Ranking Zach Creggers Filmography | No Film School

Zach Cregger’s profession trajectory looks like a dare he made to himself—begin in absurd, no-filter comedy and in some way pivot to bone-chilling, status horror.Starting with the shock-value antics of Miss March (2009) and The Civil Struggle on Medicine (2011), Cregger appeared destined to stay within the sketch-comedy lane carved out by his days with The Whitest Children U’ Know (2007-2011).However then got here Barbarian (2022), a movie that proved he might commerce punchlines for nightmares with out shedding his knack for shock. By 2025, he’d doubled down with Weapons, cementing himself as probably the most unpredictable filmmakers working immediately.For this rating, the standards are easy however not forgiving: directing craft, story execution, cultural footprint, and the power to stay in your head after the credit. It’s as a lot about which of his movies present him on the high of his sport as it’s about simply rating them.And sure, there shall be disagreements—as a result of Cregger’s profession is nothing if not polarizing.Now, let’s break down all 4 of his movies, from the one which confirmed promise however stumbled, to the one which grabbed the crown and refused to let go.4. Miss March (2009)Written by: Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore | Directed by: Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore A raunchy highway journey comedy gone sideways, Miss March follows Eugene (Cregger), who wakes from a four-year coma to find his high-school girlfriend Cindi (Raquel Alessi) is now a Playboy centerfold. Along with his greatest good friend Tucker (Trevor Moore), he embarks on a chaotic quest to win her again, dealing with a string of ridiculous—and sometimes offensive—misadventures.The movie’s humorousness is unapologetically adolescent, which could be a blessing or a curse relying on the viewer’s tolerance for crude gags. Whereas the chemistry between Cregger and Moore is real, the narrative typically looks like a stretched-out sketch, with pacing that lurches between over-the-top absurdity and sudden sentimentality. It earned a spot right here for its ambition but additionally for being Cregger’s most uneven directorial work.One clear takeaway is that comedic timing in a feature-length format calls for a unique muscle than sketch work. The film serves as an early lesson in how pacing and tonal steadiness could make or break comedy, a lesson Cregger would clearly carry into his later, sharper initiatives.3. The Civil Struggle on Medicine (2011)Written by: Trevor Moore, Zach Cregger | Directed by: Trevor Moore, Zach Cregger Set in the course of the American Civil Struggle, this satirical comedy reimagines the period as one the place troopers battle not over slavery however over the criminalization of marijuana. Cregger and Moore play two clueless troopers navigating the absurdity of this alternate historical past, encountering anachronistic jokes, historic inaccuracy on objective, and a parade of surreal situations.Whereas the idea is artistic, the execution leans closely on inside-joke vitality and sketch-comedy sensibilities. The low-budget really feel works for a number of the humor, however the satire doesn’t at all times land with the sharpness it must maintain its runtime. It’s a cult curiosity greater than a broadly celebrated hit, and its spot right here displays its area of interest attraction.For creators, it’s an excellent reminder that daring ideas require equally daring execution. Satire works greatest when it sharpens its social commentary whereas aiming for laughs—one thing Cregger did, fairly masterfully so, when layering subtext into horror.2. Barbarian (2022)Written by: Zach Cregger | Directed by: Zach Cregger A late-night rental mix-up between Tess (Georgina Campbell) and Keith (Invoice Skarsgård) in a rundown Detroit neighborhood units the stage for a nightmare that mutates with every act. What begins as a clumsy encounter escalates into one of many decade’s most stunning horror pivots, involving underground horrors, shifting timelines, and a relentless refusal to let the viewers really feel protected.Barbarian is the film that made everybody sit up and say, “Wait—Zach Cregger made this?” The way in which it performs with construction, builds pressure, and drops reveals at surprising moments is pure confidence. It may not be his most technically intricate movie, however it’s the one which rebranded him in a single day—from “that comedy man” to a filmmaker who might dominate horror with precision and nerve. The cultural affect it left in 2022 was speedy, sparking think-pieces, response movies, and countless spoiler-avoidance warnings.What stands out for filmmakers right here is the self-discipline to carry again. The movie proves you don’t must overexplain; it’s essential to intrigue, unsettle, after which blindside your viewers. Cregger’s restraint in sure scenes is precisely what makes the shocks hit tougher.1. Weapons (2025)Written by: Zach Cregger | Directed by: Zach Cregger Advised by means of three intertwining narratives, Weapons unfolds in a small American city the place a single act of violence connects strangers in methods they will’t see coming. The tone is unflinchingly tense—leaping from intimate character drama to dread-filled horror beats with out shedding its cohesion. Every storyline has its personal rhythm, but all of them converge right into a finale that’s as emotionally heavy as it’s disturbing.That is Cregger working at his sharpest. The structural complexity that might have simply collapsed underneath its personal weight as an alternative feels deliberate and managed. The visible storytelling is tighter, the character work extra nuanced, and the horror much less reliant on leap scares than on an accumulating sense of inevitability. If Barbarian was the announcement of a brand new horror voice, Weapons is the proof that voice can carry even heavier materials with out shedding readability or depth.The large artistic lesson right here is about ambition backed by self-discipline. Multi-threaded narratives can collapse if even one arc falters, however Weapons exhibits how you can give every thread its personal id whereas guaranteeing they serve a unified entire. It’s the type of movie that reminds you that management over chaos is simply as thrilling as chaos itself.Deep Dive: Evaluating Cregger’s EvolutionFrom Comedy to HorrorCregger’s first two movies, Miss March and The Civil Struggle on Medicine, have been unmistakably rooted in sketch comedy. The humor was blunt, chaotic, and unafraid to push buttons. However Barbarian marked a tonal shift so dramatic it shocked his personal followers. As a substitute of punchlines, the setups grew to become slow-burn horror beats. As a substitute of awkward banter, silence carried the stress. By Weapons, he was mixing the 2 worlds—retaining his comedic timing within the type of sharp scene development whereas leaning totally into horror as a storytelling medium.Directorial Model AnalysisCregger’s early directing leaned on improvisation and exaggerated situations. Over time, his work adopted a tighter visible language—framing scenes to hide as a lot as they reveal, manipulating pacing to manage pressure. Widespread threads nonetheless exist: a love for abrupt shifts, a playfulness with viewers expectations, and a style for extremes, whether or not comedic or horrific. His evolution is much less about abandoning comedy and extra about redirecting its unpredictability into horror.Important & Viewers ReceptionThe numbers inform a transparent story. Miss March flopped each critically and commercially, whereas The Civil Struggle on Medicine remained a cult-only affair. Barbarian broke out with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating, sturdy field workplace returns, and widespread social media buzz. Weapons earned reward for its craft however divided audiences with its pacing and structural complexity—solidifying Cregger’s rising popularity as a director who refuses to play it protected.The Verdict: Why #1 Takes the CrownBarbarian is Cregger’s peak (to date) as a result of it’s the movie the place each gamble paid off. Its nonlinear construction, genre-shifting narrative, and talent to weaponize viewers expectations made it each memorable and influential. Whereas Weapons could also be extra technically polished, Barbarian hit on the proper second, with the best degree of ambition, and redefined his profession in a single day.What’s Subsequent for Zach Cregger?Submit-Weapons, Cregger is hooked up to helm the upcoming Resident Evil reboot—a transfer that might push him deeper into mainstream horror whereas giving him a globally acknowledged franchise to play with. If his observe report is any indication, he’ll discover a technique to twist viewers expectations but once more. His profession to date suggests one certainty: no matter style he lands in, it received’t be the one you’re anticipating.ConclusionIf there’s one thread tying his work collectively, it’s the ingredient of shock—and that’s precisely why his subsequent mission shall be value watching. In a profession constructed on left turns, the one protected guess is that Zach Cregger won’t ever take the protected guess.