Errol Morris

Directing

Errol Morris

Born February 5, 1948 · Hewlett, Long Island, New York, USA (age 78)

Errol Morris (born February 5, 1948) is an American director. In 2003, The Guardian put him seventh in its list of the world's 40 best directors. As of 2010, Morris has won one Academy Award for Best Documentary Film. Description above from the Wikipedia article Errol Morris, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Bride of the OrientBride of the Orient · 1989
Bride of the Orient
9.51989
MovieDramaRomance
After the death of his mother, a lonely farmer in rural Switzerland considers finally starting a family of his own. Eventually he pays for a bride from Thailand. The couple don't share a language, but being to know each other. However the village neighbors are suspicious of foreigners.
The Act of KillingThe Act of Killing · 2012
The Act of Killing
7.72012
MovieDocumentaryHistory
In this chilling and groundbreaking documentary, former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact their real-life mass killings in the style of various film genres. As they recreate their past atrocities, the line between reality and performance blurs, exposing the lingering impact of Indonesia's 1965-66 anti-communist purge and the unsettling psychology of its perpetrators.
Vernon, FloridaVernon, Florida · 1981
Vernon, Florida
6.81981
MovieDocumentary
Early Errol Morris documentary intersplices random chatter he captured on film of the genuinely eccentric residents of Vernon, Florida. A few examples? The preacher giving a sermon on the definition of the word "Therefore," and the obsessive turkey hunter who speaks reverentially of the "gobblers" he likes to track down and kill.
Chaos: The Manson MurdersChaos: The Manson Murders · 2025
Chaos: The Manson Murders
6.12025
MovieDocumentaryCrime
In August 1969, Charles Manson's followers killed seven people on his orders. Why? Explore a conspiracy of mind control, CIA experiments, and murder.
The Fog of WarThe Fog of War · 2003
The Fog of War
7.72003
MovieDocumentaryTV Movie
Using archival footage, cabinet conversation recordings, and an interview of the 85-year-old Robert McNamara, The Fog of War depicts his life, from working as a WWII whiz-kid military officer, to being the Ford Motor Company's president, to managing the Vietnam War as defense secretary for presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
Standard Operating ProcedureStandard Operating Procedure · 2008
Standard Operating Procedure
6.82008
MovieDocumentaryWar
Errol Morris examines the incidents of abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison.
Life ItselfLife Itself · 2014
Life Itself
7.52014
MovieDocumentary
The surprising and entertaining life of renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert (1942-2013): his early days as a freewheeling bachelor and Pulitzer Prize winner, his famously contentious partnership with Gene Siskel, his life-altering marriage, and his brave and transcendent battle with cancer.
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon ValleyThe Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley · 2019
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley
7.02019
MovieDocumentary
With a magical new invention that promised to revolutionize blood testing, Elizabeth Holmes became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, heralded as the next Steve Jobs. Then, overnight, her 10-billion-dollar company dissolved. The rise and fall of Theranos is a window into the psychology of fraud.

Movies

Bride of the OrientBride of the Orient · 1989
Bride of the Orient
9.51989
MovieDramaRomance
After the death of his mother, a lonely farmer in rural Switzerland considers finally starting a family of his own. Eventually he pays for a bride from Thailand. The couple don't share a language, but being to know each other. However the village neighbors are suspicious of foreigners.
The Act of KillingThe Act of Killing · 2012
The Act of Killing
7.72012
MovieDocumentaryHistory
In this chilling and groundbreaking documentary, former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact their real-life mass killings in the style of various film genres. As they recreate their past atrocities, the line between reality and performance blurs, exposing the lingering impact of Indonesia's 1965-66 anti-communist purge and the unsettling psychology of its perpetrators.
Vernon, FloridaVernon, Florida · 1981
Vernon, Florida
6.81981
MovieDocumentary
Early Errol Morris documentary intersplices random chatter he captured on film of the genuinely eccentric residents of Vernon, Florida. A few examples? The preacher giving a sermon on the definition of the word "Therefore," and the obsessive turkey hunter who speaks reverentially of the "gobblers" he likes to track down and kill.
Chaos: The Manson MurdersChaos: The Manson Murders · 2025
Chaos: The Manson Murders
6.12025
MovieDocumentaryCrime
In August 1969, Charles Manson's followers killed seven people on his orders. Why? Explore a conspiracy of mind control, CIA experiments, and murder.
The Fog of WarThe Fog of War · 2003
The Fog of War
7.72003
MovieDocumentaryTV Movie
Using archival footage, cabinet conversation recordings, and an interview of the 85-year-old Robert McNamara, The Fog of War depicts his life, from working as a WWII whiz-kid military officer, to being the Ford Motor Company's president, to managing the Vietnam War as defense secretary for presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
Standard Operating ProcedureStandard Operating Procedure · 2008
Standard Operating Procedure
6.82008
MovieDocumentaryWar
Errol Morris examines the incidents of abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison.
Life ItselfLife Itself · 2014
Life Itself
7.52014
MovieDocumentary
The surprising and entertaining life of renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert (1942-2013): his early days as a freewheeling bachelor and Pulitzer Prize winner, his famously contentious partnership with Gene Siskel, his life-altering marriage, and his brave and transcendent battle with cancer.
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon ValleyThe Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley · 2019
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley
7.02019
MovieDocumentary
With a magical new invention that promised to revolutionize blood testing, Elizabeth Holmes became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, heralded as the next Steve Jobs. Then, overnight, her 10-billion-dollar company dissolved. The rise and fall of Theranos is a window into the psychology of fraud.
TabloidTabloid · 2011
Tabloid
6.42011
MovieDocumentary
A documentary on a former Miss Wyoming who is charged with abducting and imprisoning a young Mormon Missionary.
The Pigeon TunnelThe Pigeon Tunnel · 2023
The Pigeon Tunnel
6.62023
MovieDocumentary
Academy Award winner Errol Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of David Cornwell, the former spy known to the literary world as John le Carré.
National BirdNational Bird · 2016
National Bird
6.72016
MovieDocumentary
Sonia Kennebeck takes on the controversial tactic of drone warfare, and demands accountability through the personal accounts—recollections, traumas, and responses—of three American military veterans whose lives have been shaken by the roles they played in this controversial method of attack.
Gates of HeavenGates of Heaven · 1978
Gates of Heaven
6.81978
MovieDocumentary
A documentary about a pet cemetery in California, and the people who have pets buried there.
The Thin Blue LineThe Thin Blue Line · 1988
The Thin Blue Line
7.61988
MovieCrimeDocumentary
An unorthodox investigation into the wrongful conviction of Randall Dale Adams for the 1976 murder of Dallas police officer Robert Wood. Using stylized reenactments and interviews with key figures, conflicting testimonies and evidence are presented to argue that Adams was framed by a corrupt justice system, ultimately leading to his exoneration.
The Look of SilenceThe Look of Silence · 2014
The Look of Silence
7.82014
MovieHistoryDocumentary
An Indonesian man with a communist background named Ramli was brutally murdered when the "Communist" purge occurred in 1965. His remaining family members lived in fear and silence until the making of this documentary. Adi, a brother of his, decided to revisit the horrific incident and visited the men who were responsible for the killings and one survivor of the purge. These meetings uncovered sadistic details of the murders and exposed raw emotions and reactions of the killers' family members about what happened in the past - much to Adi's disappointment.
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve PartsGlass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts · 2007
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
6.52007
MovieDocumentaryMusic
Scott Hicks documents an eventful year in the career and personal life of distinguished Western classical composer Philip Glass as he interacts with a number of friends and collaborators, who include Chuck Close, Ravi Shankar, and Martin Scorsese.
Fast, Cheap & Out of ControlFast, Cheap & Out of Control · 1997
Fast, Cheap & Out of Control
6.71997
MovieDocumentary
Errol Morris’s Fast, Cheap & Out of Control interweaves the stories of four men, each driven to create eccentric worlds from their unique obsessions, all of which involve animals. There’s a lion tamer who shares his theories on the mental processes of wild animals; a topiary gardener who has devoted a lifetime to shaping bears and giraffes out of hedges and trees; a man fascinated with hairless mole rats; and an MIT scientist who has designed complex, autonomous robots that can crawl like bugs.
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait PhotographyThe B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography · 2017
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography
6.82017
MovieDocumentary
Portrait photographer Elsa Dorfman found her medium in 1980: the larger-than-life Polaroid Land 20x24 camera. For the next thirty-five years, she captured the “surfaces” of those who visited her studio: families, Beat poets, rock stars, and Harvard notables. As pictures begin to fade and her retirement looms, Dorfman gives Errol Morris an inside tour of her backyard archive.
My Psychedelic Love StoryMy Psychedelic Love Story · 2020
My Psychedelic Love Story
6.02020
MovieDocumentary
An examination of the notorious high priest of LSD Timothy Leary through the eyes of his famed lover Joanna Harcourt-Smith.
A Brief History of TimeA Brief History of Time · 1991
A Brief History of Time
7.21991
MovieDocumentary
This shows physicist Stephen Hawking's life as he deals with the ALS that renders him immobile and unable to speak without the use of a computer. Hawking's friends, family, classmates, and peers are interviewed not only about his theories but the man himself.
The Unknown KnownThe Unknown Known · 2013
The Unknown Known
6.82013
MovieDocumentaryHistory
Former United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, discusses his career in Washington D.C. from his days as a congressman in the early 1960s to planning the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Hotel New YorkHotel New York · 1984
Hotel New York
7.51984
MovieComedy
A comedy about New York and its eccentric inhabitants. A French filmmaker comes to New York to show her film at MOMA. Fascinated by the city, she decides to stay.
Bob Geldof: The MomentBob Geldof: The Moment · 2014
Bob Geldof: The Moment
2014
MovieDocumentary
Bob Geldof grew up listening to the radio on the outskirts of Dublin, where his loneliness and resentment of prescribed drudgery manifested itself in an all-consuming desire to escape. It was an almost quintessential rock-star story — rebellion, transgression, fame, drugs, escapades, fading glory. That is, until he turned on the news one late-October evening in 1984 and saw a short story about a famine that moved him and changed his life. The next year, Mr. Geldof was in the Sahel region of Africa, overseeing distribution of the $140 million he and his fellow musicians ultimately helped to raise in one of the largest charity efforts ever organized.
Werner Herzog Eats His ShoeWerner Herzog Eats His Shoe · 1988
Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe
6.91988
MovieDocumentaryComedy
Directors Werner Herzog and Errol Morris make a bet which results in Herzog living up to his promise that he would eat his shoe if Errol Morris ever completed the film Gates of Heaven.
67 Bombs to Enid67 Bombs to Enid · 2025
67 Bombs to Enid
2025
MovieDocumentary
From Executive Producer Errol Morris, 67 BOMBS TO ENID is an intimate, character-driven documentary about survivors of nuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands who relocated to rural America. The film presents intimate access to characters with first-hand accounts of bomb blasts and their descendants who speak to the generational impact these perverse weapons of war have had on humans.

TV Shows

POVPOV · 1988
POV
6.91988
SeriesDocumentary
Since its 1988 premiere, this critically acclaimed documentary series has presented hundreds of films that put a human face on contemporary social issues by relating a compelling story in an intimate fashion. "POV" has won virtually every major film and broadcasting award available, including 38 Emmys, 22 Peabody Awards and three Oscars.
American PlayhouseAmerican Playhouse · 1982
American Playhouse
6.61982
SeriesDramaComedy
American Playhouse is an anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service in the United States.
Late Night with David LettermanLate Night with David Letterman · 1982
Late Night with David Letterman
6.11982
SeriesComedy
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night with Conan O'Brien then filled the time slot. As of March 2, 2009, the slot has been filled by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. It will be filled by Seth Meyers in the spring of 2014, after Fallon becomes host of The Tonight Show.
WormwoodWormwood · 2017
Wormwood
6.22017
SeriesDocumentaryCrime
In this genre-bending tale, Errol Morris explores the mysterious death of a U.S. scientist entangled in a secret Cold War program known as MK-Ultra.
A Wilderness of ErrorA Wilderness of Error · 2020
A Wilderness of Error
6.02020
SeriesDocumentary
When Army surgeon Jeffrey MacDonald is sent to prison for killing his family, a storm of swirling narratives challenges our very ability to find the truth all the while overshadowing a chilling possibility: MacDonald may be an innocent man. Based on the best-selling book by Errol Morris.
First PersonFirst Person · 2000
First Person
8.32000
SeriesDocumentary
First Person was an American TV series produced and directed by Errol Morris. The show engaged a varied group of individuals from civil advocates to criminals. Interviews were conducted with "The Interrotron", a device similar to a teleprompter: Errol and his subject each sit facing a camera. The image of each person's face is then projected onto a two-way mirror positioned in front of the lens of the other's camera. Instead of looking at a blank lens, then, both Morris and his subject are looking directly at a human face. Morris believes that the machine encourages monologue in the interview process, while also encouraging the interviewees to "express themselves to camera".