I recently saw a Tik Tok of someone going through director’s filmographies and breaking down their best, worst, and most underrated films. After seeing that, I felt obliged to add my input. When picking out the best and worst films for a director, I took an angle of looking going by my feelings towards the film, the rest of the worlds feelings, and then the technical aspects of it. For underrated, I went by films that I think are very good, but get no shine.
David Fincher
Best: The Social Network (2010)
In the grand scheme of film fandom, Se7en is my favorite Fincher film, but The Social Network is his best film. I’d put Se7en in second. Fincher is assisted by Aaron Sorkin’s script which is maybe the greatest script ever written. However, Fincher sent this over the top by directing memorable scenes from the first ten minutes where Zuckerberg and Erica break up and he hacks Harvard for Face Mash to every settlement hearing. Along with Sorkin’s script, Fincher enlisted Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails to compose the film’s score. That is the best score of all time. I will not hear a singular debate against it.
Worst: Alien 3 (1992)
While I do think Mank is Fincher’s worst film, I have to go with Alien 3 because he didn’t get to put his creative touch on the film. It was an absolute studio project with their prints all over it. All they needed was someone to sit in the directors chair and unfortunately, Fincher was that pawn. I do think he could have created an awesome film in the Alien franchise with gut wrenching tension and likable characters. If 20th Century Studios gave Fincher free rein, we could have gotten a great The Thing style film.
Underrated: The Game (1997)
The reason I find that The Game is an underrated gem is because of the other Fincher films that came out in the 90s. It’s sandwiched between Se7en and Fight Club which are his second and third best films. In The Game, Sean Penn delivers a manically bizarre, yet great performance and Michael Douglas plays a phenomenal asshole that eventually comes around. Somehow, this is almost Fincher’s most feel good film because there’s kind of a happy ending. I doesn’t come in the way you’d think it would, but it’s it’s a lot happier than Zodiac, Gone Girl, or Panic Room.
Martin Scorsese
Best: Goodfellas (1990)
Not only is Goodfellas the best Scorsese film, it might be the best film ever. It’s not my personal favorite, but it’s technically perfect and remarkably tight. We see some of the all-time greatest character development from Liotta, De Niro, and Pesci along with some of the most memorable scenes in cinematic history. If you ask anyone, they’ll have different answers. Some might say the garlic cutting scene. Others could say that it’s when Pesci gets whacked. But there is one thing everyone can agree on: Goodfellas is Scorsese’s best film ever.
Worst: Hugo (2011)
Throw out the fact that this was nominated for Best Picture because I don’t find Hugo to be that great of a film. In Scorsese’s latter years, he’s shown off his ambition by directing Shutter Island, Silence, and The Wolf of Wall Street which all worked. Then between those films is Hugo. It’s a decent somewhat whimsical film, but when it’s coming from a director on the level of Martin Scorsese, it’s a dud. If this came from another director it wouldn’t be their worst. When you set the bar so high, films like Hugo don’t cut it.
Underrated: The Aviator (2004)
When looking at Scorsese’s filmography, I would put The Aviator in the top five. It’s a technical masterpiece and one of the best biopics I’ve ever seen. The story telling that Scorsese develops is engaging for the audience and oh my lord, Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes is dynamite. It’s his best career performance. The cast is absolutely loaded with Cate Blanchett playing a charming Katherine Hepburn, John C. Riley as a tame Noah Dietrich, and Alec Baldwin as an evil Juan Trippe. I think the films length and pacing may detour viewers, but this film is great.
Christopher Nolan
Best: The Dark Knight (2008)
When presented with the question of what is the best Christopher Nolan film, film bros will bombard you if you don’t give the answer of Interstellar. Personally, I find Nolan’s best to be either The Prestige or The Dark Knight. When just picking one, I took some time and thought it out, but ultimately decided that The Dark Knight is his best. It’s the peak of the second best trilogy of the 21st century (behind The Lord of the Rings) and has unreal cinematography. Every shot you see is mesmerizing and we are given the best villain performance of all time with Heath Ledger as the Joker.
Worst: Following (1998)
Nolan hasn’t made a bad movie. I hate Interstellar and Tenet, but I do comprehend the appeal. Following was Nolan’s directorial debut and features a lot of good shots, but the story runs thin and the character development isn’t very tight. It’s a fine film, but when you look at what follows up Following even seven years after with Memento, Insomnia, and Batman Begins, Following isn’t on the same level.
Underrated: Memento (2000)
Nolan’s tactic over the years with directing is to add an element of confusion. It works great here in Memento, but falls flat in Tenet. For this to be Nolan’s second film and add a mind bending twist that leaves your jaw on the floor is wild. Just absolutely bonkers. It was fun seeing Guy Pearce get manipulated from every angle, but mainly by Joe Pantoliano and Carrie-Anne Moss. While complex, it’s easy to catch onto which makes this an amazing, underrated thriller.
Paul Thomas Anderson
Best: There Will Be Blood (2007)
It’s a masterpiece. A legitimate masterpiece. I’d go as far as arguing that it’s the best film of the 2000s. The duo of Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Thomas Anderson proved to be a good one when Day-Lewis gave one of the all-time greatest performances ever as Daniel Plainview. The maniacal essence of Plainview makes him a tremendous villain that leads to the demise of Eli Sunday. Anderson’s cinematography in There Will Be Blood is beautiful, especially seeing the explosions coming from the oil wells. An all-around amazing picture.
Worst: Inherent Vice (2014)
There was great potential with Inherent Vice, but it was not met due to its convoluted nature. Anderson tried to revert back to his days of directing films based in the 70s and 80s, but it didn’t hit the same way Boogie Nights or Magnolia did because he attempted to create a storyline that was complex, but became confusing and made the watch miserable. Anderson doesn’t really have bad films aside from this one. I don’t love Licorice Pizza or Phantom Thread, but I understand why others like them. With Inherent Vice, I don’t grasp why anyone would like this.
Underrated: Hard Eight (1996)
Some individuals would argue that Hard Eight is Anderson’s worst film. I’m on the opposite side of the argument. I think that Hard Eight is a great gritty film with a small cast where everyone gets highlighted. John C. Riley collaborating at the start of Paul Thomas Anderson’s career was great and he knocks this role out of the park. Along with Riley is great roles from Philip Baker Hall, Samuel L. Jackson, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Overall, the dingy feel of the film makes you feel like you’re begging for change with Riley in Nevada.
Wes Anderson
Best: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Wes Anderson’s career is divided between two styles. His early style is about real people, but is directed in a whimsical way. The second half is about whacky scenarios with hints of real people directed with a similar whimsical nature. The Royal Tenenbaums is the end of Andersons first stylistic era and it’s a perfect film. He brings out enjoyable elements like Gene Hackman interacting with his grandkids, but then punches you in the mouth with a gutting scene where Luke Wilson cuts his wrists as Needle In The Hay by Elliot Smith plays. We see vibrant blues and reds throughout along with a great cavalcade of characters. It’s really Andersons first film with an All-Star cast.
Worst: Bottle Rocket (1996)
Like Scorsese’s worst film being Hugo and Following being Nolan’s worst film, I don’t think Bottle Rocket is a bad film. It’s just not close to his best work. I do love that it’s a film about real people and I think James Caan gives a hilarious performance, but it’s his debut film. He showed a lot of poise as a director with Bottle Rocket and on a small budget of just five million dollars, he made a generally funny film. I just don’t think there’s a lot of rewatchability and there are technical flaws.
Underrated: The French Dispatch (2021)
A lot like Hard Eight, I don’t think The French Dispatch is a fan favorite amongst Wes Anderson fans. Personally, it’s my favorite Wes Anderson film. The reason I have it as his most underrated is because it’s received far too much hate when there are a lot of redeeming qualities when you look back on the film. Breaking the film into five episodes was a genius move in my eyes because we were treated to a monster cast that was broken into spurts. That’s a large reason why I enjoyed it. I also adored the use of black and white film. I feel as if that worked very nicely when telling the story of this newspaper.