8 Movies That Directors Intentionally Planned To Be Their Final Films

Film directors do not always have the opportunity to intentionally plan their final films, but occasionally this does happen, and they can act as grand artistic statements on their career in the world of cinema. There are times when directors knew in advance that they were making their last film due to ill health, dissatisfaction within the industry and a desire to move on, or just gearing up for an enjoyable retirement. When a director has the knowledge that they are bookending their career with one last film, it can feel like a more important statement, as audiences know that they were saying goodbye with this final work.

There have been some directors who have given a lot of thought to their legacy and the way that they will be perceived by film audiences for generations to come. Quentin Tarantino has been incredibly vocal about his desire to retire on a high note and has stated that his tenth film, the upcoming The Movie Critic, will be his last. There are other directors who officially announced their retirement, only to return to the screen with a new release just a few years later. Or sadly, there are those directors who would have liked to continue moviemaking but unfortunately knew, due to ill health, that they were making their last film.

8 The Turin Horse (2011).

Directed by Béla Tarr

Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr’s final film was the acclaimed drama The Turing Horse. A foreboding, existential exploration of a mistreated horse rumoured to have caused the mental breakdown of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, Tarr’s film dealt with the heaviness of human existence. In an interview with Cineuropa, Tarr said he chose to retire with this movie as it acted as the last stage in the development of his career. Tarr outlined his transformation from an idealist who wanted to change the world, to someone who recognized the world’s problems were more complicated and said “before the shooting I knew this would be my last film.”

7 Queen and Country (2014)

Directed by John Boorman

Deliverance director John Boorman chose to end his filmmaking career following the release of Queen and Country, a sequel to his comedy-drama war film Hope and Glory. The film acted as a heartfelt farewell to his long and varied career and followed a grown-up Bill Rohan drafted into the Korean War. Boorman told Variety that he made Queen and Country with the intention of it being his last and that the final shot of an amateur camera “was my little metaphor for coming to the end of my career.”

6 The Wind Rises (2013)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

The Japanese director of Studio Ghibli classics, such as My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki announced the anime film The Wind Rises as his last feature in 2013. A beautiful look at the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II, The Wind Rises was an excellent end to one of the most accomplished filmmakeing careers in animation history. However, Miyazaki did return to directing in 2023 with the release of The Boy and the Heron, a film imbued with such a nostalgic viewpoint and autobiographical influence that if Miyazaki does remain retired, it will act as the perfect goodbye.

5 Behind the Candelabra (2013)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderbergh intended to wave goodbye to filmmaking with Behind the Candelabra acting as his farewell feature. The Academy Award-winning director first hinted at his retirement plans in 2011 by stating he would make four more films and then call it quits to focus on painting (via the Guardian.) Then in 2013, shortly after the release of Side Effects he confirmed his plan and said it was influenced by Hollywood’s “absolutely horrible” treatment of directors over the past 20 years (via the Guardian.) However, after reading the script of Logan Lucky he was convinced to return to directing in 2017 and has been consistently releasing films since.

4 A Prairie Home Companion (2006)

Directed by Robert Altman

New Hollywood era director Robert Altman was best known for movies like M*A*S*H, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, and The Long Goodbye. At 80, he sought to direct one last film, the musical comedy A Prairie Home Companion. It featured an ensemble cast and looked behind the scenes of a popular radio show. Altman was in such poor health during the production that Paul Thomas Anderson acted as standby director in case he died before completing production. In an EW interview, Altman alluded to the movie being his last, stating, “I don’t know that I have the energy or the longevity to do any more” and died five months after its release.

3 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Directed by George Lucas

Star Wars creator George Lucas told Rolling Stone in 1980 “I hate directing” but despite this still returned to the directors’ chair for all three of the Star Wars prequels. However, George Lucas asked three people to direct the Star Wars prequels but was refused by all of them. With no other option, Lucas completed the story of Anakin Skywalker’s transformation in Darth Vader with Revenge of the Sith and hung up his director’s hat for good. Since then, Lucas has focused primarily on philanthropy and officially announced his retirement from blockbuster films in 2012 (via New York Times)

2 Fanny and Alexander (1982)

Directed by Ingmar Bergman

Swedish director Ingmar Bergman planned the beautiful period drama Fanny and Alexander as his final film and told the press at the time he wished to retire as “I don’t have the strength any more, neither psychologically nor physically” (via The Guardian.) This would have acted as a perfect endpoint as Fanny and Alexander’s sprawling family chronicle expertly encapsulated Bergman’s unique artistic vision. However, he continued to work and his actual final film, Saraband, was a beautiful swansong and a sequel to his masterpiece Scenes From a Marriage, that reunited him with his frequent collaborator Liv Ullmann, and was arguably an even more appropriate end to an unmatched career.

1 The Movie Critic (2024)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino has been the world’s most vocal director about the importance of legacy and tailoring a strong filmography, so much so that for years Tarantino has said he will stop making films after his tenth feature. Tarantino has committed to his plan and as he prepares to make The Movie Critic, his tenth film, and has said following this he will focus on criticism, television, and writing projects. Only time will tell if Tarantino, like so many before him, won’t be able help but come out of retirement, or if he will stick to his word and bow out, leaving the public wanting more.

Sources: Cineuropa, Variety, Guardian, Guardian, EW, Rolling Stone, New York Times, The Guardian