Eli Roth is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer, who is mainly known for his works in the horror genre, especially splatter movies.
Splatter films are the sub-genre of horror movies deliberately focusing on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence.
After getting inspired upon watching Ridley Scott’s Alien, he started shooting films and he was only eight years old at the time.
By the time Eli Roth graduated from Newton South High School, along with his brothers, Adam and Gabriel, he had made more than 100 short movies.
Then, Eli attended the Tisch School of the Arts. Since 1991, he has been actively working in the movie industry.
In all these years of his professional work, Eli Roth has made a significant impact in Bollywood by working on numerous movies.
Here is the list of the top 10 Eli Roth movies and TV shows that are worth watching.
10. Borderlands
Borderlands is an American science fiction action comedy movie directed and co-written by Eli Roth.
It is based on the video game series that Gearbox Software had created.
The movie follows an outlaw, Lillith, played by Cate Blanchett, allying with a team of misfits to find the missing daughter of the most powerful man in the universe.
The cast list also includes Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, and Jamie Lee Curtis, among others.
While initially planned to be released in 2022, the film premiered on August 6, 2024, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in LA. It was eventually released three days later on August 9.
Borderlands, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 10%, received negative reviews. It amassed $8.6 million at the box office.
Borderlands
IMDb Action Adventure Animation Quest Comedy Sci-Fi ThrillerBorderlands is based on the video game series that Gearbox Software developed. It follows a ragtag team of misfits that are on a mission to save a missing girl, who holds the key to unimaginable power.
Director | Eli Roth |
Release Date | August 9, 2024 |
Studio | Lionsgate Films |
Cast | Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Edgar Ramirez |
Writers | Eli Roth, Joe Abercrombie |
Runtime | 1 hour 41 minutes |
Rating | PG-13 |
9. The House with a Clock in its Walls
The House with a Clock in its Walls is a fantasy comedy movie directed by Eli Roth.
It is based on the initial 1973 eponymous entry of John Bellairs’s Lewis Barnavelt novel series.
The movie stars famous actors like Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Owen Vaccaro, Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Kyle MacLachlan, among others.
The film follows a young boy, Lewis, who is sent to live with his uncle, Jonathan, who lives in a creaky, old house. Lewis soon learns that a villainous warlock previously inhabited the house.
It was released on September 21, 2018, by Universal Pictures. It was one of the movies by Eli Roth that achieved box office success by grossing over $131 million worldwide.
The movie also received positive reviews from critics, who praised the cast. But they also said the movie did not live up to its potential.
The House with a Clock in its Walls
IMDb Dark Fantasy Comedy Family Horror Mystery Sci-FiThe House with a Clock in Its Walls follows a boy who is sent to live with his uncle and realizes that a villainous warlock previously inhabited the house they live in.
Director | Eli Roth |
Release Date | September 21, 2018 |
Studio | Universal Studios |
Cast | Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro |
Writers | Eric Kripke, John Bellairs |
Runtime | 1 hour 45 minutes |
Rating | PG |
8. Death Wish
Death Wish is a vigilante action thriller movie, which is also the remake of the 1974 film of the same name.
Directed by Eli Roth and produced by Roger Birnbaum, it stars Bruce Willis, who plays the role of Dr. Paul Kersey. Other cast members are Vincent D’Onofrio, Dean Norris, Elisabeth Shue, and Kimberly Elise.
The movie follows Kersey, who is a Chicago-based surgeon, setting out to exact revenge on the culprits responsible for attacking his family.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Annapurna Pictures released the film on March 2, 2018. It underperformed at the box office, only grossing $49.6 million worldwide.
The film received four nominations. It also received negative reviews from critics largely, holding an approval rating of 18% based on 163 reviews.
Death Wish
IMDb Action Crime Drama ThrillerDeath Wish is a vigilante action thriller film following Dr. Paul Kersey, who sets out to exact revenge on the culprits responsible for attacking his family.
Director | Eli Roth |
Release Date | March 2, 2018 |
Studio | Universal Studios |
Cast | Bruce Willis Vincent D’Onofrio Elisabeth Shue |
Writers | Joe Carnahan Brian Garfield Wendell Mayes |
Runtime | 1 hour 47 minutes |
Rating | PG-R |
7. Knock Knock
Knock Knock is a thriller film and Eli Roth not only directed it, but he also co-wrote the script with Guillermo Amoedo and Nicolas Lopez. He also had a role of producer in it.
Starring some notable actors like Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, and Ana de Armas, this film is a remake of Death Game, which Peter S. Traynor directed and Sandra Locke and Colleen Camp starred.
The three of them also had a hand in the production of Knock Knock and Camp also appeared in the newer film.
The film follows a devoted husband and father, who helps two stranded young women knocking on his door. But, this kind gesture later turned into a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Having premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2015, it was released on October 9, 2015 in the USA. Lionsgate had acquired the distribution rights to the film.
The film received 37% of 76 critics’ positive reviews and had an average rating of 5.2/10.
Knock Knock
IMDb Crime Psychological Thriller ThrillerKnock Knock is a thriller film following a family man, who helps two women in distress. This innocent help later turns into a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Director | Eli Roth |
Release Date | October 9, 2015 |
Studio | Black Bear Camp Grey Dragonfly Entertainment |
Cast | Keanu Reeves Lorenza Izzo Ana de Armas |
Writers | Eli Roth Nicolás López Guillermo Amoedo |
Runtime | 1 hour 39 minutes |
Rating | R |
6. The Green Inferno
The Green Inferno is a cannibal horror movie that Eli Roth directed and wrote the screenplay along with Guillermo Amoedo.
It follows a young woman who, after joining an activist group, goes on an overseas trip, where they eventually run into a cannibalistic tribe.
This film by Eli Roth serves as an homage to Italian cannibal movies of the late 1970s and early ’80s “cannibal boom.” It is mainly inspired by Cannibal Holocaust, which features a film-within-a-film named The Green Inferno.
Some of the cast starring in this movie are Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Daryl Sabara, Aaron Burns, Richard Burgi, and Magda Apanowicz.
Furthermore, it premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2013. It was released on September 25, 2015, in theatre by High Top Releasing and BH Tilt.
The movie, which was made on a budget of $1 million, earned $12.9 million. At the same time, it also received negative reviews from critics.
The Green Inferno
IMDb Horror Adventure Survival Jungle Adventure Folk Horror Splatter HorrorThe Green Inferno is a cannibal horror movie following a woman who meets a cannibalistic tribe while on a trip overseas with a group.
Director | Eli Roth |
Release Date | September 25, 2015 |
Studio | Worldview Entertainment Dragonfly Entertainment Sobras International Pictures |
Cast | Lorenza Izzo Ariel Levy Aaron Burns |
Writers | Eli Roth Guillermo Amoedo |
Runtime | 1 hour 40 minutes |
Rating | R |
5. Hostel: Part II
Eli Roth wrote and directed the horror film that served as a sequel to his movie, Hostel, which was released in 2005.
The second installment in the Hostel film series stars Roger Bart, Lauren German, Bijou Phillips, Heather Matarazzo, and Richard Burgi.
Boaz Yakin, Quentin Tarantino, and Scott Spiegel were executive producers, and Roth along with Mike Fleiss and Chris Briggs produced it.
The movie follows three American female students studying arts in Rome. They are directed to a Slovak village, where they get kidnapped. Following that, they are taken to a facility where rich clients pay to torture and kill other people.
Moreover, it was banned from being released theatrically in many countries. It premiered on June 6, 2007, at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York.
Two days later, the movie was released in the USA. However, compared to its predecessor, it earned relatively less, grossing $17 million.
This movie got an approval rating of 44% on 113 reviews and had an average rating of 5.1/10.
Hostel: Part II
IMDb Splatter Horror HorrorHostel: Part II follows three female art students in Rome who end up in Slovakia where they are kidnapped and taken to a facility allowing rich people to pay to torture and kill them.
Director | Eli Roth |
Release Date | June 8, 2007 |
Studio | Lionsgate Films Screen Gems Next Entertainment |
Cast | Lauren German Heather Matarazzo Bijou Phillips |
Writers | Eli Roth |
Runtime | 1 hour 34 minutes |
Rating | R |
4. Thanksgiving
The American slasher movie, Thanksgiving, was directed by Eli Roth. It was written by Jeff Rendell and Roger Birnbaum produced it.
It was based on Roth’s fictitious trailer of the same name from Grindhouse and it is the third feature-length adaptation of a fictitious Grindhouse trailer.
The movie stars Addison Rae, Patrick Dempsey, Milo Manheim, Rick Hoffman, and Gina Gershon.
Eli Roth’s movie follows a small Massachusetts town, Plymouth, that is terrorized by a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer after a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy.
The movie was released on November 17, 2023, after TriStar Pictures acquired the US rights to the film in March 2023.
In addition, it grossed $31.9 million in Canada and the USA and $14.6 million in other territories, with a total of $46.5 million worldwide. Having received positive reviews from critics, a sequel is in development.
Thanksgiving
IMDb Teen Horror Horror Mystery Thriller Slasher HorrorThanksgiving is a movie taking place in a small Massachusetts town, Plymouth, that is terrorized by a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer after a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy.
Director | Eli Roth |
Release Date | November 17, 2023 |
Studio | TriStar Pictures Spyglass Media Group Ethereal Visage Productions |
Cast | Patrick Dempsey Ty Olsson Gina Gershon |
Writers | Jeff Rendell Eli Roth |
Runtime | 1 hour 46 minutes |
Rating | R |
3. Inglourious Basterds
Inglourious Basterds is a war film starring Eli Roth as one of the actors. Directed and written by Quentin Tarantino, it stars other notable faces like Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Christopher Waltz, and Til Schweiger, among others.
It shows the time of Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War when a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers’ plan to assassinate Nazi leaders coincides with a theatre owner’s vengeful plans for the same.
The movie premiered on May 20, 2009, at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, with The Weinstein Company distributing in the US and Universal Pictures distributing internationally.
Additionally, it was released on August 20, 2009, in Germany and a day later in the USA. Made with a budget of $70 million, it grossed $321.5 million at the box office.
Having received positive reviews, the movie also won multiple awards and nominations including Academy Award, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, etc.
Inglourious Basterds
IMDb Adventure War DramaInglourious Basterds shows the time of Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War when a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers’ plan to assassinate Nazi leaders coincides with a theatre owner’s vengeful plans for the same.
Director | Quentin Tarantino |
Release Date | August 21, 2009 |
Studio | Universal Studios |
Cast | Brad Pitt Diane Kruger Eli Roth |
Writers | Quentin Tarantino |
Runtime | 2 hours 33 minutes |
Rating | R |
2. Cabin Fever
Written by Eli Roth along with Randy Pearlstein and directed by Travis Zariwny, Cabin Fever is a horror movie that was made as a remake of Roth’s 2002 film of the same name.
The film, which is also also the fourth installment in Cabin Fever franchise stars Gage Golightly, Nadine Crocker, Matthew Daddario, Samuel Davis, and Dustin Ingram.
It follows five college students who have graduated and are renting a cabin in the woods. They start to fall victim to a terrifying flesh-eating virus, attracting the unwanted attention of the homicidal locals.
IFC Midnight released the movie on February 12, 2016. Having underperformed at the box office, it was universally panned by critics.
Cabin Fever
IMDb Sci-Fi Horror Teen Horror Thriller Splatter Horror Body HorrorCabin Fever is a horror movie following a group of five college graduates, who are staying at a remote cabin for a week-long vacation, succumbing to an infectious, flesh-eating disease.
Director | Eli Roth |
Release Date | February 12, 2016 |
Studio | Armory Films, Contend, Pelican Point Media |
Cast | Gage Golightly Matthew Daddario Samuel Davis |
Writers | Eli Roth Randy Pearlstein |
Runtime | 1 hour 39 minutes |
Rating | R |
1. Hostel
Written and directed by Eli Roth, Hostel is a horror thriller movie starring Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, and Barbara Bedeljakova.
It follows a group of American tourists who end up in Slovakia. There, an organization took them one by one, allowing people to torture and kill others.
Lions Gate Films and Sony Pictures Releasing’s Screen Gems released the movie theatrically on January 6, 2006. It is one of the most successful movies made by Eli Roth.
Made on a budget of $4.8 million, the movie, which also received divisive reviews from critics, grossed $82 million worldwide.
The movie successfully launched a film series, followed by Hostel: Part II (2007) and Hostel: Part III (2011).
Hostel
IMDb Horror Splatter Horror Slasher HorrorHostel is a horror thriller film following a group of American tourists, who are taken by an organization while they end up in Slovakia to torture and kill others.
Director | Eli Roth |
Release Date | January 6, 2006 |
Studio | Lions Gate Films |
Cast | Jay Hernandez Derek Richardson Eythor Gudjonsson |
Writers | Eli Roth |
Runtime | 1 hour 34 minutes |
Rating | R |