Willem Dafoe once likened acting for a filmmaker to “being their creature,” a comparison that feels fitting to The Lighthouse actor’s reputation for go-for-broke performances. Often cast as the antagonist or a member of an ensemble, going full “creature mode” may have been the best way for Dafoe to make his mark — his big, bulging eyes and uncannily angular features popping amid any cast. So what happens when you unleash Dafoe in a single, contained space, in front of first-time feature director Vasilis Katsoupis’ camera on Inside? You get one of Dafoe’s most impressive acting displays in years. And it’s not just because he had to eat dog food.
