Jordan Peele’s upcoming summer horror film, Nope, represents the latest of countless films helmed by actor-turned-directors. From Orson Welles to Clint Eastwood, this trend has existed throughout the history of motion pictures.
Between Peele’s Nope and Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, which will also be released later this year, the performer-filmmaker trend shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. While it can be difficult to narrow down which of these types of films is worth watching, the following list of movies, which have Redditors talking, should help.
Unbroken (Directed By Angelina Jolie)
Based on Laura Hillenbrand’s nonfiction account of Louis Zamperini’s experiences as a prisoner of war during World War II, Unbroken is directed by Academy Award-winning actress Angelina Jolie, who was primarily known for critically acclaimed performances in Girl, Interrupted, as well as action films like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
Jolie’s directorial career began with In the Land of Blood and Honey, a foreign language film set during the Bosnian War. Unbroken is perhaps her best-known film, having received three Academy Award nominations, including recognition for its cinematography and sound. In a thread about great films by actor-turned-directors, ChickyDipper believes Unbroken is “an underrated film…based on the real life story Louis Zamperini,” while acknowledging this may be a result of its disturbing subject matter.
Fences (Directed By Denzel Washington)
Denzel Washington has received nine Oscar nominations for his acting performances, with two wins for Glory and Training Day. In 2016, he adapted August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play to the screen, while also starring in the lead role that won him a Tony Award on Broadway.
Fences was a passion project for Washington, who has committed to producing each of August Wilson’s Pittsburg Cycle plays to the screen. The film is a faithful adaptation of the play and effectively opts for its simplistic direction to focus on the performances. Redditor 372824 praised the character-driven nature of the film, writing that Fences is “one of my favorite movies…[and it] takes place entirely on one set.”
A Quiet Place (Directed By John Krasinski)
John Krasinski’s third film, A Quiet Place was a box office smash that spawned a successful sequel, which was released last year. The horror film, in which Krasinski also stars opposite his wife Emily Blunt, is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which most of humanity has been killed by monsters with a strong sense of hearing.
A Quiet Place was Krasinski’s most successful directorial venture, demonstrating a previously unseen range within the actor-turned-director. Redditor gradeahonky writes that A Quiet Place “was just about as immersive as a movie can get, when both you and the characters on screen are trying to avoid the same thing.” Though the details have yet to be revealed, A Quiet Place Part III has been officially announced by Paramount.
Argo (Directed By Ben Affleck)
Ben Affleck was famously snubbed for a Best Director nomination for the Best Picture-winning Argo. The film was set during the Iranian hostage crisis in which the CIA used a fabricated science fiction movie as a cover to rescue six Americans in hiding.
Argo was Affleck’s third feature film, following the successful directorial efforts Gone Baby Gone and The Town. HonestMcDilt asked the Reddit-verse “How was Ben Affleck not even nominated for best director for Argo?” Perhaps there was a level of snobbery against the celebrity or perhaps there was just tough competition. Regardless, Affleck’s political drama remains a tense, thrilling watch.
Booksmart (Directed By Olivia Wilde)
Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut starring Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein garnered critical acclaim, particularly with regard to its portrait of high school female friendships. Wilde had previously appeared on the long-running television medical drama, House.
With Booksmart, Wilde won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. Redditor cwagz explains that her “direction stands out mostly because it is so uncommon for studio comedies to actually look like there was any thought put into shot composition or lighting. Olivia Wilde clearly has a great visual eye.” Her next feature, Don’t Worry Darling, which stars Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, will be released in September.
Million Dollar Baby (Directed By Clint Eastwood)
Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby was a critically acclaimed departure for the director, who initially rose to prominence as an actor in westerns and action films. Eastwood’s 2004 sports movie about the relationship between a boxer (Hilary Swank) and her trainer (Eastwood) won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Director.
Before Million Dollar Baby, Eastwood garnered critical acclaim for other directorial efforts that ranged in genre from dark westerns like Unforgiven to the Boston-set drama Mystic River. However, Ryan2R proclaims that Million Dollar Baby “is Clint’s best work both as an actor and director. It shows how masterful his films can be when he works with great actors who can actually handle [his] ‘one take and move on’ [approach to filmmaking].”
The Lost Daughter (Directed By Maggie Gyllenhaal)
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s 2021 directorial debut feature was a psychological drama centering on Leda Caruso’s (Olivia Colman) vacation gone wrong. Adapted from the novel by Elena Ferrante, The Lost Daughter was written and directed by Gyllenhaal, who tapped into dark truths about the nature of motherhood.
The Lost Daughter received three Oscar nominations, including a nod for Gyllenhaal’s writing. Mazziezor praised the film’s “absolutely fascinating and uncomfortable portrayal. This movie…demonstrates perfectly how many childfree women feel when it comes to potential motherhood.” Though her next directorial project has yet to be announced, given the success of her first film, there will undoubtedly be strong interest in what Gyllenhaal chooses to do next.
A Star Is Born (Directed By Bradley Cooper)
Bradley Cooper managed to take the fourth retelling of A Star is Born and make it entirely his own. In this iteration, Jackson Maine (Cooper) falls in love with the young singer Ally (a revelatory Lady Gaga), whose star begins to rise as his diminishes.
A Star is Born was not only lauded for its direction but it is often considered to be one of Bradley Cooper’s best performances. CaliGumdrops calls the 2018 remake her favorite film, highlighting that “[Cooper and Gaga’s] chemistry was off the charts, the music is still some of my favorite, and [the two leads] both were incredible.” Cooper’s next directorial effort is a Leonard Bernstein biopic opposite Carey Mulligan.
Get Out (Directed By Jordan Peele)
Jordan Peele, who previously made audiences laugh with his comedic performances on Mad TV and Key and Peele, shocked viewers with the instant horror classic Get Out. The racial allegory follows a young man’s (Daniel Kaluuya) visit to his white girlfriend’s family home and ushered in a new wave of socially conscious horror films.
For Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, while the film also received nominations for Best Picture and Director. GodsMistake777 writes that what’s most refreshing about Get Out is that it was “written and directed by a black auteur who was able to humorously explore the absurdity of being at the receiving end of ‘nice, polite’ racism.” Peele’s next film, Nope, will be released this summer.
Lady Bird (Directed By Greta Gerwig)
Greta Gerwig achieved recognition first as an actress in the Noah Baumbach films Greenberg and Frances Ha. Her solo directorial feature, Lady Bird, which told the story of a high school student’s (Saoirse Ronan) relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf), garnered universal acclaim, receiving five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Director.
One Redditor praised Lady Bird as “honest in its depiction of what it means to grow up from a teenager to an adult…[the characters] feel real thanks to Greta Gerwig’s style of storytelling and directing.” Gerwig has since continued to deliver critically acclaimed work and would go on to direct the 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Her next project is the highly anticipated live-action film, Barbie.
