voice)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • What Is It? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Thanks

  • Incident at Loch Ness(2004)

    Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The White Diamond (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Screenplay · as Narrator (voice)

  • Wheel of Time(2003)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Ten Thousand Years Older (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet(2002)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Invincible(2001)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Pilgrimage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Tannhäuser (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Stage Director

  • 2000 Years of Christianity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Wings of Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Writer · as Self

  • Julien Donkey-Boy(1999)

    as Father

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • My Best Fiend(1999)

    Director · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • What Dreams May Come(1998)

    as Face

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Little Dieter Needs to Fly(1997)

    Director · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Transformation of the World Into Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

  • Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

  • Brennendes Herz(1996)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Bells from the Deep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

  • La Donna del Lago (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Lessons of Darkness(1992)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer · as Self - Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Film Lesson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · as Self

  • Jag Mandir: The Eccentric Private Theatre of the Maharaja of Udaipur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · as Narrator (voice)

  • Scream of Stone(1991)

    Director · as TV-Regisseur

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Echoes From a Somber Empire(1990)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Hard to Be a God(1989)

    as Mita / Richard

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dr. Lund (voice) · as Walter Hotenhoffer (voice) · as Werner Herzog (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Wodaabe: Herdsmen of the Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director · Co-Producer · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

  • Under the Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Bride of the Orient(1989)

    as Businger

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Giovanna d'Arco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director

  • The French as Seen by… (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • The Gauls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Writer · as Self

  • Cobra Verde(1987)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Location Africa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Producer · as Self

  • Portrait: Werner Herzog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director · Writer · as Self

  • The Dark Glow of the Mountains (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Self (voice)

  • Ballad of the Little Soldier(1984)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Self (voice)

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Where the Green Ants Dream(1984)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Lawyer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Man of Flowers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as The Father

  • God's Angry Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

  • Huie's Sermon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • Fitzcarraldo(1982)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Woyzeck(1979)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Nosferatu the Vampyre(1979)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • La Soufrière: Waiting for an Inevitable Catastrophe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director · Producer · Sound Engineer · as Narrator (voice)

  • Stroszek(1977)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Heart of Glass(1976)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Glass Transporter

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck...(1976)

    Director · Producer · Sound · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • No One Will Play with Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director · Writer

  • Tales of the Dumpster Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Hurenmörder

  • The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser(1974)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner(1974)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · as Self

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Aguirre, the Wrath of God(1972)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Fata Morgana(1971)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Sound

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Land of Silence and Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Sound Recordist

  • Even Dwarfs Started Small(1970)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Handicapped Future (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director · Producer · Sound · Sound Recordist · Writer · as Interviewer (voice) (uncredited)

  • The Flying Doctors of East Africa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director · Producer · Sound Recordist · Writer

  • Precautions Against Fanatics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director · Producer · Sound · Writer

  • Signs of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Soldier (uncredited)

  • Die Erben von Papas Kino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Actor

  • Last Words (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

  • Neuer Deutscher Film Report (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Actor

  • Herakles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Screenplay · Sound

  • Ally (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as (voice)

  • The hunger in the world explained to my son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Writer

  • The Twilight World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Novel

Career shape

A full career of 149 titles, 146 of them dated from 1962 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Jack Reacher (2012)

$218M worldwide

Highest rated

The Look of Silence (2014)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Jack Reacher (2012)

Film career

MilestoneNomination

Top draw in 8 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting64 of 149: 40 only acting, 24 with another role · typical Midcredits score80thDirecting79 of 149: 14 only directing, 65 with another role · typical Midcredits score84thWriting63 of 149: 2 only writing, 61 with another role · typical Midcredits score84thProducing53 of 149: 16 only producing, 37 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdCinematography2 of 149: 0 only cinematography, 2 with another roleEditing3 of 149: 0 only editing, 3 with another roleOther crew22 of 149: 10 only other crew, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score70th

149 titles, 67 with more than one role — directing and acting overlap on 22 of them.

By decade

1960s7 · 3 acting · 5 crew1970s16 · 4 acting · 15 crew1980s18 · 6 acting · 15 crew1990s17 · 9 acting · 13 crew2000s28 · 14 acting · 17 crew2010s38 · 16 acting · 27 crew2020s22 · 11 acting · 15 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 48% of 27 roles
68930813

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

12 major awards from 33 major nominations, 1968–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Narrator
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Venice award, nominated · Best Film
  2. 2025
    • Venice award, won · Treatment of Issues Related to Environment
    • Venice award, won
  3. 2015
    • Berlinale award, nominated
  4. 2009
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Documentary, Features
    • +2 other major bodies · 1 win and 3 nominations
      • Venice award, won
      • Venice award, nominated ×2
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Documentary
  5. 2006
    • Directors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Documentary
  6. 2005
    • Venice award, won · Parallel Sections
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Film
    • Sundance award, won
    • Sundance award, nominated · World Cinema - Documentary
  7. 2002
    • Cannes award, nominated
  8. 2001
    • Venice award, nominated
Show 9 earlier years
  1. 1999
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Non-Fiction Special
  2. 1991
    • Venice award, nominated
  3. 1990
    • Venice award, won
  4. 1984
    • Cannes award, nominated
  5. 1983
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Foreign Language Film
  6. 1982
    • Cannes award, won
    • Cannes award, nominated
  7. 1979
    • Cannes award, nominated
    • Berlinale award, nominated
  8. 1975
    • Cannes award, won · Competition
    • Cannes award, won ×2
    • Cannes award, nominated
  9. 1968
    • Berlinale award, won · Special Prize
    • Berlinale award, nominated

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Werner Herzog's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 80th percentile, the median of all 65; across their 68 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 79th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 68

Approval · how many liked their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 68

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 68

Midcredits score across 72 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up45
  • 50th to 74th19
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

34 of their 72 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved21
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser34
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · actor

Brennendes Herz (1996)

82nd percentile spread · 47% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

The Look of Silence (2014)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 77/100 and the pacing 43/100 in their films, across 58 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Werner Herzog's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore12 titles35–90 · median 72 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles19–55 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles27–87 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles14–94 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense10 titles56–85 · median 68 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Werner Herzog work with?

People who share at least 2 of Werner Herzog's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Peter Zeitlinger shares the most, 20.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

  • Peter Zeitlinger20 titles    See newest 12 of 20 shared titles with Peter Zeitlinger
  • Joe Bini17 titles    See newest 12 of 17 shared titles with Joe Bini
  • Beate Mainka-Jellinghaus12 titles    See all 12 shared titles with Beate Mainka-Jellinghaus
  • Ernst Reijseger10 titles    See all 10 shared titles with Ernst Reijseger

Producers

Mixed roles