The film industry is fickle. When factors like mainstream appeal and tactical marketing determine a movie’s success, it is almost impossible to ensure triumph even with a winning idea. Despite making brilliant films for their entire career, some great directors are never heard of. On the other hand, some directors make masterpieces for their first films and become permanently famous. It is an unpredictable industry, and any filmmaker practically gambles when they pour their heart and soul into a project.
Christopher Nolan, widely considered as one of the all-time greats, had to wait years until 2024 for his first Academy Award for Best Directing, and many great modern filmmakers still await their Best Director Oscar. It often takes time to find any recognition, and the lack of positive responses to earlier projects is particularly disheartening. However, as some famous filmmaking careers prove, directors often have to keep making good films that are slept on, before they make the career-defining movie which puts them in the hall of fame.
You are watching: 10 Directors Who Made 2 Good Movies Before Striking Gold With Their Third
10
Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Previously Directed Swiss Army Man (2016) & The Death Of Dick Long (2019)
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12
9.5/10
Everything Everywhere All at Once
R
AdventureComedyAction
In Everything Everywhere All at Once, a middle-aged laundromat owner (Michelle Yeoh) is distracted from her financial and family issues by a multiversal crisis. With just her husband (Ke Huy Quan) to support her through the confusion, she must contend with her overbearing traditional father (James Hong), a pencil-pushing auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis), and her emotionally-distant daughter (Stephanie Hsu).
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Release Date
March 25, 2022
Runtime
132 minutes
Cast
Jenny Slate
, Ke Huy Quan
, Stephanie Hsu
, Harry Shum Jr.
, Jamie Lee Curtis
, James Hong
, Michelle Yeoh
Director
Daniel Kwan
, Daniel Scheinert
Writers
Daniel Scheinert
, Daniel Kwan
The Daniels haven’t been a directing duo for long, and they only started their feature filmmaking career in 2016, but Daniel Scheinert made two good movies that didn’t receive the kind of reception they deserve. His first film, co-directed with Daniel Kwan, Swiss Army Man, an absurdist body humor film, is one of those great movies that sound awful when someone explains them. A man trapped on an island finds a flatulent corpse who helps him escape back to civilization.
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His next film, The Death of Dick Long, is a dark comedy about a man who gets killed in a comically disturbing way. It is reminiscent of early A24 movies, which used absurdist humor and awkward situations to create dramatic tension. After these two good films, Scheinert went on to co-direct, again with Daniel Kwan, one of the greatest movies in recent history. With a sweep at the Academy comprising 11 nominations and 8 wins, Everything Everywhere All At Once, an A24 feature, placed the directing duo permanently on the map as talent to look out for.
9
Rian Johnson – Looper (2012)
Previously Directed Brick (2005) &The Brothers Bloom (2008)
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7/10
Looper
R
Sci-FiActionThriller
In the sci-fi action thriller Looper, time travel is possible, but illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a “looper,” a hired gun, is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich as a Looper and life is good… until the day the mob decides to “close the loop,” sending back Joe’s future self for assassination.
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Release Date
September 28, 2012
Runtime
118 minutes
Cast
Bruce Willis
, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
, Emily Blunt
, Paul Dano
, Noah Segan
, Piper Perabo
Director
Rian Johnson
Writers
Rian Johnson
Studio(s)
Sony
Distributor(s)
Sony
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While he’s most famous or possibly infamous for the highly divisive Star Wars sequel The Last Jedi, and subsequently for the Daniel Craig-led Agatha Christie-like murder mystery franchise Knives Out, Rian Johnson first made a splash in Hollywood with his imaginative time travel thriller Looper. A lean sci-fi flick buoyed by compelling performances from both Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it was his real breakthrough film that eventually landed him the job as director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Looper is the first Rian Johnson film that amassed over 100 million USD at the worldwide box office.
Looper isn’t the first film on which Johnson worked with Gordon-Levitt. The latter is also the lead actor of his debut feature film, Brick, which is a uniquely stylish crime thriller that brings the 2000s high school comedy vibe to the noir genre. Johnson’s creativity shines through despite the budgetary limitations on Brick. Between the two films, Johnson directed The Brothers Bloom, a heist movie featuring Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, and Adrien Brody. Fans of Rian Johnson’s films, especially Knives Out, should check out the first two films to see him develop in the crime thriller genre.
8
Tim Burton – Batman (1989)
Previously Directed Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985) & Beetlejuice (1988)
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40
9/10
Batman
PG-13
ActionAdventureSuperhero
Batman is a 1989 superhero movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. The film features Jack Nicholson’s chilling portrayal as Jack Napier, who turns into the Joker and reigns terror on Gotham. Kim Basinger also stars in the film as Vicki Vale, along with Michael Gough as Bruce’s trusty butler named Alfred.
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Release Date
June 23, 1989
Runtime
126 Minutes
Cast
Michael Keaton
, Jack Nicholson
, Kim Basinger
, Billy Dee Williams
, Robert Wuhl
, Pat Hingle
, Michael Gough
Director
Tim Burton
Studio(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
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He’s one of the most easily recognized prominent filmmakers today, but there was a time when Tim Burton’s name wasn’t synonymous with campy horror aesthetics. His sophomore feature, Beetlejuice, which got a sequel after 36 years in 2024, is often thought of as his debut feature, but his first feature film was Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, a slapstick physical comedy about a man whose bicycle gets stolen. While it is his most famous film, Beetlejuice isn’t the movie that Tim Burton struck gold with. A year later, he directed the film where Michael Keaton said his most iconic line ever.
He set a personal record with 1989’s Batman, which he’s yet to beat. His film about the Caped Crusader was the highest-grossing film at the box office that year, and no other Tim Burton film has ever achieved this milestone. Beetlejuice, which introduced the world to Burton’s eccentric, gothic, and comically horrifying world, is a unique horror comedy, but it’s not his biggest. Batman (1989) informed modern superhero filmmaking until Nolan’s Batman trilogy.
7
Denis Villeneuve – Prisoners (2013)
Previously Directed Polytechnique (2009) & Incendies (2010)
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6/10
Prisoners
R
DramaMysteryThriller
After getting tired of waiting for the police to find the person responsible for taking two young girls, Keller Rover takes the law into his own hands to get the answers he wants. This crime drama was directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Hugh Jackman (Keller Rover), Jake Gyllenhaal (Detective Loki), and Terrence Howard (Franklin Birch).
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Release Date
September 20, 2013
Runtime
153 minutes
Cast
Hugh Jackman
, Jake Gyllenhaal
, Viola Davis
, Maria Bello
, Terrence Howard
, Melissa Leo
, Paul Dano
Director
Denis Villeneuve
Writers
Aaron Guzikowski
Studio(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
, Summit Entertainment
, Lionsgate
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Today, he’s known for tackling two of the largest scale sci-fi universes, namely the Blade Runner and Dune franchises, but before that, Denis Villeneuve was making imaginative, often surreal crime thrillers and drama films. While he did make August 32nd on Earth (1998) and Maelström (2000) before Polytechnique (2009), the last of the three is his first big-budget film. It is a retelling of the Montreal Massacre of 1989, in which a student shot multiple female students at the Polytechnique Institute in a misogynistic outburst.
Prisoners (2013), starring Hollywood stars Hugh Jackman and Viola Davis, put Villeneuve on the map as an auteur.
While Polytechnique is criticized for being insensitive towards victims of such violence, by approaching the subject with artistic fervor that prioritizes aesthetics, it’s a solid piece of filmmaking in terms of cinematographic techniques employed. The similar issue continues with Incendies (2010), which follows two siblings as they unearth a horrifying truth about their mother. The sensationalism of violence is less in it than in Polytechnique, but it is nonetheless a compelling drama. Prisoners (2013), starring Hollywood stars Hugh Jackman and Viola Davis, put Villeneuve on the map as an auteur because of his patient filmmaking in creating the slow burn thriller.
6
Gore Verbinski – The Ring (2002)
Previously Directed MouseHunt (1997) &The Mexican (2001)
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The Ring
PG-13
MysteryHorror
An American remake of the original Japanese supernatural horror film, Ring, The Ring follows a journalist who discovers she has seven days to live after watching a cursed videotape. Attending the funeral of a girl who dies under mysterious circumstances, the victim’s mother asks Seattle journalist Rachel to investigate the death. After learning about the urban legend behind the video tape the girl watched, Rachel views the tape in the hopes of finding a lead – only to find herself succumbing to the same curse.
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Release Date
October 18, 2002
Runtime
115 minutes
Cast
Martin Henderson
, Naomi Watts
, Amber Tamblyn
, David Dorfman
, Brian Cox
Director
Gore Verbinski
Writers
Ehren Kruger
Studio(s)
DreamWorks Distribution
Distributor(s)
DreamWorks Distribution
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The director of Johnny Depp’s famous Pirates trilogy, Gore Verbinski, before also directing one of the best animated movies that were better than expected with Rango (2011), made the American remake of the iconic Japanese horror movie Ringu (1998). It was critically acclaimed and also a commercial success. It cemented Verbinski as a promising filmmaker, which eventually led to his association with Disney’s Pirates franchise.
Prior to The Ring (2002), Verbinski had directed a slapstick man vs beast movie that feels like an elaborate live-action Tom and Jerry episode, where there are two grown men in place of the cat. MouseHunt (1997) is an underappreciated action comedy that deserves more love. His next film is a little all over the place, but Brad Pitt’s fashion choices create such unintentional hilarity that The Mexican (2001) becomes an entertaining experience nonetheless.
5
Greta Gerwig – Barbie (2023)
Previously Directed Lady Bird (2017) & Little Women (2019)
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11
7.9/10
Barbie
PG-13
ComedyAdventureFantasy
Barbie is a film adaptation of the generational iconic toy directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach. The film centers on Margot Robbie’s Barbie who is expelled from Barbieland and travels with Ken (Ryan Gosling) to the real world in search of happiness. The film also stars Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, and several other famous celebrities in cameo roles.
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Release Date
July 21, 2023
Runtime
114 Minutes
Cast
Margot Robbie
, Ryan Gosling
, Simu Liu
, Ariana Greenblatt
, Helen Mirren
, Nicola Coughlan
, John Cena
, Will Ferrell
, Ritu Arya
, Michael Cera
, America Ferrera
, Alexandra Shipp
, Kate McKinnon
Director
Greta Gerwig
Writers
Noah Baumbach
, Greta Gerwig
Studio(s)
LuckyChap Entertainment
, Mattel Films
, Heyday Films
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Main Genre
Adventure
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Greta Gerwig’s filmmaking career began years ago as a co-director of Nights and Weekends (2008), one of the best mumblecore movies of all time. However, her solo directing career didn’t begin for another decade. In the meantime, she developed as a screenwriter, collaborating twice with now-husband Noah Baumbach as a screenwriter for Frances Ha (2012) and Mistress America (2015). Gerwig’s solo directorial debut feature Lady Bird (2017) put herself and Saoirse Ronan on the map, earning both Oscar nominations in their corresponding categories.
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While she repeated the feat of earning an Oscar nomination for writing twice more with her next two films, she has yet to receive a Best Director Oscar nomination. However, her biggest film is undoubtedly 2023’s Barbie, which took her from Indie filmmaker with critical acclaim to worldwide sensation overnight as the highest-grossing female director of all time. Before that, she made a critically acclaimed adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women in 2019. Both films made before Barbie earned her the reputation of being a feminist director, which prompted Mattel to approach her to direct Barbie.
4
Ben Stiller – Zoolander (2001)
Previously Directed Reality Bites (1994) & The Cable Guy (1996)
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6.5/10
Zoolander
PG-13
Comedy
Released in 2001, Zoolander is an American comedy starring Ben Stiller as Derek Zoolander, a world-renowned fashion model that is nearing the end of his career. But as he is stepping out of the spotlight, Derek is brainwashed into killing the Prime Minister of Malaysia. The film spawned a sequel, Zoolander 2, which was released in 2016.
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Release Date
September 28, 2001
Runtime
See more : Every Star Wars Jedi & Sith With A Double-Bladed Lightsaber (Not Just Darth Maul)
90 minutes
Cast
Owen Wilson
, Ben Stiller
, Milla Jovovich
, Christine Taylor
, Will Ferrell
Director
Ben Stiller
Writers
Ben Stiller
, Drake Sather
, John Hamburg
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
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After his acting debut in Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun (1987), it took Ben Stiller five years to earn his own TV show spot on MTV. Within two years of doing The Ben Stiller Show (1992), Stiller directed his first movie, Reality Bites, starring Ethan Hawke and Winona Ryder. A wistful romantic drama, it follows a group of college graduates as they reconcile with the changes in their lives since leaving college. It’s tonally very distinct from his next film, The Cable Guy (1996), an action comedy featuring Jim Carrey.
Carrey’s weird performance and the satirical over-the-top vibes of The Cable Guy feels like a time capsule, serving as a look into the unhinged comedic films that Jim Carrey would star in, in the ’90s. It’s a uniquely chaotic film with one of Carrey’s weirdest performances. However, with the next film he directed, Stiller struck gold. Zoolander (2001), featuring one of the best surprise cameos in movie history, is a satire on the fashion industry and Stiller’s breakthrough film as a director.
3
Christopher Nolan – Batman Begins (2005)
Previously Directed Memento (2000) & Insomnia (2002)
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72
9/10
Batman Begins
PG-13
ActionAdventureCrimeDocumentaryDrama
Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman’s origin story sees Christian Bale take up the mantle of the Caped Crusader. Batman Begins follows young Bruce Wayne who, reeling from the murder of his wealthy parents, decides to become a vigilante in order to save Gotham City. This pits him against the mysterious League of Shadows, an organization intent on destroying Gotham with the help of the villainous Scarecrow and his powerful fear toxin.
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Release Date
June 15, 2005
Runtime
140 Minutes
Cast
Ken Watanabe
, Liam Neeson
, Gary Oldman
, Tom Wilkinson
, Linus Roache
, Christian Bale
, Katie Holmes
, Mark Boone Junior
, Michael Caine
, Rutger Hauer
, Cillian Murphy
, Morgan Freeman
Director
Christopher Nolan
Writers
Bob Kane
, David S. Goyer
, Christopher Nolan
Studio(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
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One of the most famous directors today, Christopher Nolan, is an instantly recognizable name. From changing the face of superhero cinema with his Batman trilogy to creating a higher standard for visual trickery due to his refusal to use CGI, Christopher Nolan has trademarks in every movie that immediately set them apart from films directed by his contemporaries. Ever since he introduced the world to Christian Bale as Batman in Batman Begins (2005), he’s been a prominent figure in the industry.
Nolan’s The Dark Knight is one of the top 10 highest rated superhero films on Rotten Tomatoes with a critics score of 94% and the highest rated superhero movie on IMDb with a 9.0 rating.
However, he’d been making films for much longer before that. Back in ’98, he made a low-budget independent non-linear crime thriller, Following, which is technically his directorial debut. But his directorial debut for a studio was with Memento, a psychological thriller starring an amnesiac character played by Guy Ritchie. While it has a cult following today and was even remade in Bollywood as Ghajini (2008) starring Aamir Khan, his next film Insomnia remains criminally underrated. Featuring an intense dramatic performance by Robin Williams, it’s a psychological crime thriller following a detective, played by Al Pacino, who’s plagued by nightmares.
2
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland (2020)
Previously Directed Songs My Brother Taught Me (2015) & The Rider (2017)
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9/10
Nomadland
R
Drama
Based on a true story and adapted from the novel, Nomadland is a drama film that follows the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada. Fern packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad, with real nomads Linda May, Swankie, and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West.
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Release Date
February 19, 2021
Runtime
107 minutes
Cast
Bob Wells
, Swankie
, Frances McDormand
, Linda May
, Derek Endres
, David Straitham
Director
Chloé Zhao
Writers
Chloé Zhao
Studio(s)
Searchlight Pictures
Distributor(s)
Searchlight Pictures
Main Genre
Drama
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Before joining the MCU to direct The Eternals, unfairly considered the worst MCU movie, Chloé Zhao won the Best Director Oscar in 2021 for her feature film Nomadland featuring Frances McDormand, who also won the Best Lead Actress Oscar that year for the movie, which won Best Picture. A touching movie about life during the Great Recession, it explores themes of love and loss in a slow and dramatic take on the Western genre.
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The Western genre is a recurring avenue for Zhao, who set her directorial debut Songs My Brother Taught Me (2015) in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It is a poignant family drama, exploring the bond between a girl and her brother during a trying time of their lives. It meanders at a dreamy pace and is again filled with empathy for its characters, depicting the harshness of life but without dramatizing the difficulties. Her next feature, The Rider (2017), is an even more emotionally rich drama about the bond between a retired rodeo and his horse.
1
George Lucas – Star Wars (1977)
Previously Directed THX 1138 (1971) & American Graffiti (1973)
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45
9/10
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
PG
ActionAdventure Sci-FiFantasy
The film that began the Star Wars franchise, Episode IV – A New Hope tells the story of wistful Force-sensitive Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who longs to leave his home planet of Tatooine to fight the evil Empire. After inheriting his Jedi father’s weapon, a lightsaber, Luke sets off under the tutelage of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) with smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to join the Rebellion and face the evil Darth Vader.
Release Date
May 25, 1977
Runtime
121 Minutes
Cast
Mark Hamill
, Harrison Ford
, Carrie Fisher
, Alec Guinness
, David Prowse
, James Earl Jones
, Frank Oz
, Anthony Daniels
, Kenny Baker
, Peter Mayhew
, Peter Cushing
Director
George Lucas
Writers
George Lucas
Studio(s)
Lucasfilm
Distributor(s)
20th Century
Main Genre
Sci-Fi
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His breakthrough film gave birth to the greatest sci-fi franchise ever, which continues to grow today, but George Lucas’ career as a sci-fi filmmaker began earlier than Star Wars (1977) with THX 1138 (1971). The latter is a dystopian sci-fi drama that remains underappreciated today. As a directorial debut, it is incredibly compelling in it shot-selection and the pace at which the narrative unfolds as it explores the idea of free will.
Lucas followed that up with a comedy set in the ’60s, following a group of high school graduates who decide to have a wacky night of misadventures before they set out on their way to college the next day. American Graffiti (1973) is a lighthearted drama that is reminiscent of that short period during the early ’60s when America wasn’t in as much political and economic turmoil. To say Lucas’ next film put him on the map would be an understatement. Star Wars has won the admiration and love of 5 generations of fans, and its franchise shows no signs of stopping.
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Category: Entertainment