Since his directorial debut over two decades ago,André Øvredalhas steadily built an impressive filmography, mostly working within the horror genre. After his first feature film,Future Murder, in 2000, the Norwegian filmmaker built a name for himself over a decade later, eventually directing popular films likeScary Stories to Tell in the DarkandThe Last Voyage of the Demeter, with the latter hoping to find a place among thebest Dracula movies of all time.
Despite working his way up to Hollywood productions, Øvredal is not yet a household name, but the signs of him becoming one are there, especially withScary Stories to Tell in the Dark 2in the works.Scary Stories to Tell in the Darkis by far his most famous film, earning over $104 million worldwide when it was released in 2019 (viaBox Office Mojo), and the sequel has the potential to earn even more. Alongside that blossoming horror franchise, there is a lot to like in Øvredal’s filmography.
Future Murder
Cast
Future Murder follows Surgeon Simon Thorne, who battles paranoia and hallucinations, leading to personal and professional decline. Encountering a couple from his dreams who threaten his life, Thorne must navigate his warped reality to confront them preemptively. Released in 2000, this psychological thriller explores themes of obsession and preemptive violence.
Directorial debuts can be hit or miss, especially when it comes to feature-length films, and unfortunately, André Øvredal’s is fairly lackluster. Released back in 2000,Future Murderfollows Dr. Simon Thorne (Philippe Bergeron), a surgeon who suffers from paranoia and hallucinations. After losing his wife and job, he meets a couple who killed him in one of his dreams, so he decides that he needs to kill them first.
10 Directorial Debuts That Changed The Film Industry
Many prolific directors have changed the movie industry with their work, but only a select few have done it with their debut feature films.
Future Murderhas a decent premise, but it is obvious that Øvredal isn’t working with a lot in this one. Shot on an extremely low budget,the biggest sin thatFuture Murdercommits is that it doesn’t feel like it justifies its already short runtime. Still, there are a few bright spots in the film, and Øvredal definitely has the talent to be behind the camera, but that wouldn’t truly show until 10 years later with his next feature film.
5Mortal (2020)
A Superhero Inspired By Norse Mythology
Everything afterFuture Murderis a considerable step-up in André Øvredal’s filmography. Still, some are stronger than others, andMortalfrom 2020 is one of his lower-key outings since he began to direct bigger projects.Inspired by Norse mythology,Mortaltells the story of a young man named Eric who begins to discover that he has extraordinary powers, setting into gear a slow-burning action thriller.
There are only two actors who aren’t Norwegian in the film, and both English and Norwegian are spoken throughout.
Mortalfeels like Øvredal is trying his hand at the ever-popular superhero genre, with a Norwegian twist, of course. Nat Wolf stars as Eric, and gives an admirable performance alongside the rest of the talented cast. The biggest knock againstMortalis that it might be a bit too meandering, leading to moments where the pacing feels glacial, which is never a good thing for films like this. Despite that,Mortalis a beautiful-looking film with an intriguing setup.
The Last Voyage of The Demeter
The Last Voyage of Demeter is a 2023 horror film directed by Andre Ovredal. The movie is adapted from Dracula and follows a ship that is marked by the vampire as it makes its way to London from Carpathia.
André Øvredal tries his hand at adapting one of the most influential horror novels of all time with his latest film,The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Adapting one chapter from Bram Stoker’sDracula,The Last Voyage of the Demeteris aboutthe crew of the shipDemeterthat attempts to survive a voyage from Transylvania to London, while one of horror’s most iconic monsters, Dracula, stalks them throughout their journey.
André Øvredal crafts a bone-chilling experience that is tense for most of the runtime, and beautiful all the way through.
The Last Voyage of the Demeteris a wet, bloody experience that holds no punches when it comes to the brutality of Dracula and the havoc he wreaks on the crew of theDemeter. Øvredal crafts a bone-chilling experience that is tense for most of the runtime, and beautiful all the way through. Perhapsthe best aspect ofThe Last Voyage of the Demeteris the terrifying design of Dracula, leaning heavily into the creature aspect of the character.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Based on the anthology series by Alvin Schwartz, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark adapts several of Schwartz’s stories into one cohesive narrative, telling the story of a group of teens in rural Pennslyvania who are tormented by a series of increasingly terrifying supernatural monsters that seems to be coming from a book the teens stumble across. The film stars, Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, and Austin Abrams.
Adapted from the book series of the same name and produced by Guillermo del Toro,Scary Stories to Tell in the Darkfollows a group of teenagers on Halloween night in the town of Mill Valley, Pennsylvania in 1968 that sneak into a haunted house and accidentally release dark forcesthat they have no idea how to control. With a similar vibe toItorStranger Things,Scary Stories to Tell in the Darkis another impressive horror-film period piece that revolves around a group of friends.
Everything that Øvredal does well as a director is on display inScary Stories to Tell in the Dark. It’s beautiful to look at andØvredal is able to build the tense atmosphere well, making it incredibly scary for a horror film that is only rated PG-13. There is a lot of unsettling imagery in this one that will linger with viewers. So much works inScary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and the sequel should be high on horror fans' anticipated lists.
Troll Hunter
Troll Hunter is a Norwegian fantasy film released on June 14, 2025. It follows a group of students investigating mysterious bear killings, who discover the activities of a clandestine troll hunter. As they join this hunter, they uncover encounters with mythical beings within Norway’s wilderness.
Troll Hunterwas André Øvredal’s follow-up feature film after kickstarting his career 10 years earlier withFuture Murder. His sophomore effort is a much better film, and should be considered one of the best in his entire filmography. Tapping into the found-footage genre,Troll Hunterfollows a group of students who attempt to investigate a series of mysterious bear killings before getting caught up in troll hunting.
It’s an incredible premise and Øvredal does so much with it, crafting a superb found-footage film that is thrilling from start to finish, with a strong sense of dread and atmosphere throughout.Despite being fairly low budget,Troll Hunteris able to get the most out of its premise, and the trolls featured in the film look fantastic. It’s a spectacular film that explores rich mythology without getting lost in the minute details.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
The Autopsy of Jane Doe is a chilling horror film that follows father-and-son coroners who encounter a highly unusual and disturbing autopsy. As they delve deeper into the examination of an unidentified woman’s body found at a crime scene, they uncover increasingly bizarre clues that reveal a dark and terrifying secret. The film masterfully combines supernatural elements with a claustrophobic setting to create a tense and gripping mystery.
Released in 2016,The Autopsy of Jane Doeis André Øvredal’s best film to date and a testament to the talent the Norwegian director has to offer. The movie revolves aroundfather and son coroners who receive an unidentified corpse and soon begin to experience supernatural phenomena during their examination.The Autopsy of Jane Doetakes advantage of its strong premise and ends up being an effective piece of horror.
The Autopsy Of Jane Doe: The Witch & Powers Explained
The Autopsy of Jane Doe features a witch with powers deeply tied to the 17th century and the history of the Salem Witch Trials.
One of the best aspects ofThe Autopsy of Jane Doeis the performance of Olwen Catherine Kelly as Jane Doe, who lies motionless and dead throughout the film’s runtime. Despite it being one-note, it is an incredible performance that propels the film forward. The movie is tense and scary throughout and the atmosphere is palpable, with the setting being a particular standout.André Øvredalhas made some impressive films, butThe Autopsy of Jane Doestands above the rest.
