Great directorial debuts aren’t common, butthey sure are a delightful surprise. Sometimes, though, it takes a second film for a director to really prove their worth, for them to show all the potential they have to offer cinema.
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ThinkWes Anderson’sRushmoreorChristopher Nolan’sMemento. These outstanding sophomore movies are as fresh, exciting, and bold as many great directors' debut is, and they show that second chances are always important.
Mathieu Kassovitz Made His Name Unforgettable With ‘La Haine’ (1995)
The French starMatthieu Kassovitzis best known for his acting work, so you wouldn’t be blamed for not knowing him as a director. He hasn’t really made anything even remotely as great and iconic asLa Haine, about 24 hours in the chaotic lives of three young French men.
This slice-of-life crime drama shot in beautiful black-and-white is an astonishing work of art. As full of nail-biting tension as it is of soul-crushing emotion, it’s the kind of movie that proves just how powerful French cinema can be. It’s a tragic shame that Kassovitz’s name never made it back on the map, at least as a director.
LanaandLilly Wachowski’s debut, the crime thrillerBound, is pretty good in its own right. However, it’s nowhere near as popular asThe Matrix, one of the seminal works in the post-apocalyptic sci-fi genre.
On the one hand,The Matrixis insanely fun with a riveting plot and creative action scenes that pop right out of the screen. However, one shouldn’t dismiss it as just another action blockbuster. There’s an incredible amount of rich philosophical content in the film, proving that the Wachowskis had a lot of things to say through their technically astonishing pictures.
Wes Anderson Cemented His Style With ‘Rushmore’ (1998)
Image via Touchstone Pictures
There are very few directors with a style as enjoyable and instantly recognizable asWes Anderson’s. This is proved by his second-ever film,Rushmore, about an ambitious teenager who falls in love with a beautiful first-grade teacher.
Though Anderson’s chaotic debutBottle Rocketisn’t without its fans, most would agree thatRushmorewas a significant step up in pretty much every sense. Smartly written and passionately directed, it’s a terrific dramedy that showcasesall the iconic trademarksthat would make the director so popular in the future.
Ridley Scott Revolutionized Sci-Fi Horror With ‘Alien’ (1979)
In space, no one can hear you scream. But when you scream watchingRidley Scott’s terrifying sci-fi classicAlien, you’ll be heard alright. The film has aged like fine wine, and it’s an absolute must-see for fans of the genre.
Scott’s first film wasThe Duelists, a pretty good period piece that has sadly faded into obscurity. But it’s hard to compete withAlien, the nail-biting, atmospheric, endlessly rewatchable movie that madeSignourney Weavera star and introduced the world to the astounding talent of Ridley Scott.
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Christopher Nolan Showed His Fascination With Non-Traditional Story Structure in ‘Memento’ (2000)
Everyone familiar withChristopher Nolanknows that he likes to experiment with mind-bending concepts and bizarre story structures, and fans of the director tend to agree that these interests of his peaked withMemento.
Calling this crime drama unique would be an understatement. Told in reverse chronological order, it’s a fascinating exploration of the human condition and the lengths that we will go to in an effort to give our lives some semblance of meaning. It’s a staggering cinematic achievement, one which proved that Nolan can be a genius when he really wants to.
Michael Cimino Broke Everyone’s Heart With ‘The Deer Hunter’ (1978)
The Best Picture Oscar-winningThe Deer Hunteris a heartbreaking war film; but if you have the stomach for it, it’s a movie that will sear itself into your mind and remain there forever.
Michael Ciminohad inThunderbolt and Lightfoota solid debut full of pathos and good vibes, but nothing comes close to the greatness ofThe Deer Hunter. The performances are staggering, the story makes it impossible to look away, and there is an abundance of scenes that can be counted among the best in cinema’s history.
P.T.A. Tackled the Adult Film Industry in ‘Boogie Nights’ (1997)
Hard Eighthad all the qualities of a phenomenal director in the making, but no one would have expectedPaul Thomas Anderson’s next film,Boogie Nights, to be as great as it was.
P.T.A. is often lauded as one of the best filmmakers of modern times, and this impeccably directed drama already showed all the reasons why that would be the case in the future. It’s a dark but profoundly humanistic tale of greed, fame, and violence, one that’s beautifully written and performed to the point that it’s hard finding flaws in it—And Anderson was only 26 when he made it!
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James Cameron Made An Unforgettable Classic With ‘The Terminator’ (1984)
You’d never expect the director ofPiranha II: The Spawningto do much with his career. And yet, just two years later,James CameronmadeThe Terminator. The rest is history.
The film is a sci-fi horror classic, sporting some of the most iconic characters and scenes in the genre. It’s fun, it’s brutal, it’s creative, and it’s impossible not to love. WithThe Terminator, Cameron promised audiences he’d be back, andthe action genre is all the better for it.
Andrei Tarkovsky Made One of the Greatest Films Ever With ‘Andrei Rublev’ (1966)
Andrei Tarkovsky’s tragically short-lived filmmaking career left audiences with just under ten masterpieces of poetic slow-burn cinema, the best of which is arguably his sophomore feature:Andrei Rublev, about the life of the revered religious icon painter from Medieval Russia.
Those willing to stick with Tarkovsky’s slow, deliberate, free-flowing style will cherish each second of this film’s three-hour runtime. It’s a gorgeous piece of art full of fascinating themes, and the perfect showcase of what Tarkovsky was capable of.
David Fincher Took the World by Storm With ‘Se7en’ (1995)
From an incredible catalog of riveting thrillers,David Fincheroffers what might be his best inSe7en, a chilling film about two homicide detectives chasing a serial killer who bases his crimes on the seven deadly sins.
Se7enis as close as a suspense drama can come to feeling like a horror movie without actually being one. The crimes depicted in the movie are horrifying, and the story and characters are incredibly engaging and constantly surprising.Alien³might not have been a very good start to Fincher’s career, but he quickly redeemed himself with one of the best sophomore films any director has ever made.
