Werner Herzog: Movies, Awards & Box Office
- films
- 122
- as director
- 44
- on screen
- 1962–2026
- box office
- $34.9M
- award win
- 1
- average score
- 71
- Born
- September 5, 1942 (age 84)
- Birthplace
- Munich, German Reich
- Full name
- Werner Stipetić
- Citizenship
- German
- Occupations
- Filmmaker, Actor, Opera Director, Author
- Years active
- 1961-present
- Spouses
- Martje Grohmann, Christine Maria Ebenberger, Lena Pisetski
- Children
- 3
The Best Werner Herzog Movies
The highest-rated films Werner Herzog is credited on, by the Movie Echo Score that blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. Family Romance, LLC (2020) scores highest, at 77. The full ranking adds the biggest box office hits and the most awarded films.
Werner Herzog's Career in Numbers
Werner Herzog's films in numbers — as an actor and a director, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Werner Herzog works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Herakles (1962) to About a Hero (2024), and the 2010s were the busiest decade.
Werner Herzog Movies by Decade
- 1960s 5
- 1970s 10
- 1980s 10
- 1990s 7
- 2000s 12
- 2010s 14
- 2020s 7
The 2010s were Werner Herzog's busiest decade, with 14 films.
Werner Herzog Movies by Genre
- Documentary 29
- Drama 14
- Adventure 4
- Biography 3
- History 3
- Music 3
- Sci-Fi 2
- Comedy 2
- Thriller 1
- Animation 1
Documentary is the genre Werner Herzog has worked in most, with 29 films, ahead of drama (14).
Werner Herzog Career Milestones
- First film
- Herakles 1962
- Biggest box office hit
- The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans $10.6M worldwide
- Best-rated film
- The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft Movie Echo Score 83
- Newest film
- About a Hero 2024
Werner Herzog Filmography: Every Movie
Every film Werner Herzog is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. 44 as director and 21 as actor. Rated films average a score of 71. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.
Movies Directed by Werner Herzog
44- 2024
Theater of Thought Documentary - 2020
Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin Biography Worldwide box office: $90.7K Movie Echo Score: 69 - 2020
Family Romance, LLC Drama Worldwide box office: $3.13K Movie Echo Score: 77 - 2019
Family Romance, LLC Drama Worldwide box office: $3.13K Movie Echo Score: 70 - 2019
Meeting Gorbachev Documentary Worldwide box office: $319K Movie Echo Score: 75 - 2017
Salt and Fire Thriller Worldwide box office: $23.9K - 2017
Queen of the Desert Biography - 2016
Into the Inferno Documentary Worldwide box office: $3.68K - 2016
Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World Documentary Worldwide box office: $766K - 2013
From One Second to the Next Documentary - 2013
Happy People: A Year in the Taiga Documentary - 2011
Into the Abyss Documentary Worldwide box office: $394K - 2011
Ode to the Dawn of Man Documentary - 2011
Cave of Forgotten Dreams History Worldwide box office: $8.18M - 2009
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done Drama Worldwide box office: $76.7K - 2009
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans Drama Worldwide box office: $10.6M - 2009
La Bohème Music - 2008
Encounters at the End of the World Documentary Worldwide box office: $1.21M - 2007
Rescue Dawn Action Worldwide box office: $7.18M - 2007
Cobra Verde Adventure - 2006
The Wild Blue Yonder Sci-Fi Worldwide box office: $6.97K - 2005
Grizzly Man Biography Worldwide box office: $4.07M - 2005
Wheel of Time Documentary - 2005
The White Diamond Adventure Worldwide box office: $387K - 2002
Invincible Drama Worldwide box office: $181K - 1990
Lohengrin: Bayreuth Festival Music - 1989
Giovanna d’Arco Drama - 1988
The Gauls Documentary - 1987
Cobra Verde Drama Worldwide box office: $12.7K - 1982
Fitzcarraldo Adventure Worldwide box office: $4.48K - 1981
Huie’s Sermon Documentary - 1979
Nosferatu the Vampyre Drama Worldwide box office: $3.45K - 1977
Stroszek Drama Worldwide box office: $3.45K - 1974
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser History Worldwide box office: $3.45K - 1972
Aguirre, the Wrath of God History Worldwide box office: $37.8K - 1971
Land of Silence and Darkness Documentary - 1971
Fata Morgana Documentary - 1971
Handicapped Future Documentary - 1970
Even Dwarfs Started Small Comedy - 1970
The Flying Doctors of East Africa Documentary - 1969
Precautions Against Fanatics Comedy - 1968
Last Words Documentary - 1967
The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz Drama - 1962
Herakles Documentary
Werner Herzog Movies as an Actor
21- 2024
About a Hero Drama - 2022
The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft as Narrator (voice) · Documentary Movie Echo Score: 83 - 2022
The U.S. and the Holocaust as Hermann Göring · Documentary - 2020
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Dear Werner (Walking on Cinema) as Narrator (voice) · Documentary Worldwide box office: $5.12K - 2018
Paradox Bullets as Narrator (voice) - 2014
Lemonade War as Neighborhood Hero - 2010
When Herzog Rescued Phoenix as Narrator (voice) · Animation - 2007
All In This Tea Documentary - 1999
Christ and Demons in New Spain as Narrator · Documentary - 1997
Little Dieter Needs to Fly as Narrator (voice) · Documentary - 1995
Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices as Narrator (voice) · Music - 1993
Bells from the Deep as Narrator (voice) · Documentary - 1991
Jag Mandir: The Eccentric Private Theatre of the Maharaja of Udaipur as Narrator (voice) · Documentary - 1991
Scream of Stone as TV-Regisseur · Adventure - 1989
Hard to Be a God as Mita / Richard · Sci-Fi - 1989
Wodaabe: Herdsmen of the Sun as Narrator (voice) · Documentary - 1984
Where the Green Ants Dream as Lawyer (uncredited) · Drama - 1983
Man of Flowers as The Father · Drama Worldwide box office: $273 - 1981
God’s Angry Man as Narrator (voice) · Documentary - 1977
La Soufrière: Waiting for an Inevitable Catastrophe as Narrator (voice) · Documentary - 1968
Signs of Life as Soldier (uncredited) · Drama
Werner Herzog in Documentaries & Specials
57- 2026
Ghost Elephants as Self - Narrator · Documentary Movie Echo Score: 55 - 2025
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault as Self · Documentary - 2022
Tegoyo as Self (Voice) · Sci-Fi - 2022
Nosferatu: A Film Like a Vampire as Self (archive footage) · Documentary - 2021
A Life for Movies: Lotte Eisner as Self · Tv movie - 2021
Meteor: Sohrab Shahid Saless as Self · Documentary - 2020
Wim Wenders, Desperado as Self · Documentary - 2020
AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A. as Self · Documentary - 2019
Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin as Self - Interviewer and Narrator (voice) · Documentary Worldwide box office: $90.7K Movie Echo Score: 67 - 2018
Manaslu: Mountain of Souls as Self · Documentary - 2017
One Hundred Years with Juan Rulfo as Self · Documentary - 2017
Ballad of a Righteous Merchant as Self · Documentary - 2014
Atari: Game Over as Self (archival) · Documentary - 2013
Werner Herzog and Errol Morris on ‘The Act of Killing’ as Self · War - 2013
An Appreciation of Les Blank by Werner Herzog as Self - 2013
Jack Reacher: When the Man Comes Around as Self · Documentary - 2013
The Unbelievers as Self · Documentary Worldwide box office: $14.4K - 2012
10 Questions for Werner Herzog as Self · Documentary - 2012
The Killers: Unstaged as Self · Documentary - 2011
Hans Zimmer: The Sound of Hollywood as Self · Documentary - 2010
I am My Films, Part 2… 30 Years Later as Self · Documentary - 2010
The Making of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans as Himself · Documentary - 2008
Capturing Reality as Self · Documentary - 2008
Back to Room 666 as Self (archive footage) · Documentary - 2007
Making of a True Story: Rescue Dawn as Self · Documentary - 2007
Pierre Rissient: Man of Cinema as Self · Documentary - 2006
50 Films to See Before You Die as Self · Documentary - 2005
In the Edges: The ‘Grizzly Man’ Session as Self · Documentary - 2005
Dreams and Burdens as Self · Documentary - 2004
Dribble as Self (voice) - 2002
The Boxing Prince as Self · Documentary - 2001
The 100 Greatest Films as Self · Documentary - 2000
Klaus Kinski: I’m not an actor as Self · Documentary - 1999
Wings of Hope as Self · Documentary - 1996
Stardust Stricken: Mohsen Makhmalbaf, A Portrait as Self · Documentary - 1996
The Transformation of the World Into Music as Self · Tv movie - 1993
Dangerous Game as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) · Drama Worldwide box office: $1.26M - 1992
Lessons of Darkness as Self - Narrator (voice) · Documentary - 1991
Film Hour as Self · Documentary - 1990
Echoes from a Sombre Empire as Self · Documentary - 1989
To the End of the World… and Then a Little Bit Further as Self · Documentary - 1987
Location Africa as Self · Documentary - 1986
Portrait: Werner Herzog as Self · Documentary - 1985
Tokyo-Ga as Self · Documentary - 1985
The Dark Glow of the Mountain as Self (voice) · Documentary - 1984
Ballad of the Little Soldier as Self (voice) · Documentary - 1982
Room 666 as Self · Documentary - 1982
Burden of Dreams as Self - Filmmaker · Documentary Worldwide box office: $8.31K - 1982
The South Bank Show: Werner Herzog as Self · Documentary - 1980
Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers as Self - Film Director: Nosferatu · Documentary - 1980
Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe as Self · Documentary - 1979
The Making of ‘Nosferatu’ as Self · Documentary - 1978
I Am My Films: A Portrait of Werner Herzog as Self · Documentary - 1976
Signs of Vigorous Life: The New German Cinema as Self · Documentary - 1976
How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck as Self · Documentary - 1975
Lost in the Garden of the World as Self · Documentary - 1974
The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner as Self · Documentary
Werner Herzog: Awards & Nominations
1 win from 2 nominations across 2 award bodies, from 2006 to 2009. Every ceremony is listed newest first, with the category and the film.
-
DGA Awards 1 win from 1 nomination -
Oscars 1 nomination
- 81st Academy Awards
- Werner Herzog: Nominated Best Documentary Feature Encounters at the End of the World
- 58th Directors Guild of America Awards
- Werner Herzog: Win Outstanding Directing – Documentaries Grizzly Man
Who Is Werner Herzog?
Werner Herzog was born in Munich, German Reich in 1942 and is 84 years old. Credited on films since 1962, as both an actor and a director. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.
Werner Herzog, born as Werner Stipetić, is a multi-faceted German artist mainly recognized as a filmmaker but also possessing several skills such as acting, opera directing, and authoring. Born on September 5, 1942, in Munich, German Reich, Herzog is considered an icon of New German Cinema. His films manifest his distinctive storytelling style that refrains from using typical storyboards, emphasizes improvisation, and showcases the struggles of ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams. At the tender age of 19, Herzog started to work on his first film, Herakles, marking the beginning of his illustrious journey in the realm of cinema. Over time, he has produced, directed, and written more than 60 films, including critically acclaimed titles like 'Aguirre, the Wrath of God', 'Nosferatu the Vampyre', 'Fitzcarraldo', 'Lessons of Darkness', and 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams'. Accompanying his cinema achievements, Herzog has also published over 12 books. His contributions to cinema have earned him enormous praise as a groundbreaking director, with celebrated French filmmaker François Truffaut hailing him as 'the most important film director alive'.
Who Werner Herzog Makes Movies With
The actors and directors Werner Herzog shares the most films with. Klaus Kinski comes first, with 13 films together, followed by Wim Wenders (6).
Werner Herzog: Questions & Answers
How many movies Werner Herzog has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.
How many movies has Werner Herzog been in?
Werner Herzog is credited on 122 films, from 1962 to 2026. 21 of them as an actor and 44 as a director. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.
What is Werner Herzog's highest-grossing movie?
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009) is Werner Herzog's biggest box office hit, with $10.6M worldwide, ahead of Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2011) ($8.18M). Across every film with box office figures, Werner Herzog's movies have made $34.9M.
Werner Herzog's biggest hits What is the best Werner Herzog movie?
By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Werner Herzog's best-rated film is The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft (2022) with a score of 83, followed by Family Romance, LLC (2020) (77).
Best Werner Herzog movies, ranked Has Werner Herzog won an Oscar?
Werner Herzog has been nominated for an Oscar but has not won one yet. Across every ceremony in the awards database, Werner Herzog has 1 win from 2 nominations.
How old is Werner Herzog?
Werner Herzog is 84 years old, born on September 5, 1942 in Munich, German Reich.
What is Werner Herzog's newest movie?
The most recent film on Werner Herzog's filmography is Ghost Elephants (2026), in the role of Self - Narrator.
Who does Werner Herzog work with most often?
Werner Herzog shares the most films with Klaus Kinski (13 films), Wim Wenders (6 films) and Rainer Werner Fassbinder (4 films).
The Best Werner Herzog Movies, Ranked
Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 122 credits.
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