Isolation is a terrifying concept. Humans are naturally social creatures, and in depriving someone of interacting with others for an extended period, one tends to go a little nutty. No one knows this better than Willem Dafoe, the lead in the upcoming psychological horror film Inside. As the art thief Nemo, Dafoe will find himself locked inside a New York penthouse with no means of escape, forced to do whatever he can to survive the enclosed space. Oddly enough, it's not unfamiliar territory for the veteran actor.
While Dafoe has appeared in a variety of projects, from the beloved Green Goblin in the MCU to a picture-perfect depiction of Vincent van Gogh in At Eternity's Gate, Dafoe is also well known for contributions to the horror genre. The actor has cemented himself as a mesmerizing presence on screen, capable of instilling compassion and dread in equal portions across various settings, characters, and situations. With a filmography like Dafoe's, we're more than excited to see his latest performance in Inside.
Willem Dafoe Is a Terrific Actor
It goes without saying that Dafoe is a terrific actor. Aside from memes about being a scientist or spilling beans, the actor has won multiple Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards for his work. He's collaborated with many talented filmmakers, from Martin Scorsese to Lars von Trier and even Guillermo del Toro.
On top of that, his range is astounding: period-accurate lighthouse keepers, private detectives, vampires, prisoners, charismatic super villains, comedic foils, historical painters, shinigami, and Norse court jesters; Dafoe has done just about everything you can think of and then some. He continually pushes his own boundaries to explore roles that other mainstream actors wouldn't even consider.
He spoke about the acting process in an interview with The Guardian back when At Eternity's Gate was originally released. What especially sticks out is how he approaches acting as an "artist," not a "craftsman." Specifically, he said:
“I like working from a place of zero and going towards something. Some people really respond to the idea of nailing it or executing it to perfection. I like perfection, I appreciate that. But I’m much better trying to find something than I am knowing something and executing and explaining it. I think it’s the difference between a craftsman and an artist. I aspire to be an artist."
It explains why he puts his all into every character he plays. Instead of nailing down a single creative archetype, he prefers to broaden his horizons with a variety of roles.
Willem Dafoe's Characters are Charming and Creepy
Each of Dafoe's characters is unique and memorable in their own way, whether they're heroic or villainous.
As Donald Kimball in American Psycho, he delivered multiple performances during a tense interrogation with Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman, each giving off a different impression of Bateman's presumed innocence. While the film's editing can be credited to the sheer intensity of the scene, the way Dafoe jumps between friendliness, neutrality, and suspicion, with hardly a full sentence between them, is downright chilling. He has a way of making the audience feel guilty for witnessing Bateman's actions, even if they weren't responsible for them.
In The Lighthouse, Dafoe goes absolutely bonkers as Thomas Wake, sinking completely into character as an 1890s lighthouse keeper down to every little speech mannerism. He goes between intimidating both the audience and Robert Pattinson's Ephraim Winslow with eye-bulging stories of Poseidon's wrath, eliciting sympathy as the two find comfort in each other during their isolation, and mesmerizing the audience as he insists on his innocence while their chances of survival slowly dwindle.
Dafoe has the talent of presenting multiple sides of a character in an earnest and compelling way. His characters are memorable because, in a way, they become him -- you can't necessarily picture anyone else playing Thomas Wake, for example. The performance is so powerful that it's inseparable from the actor. It's a big reason his performance as Nemo for Inside is so exciting. He has a chance to carry the whole film on his shoulders alone, proving his skills on the big screen in a demonstrable way.
What Can We Expect From Dafoe's Performance in Inside?
While we won't see Dafoe downing bottles of gin between ramblings about Poseidon and seagulls, we can expect a similar level of lunacy from Inside. Several promotional posters for the film highlight objects that will undoubtedly serve a purpose in the story: a can of meat, a pigeon, and a moldy orange. From the trailer, it's more than likely that Dafoe will attempt to befriend the cooing bird as a way to stay sane, an equally hilarious and upsetting proposition. The trailer also predominantly featured gulping fish in a spacious tank -- unfortunately for them, it looks like they were being used as sustenance for a visibly frazzled Dafoe.
Coinciding with the rising temperatures featured in the trailer and the surrealistic scenarios that creep into the penthouse, we're likely to see Dafoe do more than survive. As he scrawls over the walls with art supplies and creams out for help, he also finds himself being attacked by what could only be the man he set out to rob or wandering into taught hallways that glow a sickly verdant color. The film is leaning towards a more psychological horror than one purely based around survival, though those elements are still prominent throughout the trailer.
Inside is set to release in theaters on March 10th, 2023.