10 best movies directed by actors, ranked

The jump from acting to directing is 1 that countless actors person attempted complete nan years. Some person inevitably pulled that modulation disconnected amended than others, while an moreover smaller number person ended up making films that are rightly seen by some cinephiles and wide moviegoers alike arsenic ranking among nan top movies of each time. A fewer actors person moreover succeeded truthful profoundly arsenic board that they’re now remembered much for their efforts down nan camera than those successful beforehand of it.

2024 unsocial has seen immoderate noteworthy directorial debuts from longtime big-screen performers for illustration Anna Kendrick and Zoë Kravitz. Whether their films, arsenic good arsenic immoderate of nan different much caller additions to this niche class of movies, extremity up being remembered arsenic fondly arsenic their multi-hyphenate board would for illustration remains to beryllium seen. For now, present are nan 10 champion movies ever directed by actors, ranked.

10. Wanda (1970)

Bardene International Films

Written and directed by Barbara Loden, Wanda follows an aimless female drifting done nan mini ember mining towns of eastbound Pennsylvania who unwittingly becomes nan partner-in-crime to a hapless antheral slope robber (Michael Higgins). Loden besides stars successful nan movie arsenic its eponymous characteristic — marking what was astatine nan clip a uncommon lawsuit of an character writing, directing, producing, and appearing successful nan aforesaid movie.

While nan film’s budgetary constraints are clear passim it, Loden’s empathetic, keen oculus allows Wanda to usability arsenic some a low-level crime play and a heart-wrenching image of a female pinch constricted options who is searching for immoderate measurement to crushed herself successful a world that would alternatively return advantage of her than supply immoderate support aliases security. It’s nan only characteristic movie Loden ever directed, but it feels for illustration conscionable arsenic afloat formed of an creator connection arsenic immoderate different movie connected this list.

Wanda is streaming now connected Max.

9. Defending Your Life (1991)

Warner Bros.

From 1979 to 1991, Albert Brooks made a tally arsenic a writer-director that ranks softly arsenic 1 of nan astir awesome ever achieved by an actor-filmmaker. As awesome arsenic his first 3 films are, though, Brooks’ top accomplishment arsenic a head remains Defending Your Life. A wacky yet tender romanticist comedy, nan movie takes spot successful a type of nan afterlife wherever a precocious deceased person’s early is wished by really galore of nan decisions they made while they were live were wished by fear.

Brooks stars successful nan film, which he besides wrote and directed, arsenic Daniel, a neurotic advertizing executive whose afterlife romance pinch Julia (a sparkling Meryl Streep) is threatened by each nan fearful decisions he made connected Earth. The movie is conscionable arsenic goofy and darkly funny arsenic immoderate that Brooks has ever made, but astatine nan halfway of it is an optimistic tone that is arsenic rubbing arsenic it is genuinely rousing.

Defending Your Life is disposable to rent now connected each awesome integer platforms.

8. Nope (2022)

Universal Pictures

Few filmmakers person rocketed to nan apical of nan Hollywood level arsenic quickly aliases arsenic confidently arsenic Jordan Peele. In nan years since he achieved Oscar-winning occurrence pinch his 2017 directorial debut Get Out, Peele has been steadily expanding nan scope of his ain creator reach. As a result, his follow-up films, 2019’s Us and 2022’s Nope, person felt progressively eager and harder to pin down.

That is peculiarly existent of Nope, a visually stunning riff connected a UFOs-in-the-sky sci-fi thriller that doubles arsenic a searing, terrifying critique of humanity’s own, quenchless obsession pinch spectacle. Featuring 2 charismatic, energetically opposed lead performances by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, Nope is arsenic profoundly indebted to sci-fi masters for illustration Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter arsenic it is an inimitable activity that could only person been made by Peele himself. It’s a blockbuster for illustration immoderate different and impervious that Peele is an creator who is some consenting and tin of pushing himself to greater heights each clip he steps down nan camera.

Nope is streaming now connected Starz.

7. The Princess Bride (1987)

20th Century Fox

Rob Reiner whitethorn person first made a sanction for himself playing Meathead connected All successful nan Family, but he’s astir well-known now for his activity arsenic a director. That’s for bully reason, too. After making his directorial debut successful 1984 pinch 1 of nan astir beloved comedies of each time, This Is Spinal Tap, Reiner spent nan adjacent 11 years of his profession directing immoderate of nan astir celebrated and acclaimed films of nan past 50 years. These see When Harry Met Sally…, A Few Good Men, Stand By Me, and arguably his top directorial achievement, The Princess Bride.

A modernistic, wry riff connected a accepted fairy tale, The Princess Bride is 1 of America’s astir quotable and magical imagination films. It wouldn’t activity astir arsenic good arsenic it does, either, were it not for Reiner’s own, dependable power of reside and his unwaveringly barren direction, which some reinforces The Princess Bride‘s comedic separator and gives its galore jokes nan abstraction they request to respire and onshore pinch maximum effect — which they do without fail.

The Princess Bride is streaming now connected Disney+.

6. Little Women (2019)

Sony Pictures Releasing

Coming disconnected nan occurrence of her directorial debut Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig chose arsenic her follow-up Little Women, an adjustment of 1 of nan astir beloved and well-known novels of each clip that had already been successfully adapted for nan large and mini surface respective times previously. By cross-cutting its root material’s copy timelines together, though, Gerwig recovered a measurement into Little Women that made her type not only unsocial but besides much cinematic and move than immoderate erstwhile adaptations.

Through Saoirse Ronan’s arresting lead capacity and her ensemble of fiercely rendered female characters, Gerwig besides manages to create a image of nan female acquisition that feels some successful speech pinch Louisa May Alcott’s original caller and wholly her own. The consequence is nan movie that still feels for illustration nan purest and astir exacting distillation of Gerwig’s creator position to date.

Little Women is streaming now connected Hulu.

5. City Lights (1931)

United Artists

Charlie Chaplin whitethorn beryllium among nan astir recognizable figures successful movie history, but it is, perhaps, a lesser-known truth extracurricular of cinephile circles that he besides directed galore of his champion films. While nan title for his top activity whitethorn beryllium up for debate, fewer of his films seizure Chaplin’s enduring magic arsenic some a performer and storyteller much beautifully aliases playfully than City Lights.

The movie is simply a ray drama astir a thoroughfare tramp (Chaplin) who falls successful emotion pinch a unsighted flower woman and decides to effort to usage his new, lopsided relationship pinch a millionaire to woo her and make her life better. What ensues from location is simply a bid of positively Chaplin-esque gags of beingness comedy, followed by an ending that is among nan astir brilliant, simple, and moving ever devised successful nan history of filmmaking. Above each else, City Lights proves that Chaplin had an knowing of nan ocular connection of cinema that has seldom ever been matched aliases surpassed.

City Lights is streaming now connected Tubi, Max, and Amazon Prime Video.

4. A Woman Under nan Influence (1974)

Faces Distribution

John Cassavetes is wide — and rightly — recognized arsenic 1 of nan pioneers of independent American filmmaking. Working pinch a reliable unit of friends and loved ones, Cassavetes starred in, wrote, and directed immoderate of nan astir observant and achingly empathetic films of nan 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. While each of his films are beloved successful their ain right, though, fewer are arsenic revered aliases formed arsenic agelong of a protector arsenic A Woman Under nan Influence.

Featuring a capacity for nan ages by Cassavetes’ real-life wife, Gena Rowlands, nan movie follows Mabel, an eccentric, unstable housewife whose sometimes inexplicable behaviour is met pinch derision and judgement by strangers, her friends, hubby (Peter Falk), and family members. It is simply a moving, uncomfortable image of some incompatible romance and familial dysfunction, and Rowlands’ capacity is often cited arsenic a awesome inspiration for galore moving actresses. Cassavetes, for his part, captures it successful his reliably observant, uncompromising fashion.

A Woman Under nan Influence is streaming now connected Max.

3. The Night of nan Hunter (1955)

United Artists

Charles Laughton’s The Night of nan Hunter is a striking, singular portion of work. Based connected a 1953 caller by Davis Grubb, it is simply a gothic thriller astir a serial slayer (Robert Mitchum) who poses arsenic a preacher, marries an unsuspecting widow (Shelley Winters), and past tries intimidating her children into revealing wherever their criminal begetter hid nan $10,000 he stole during a slope robbery. Centered astir an perfectly terrifying capacity by Robert Mitchum, The Night of nan Hunter pushes viewers headfirst into a ghostly world of sinners, slanted walls, shadowy Southern marshes, and monsters masquerading arsenic devout men.

It is simply a unusual and powerful movie — a portion of peculiar, pitch-black Southern Gothic fabrication that entrances you and worms its measurement nether your skin. The truth that Laughton ne'er sewage to make different movie is simply a tragic twist of fate, but nan 1 he did is much impactful than immoderate directors’ full filmographies.

The Night of nan Hunter is streaming now connected Pluto TV.

2. Citizen Kane (1941)

RKO Radio Pictures

In nan agelong history of actors stepping down nan camera, Citizen Kane whitethorn beryllium nan astir celebrated example, and there’s a bully logic for that. With his first characteristic film, Orson Welles not only decided to propulsion double-duty by starring successful and directing Kane but he besides pushed nan established limits of accepted filmmaking. Through their usage of deep-focus photography, debased angles, and definite camera movements, Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland changed really filmmakers and studios believed films could move and look. Stylistically, Citizen Kane has had much of a lasting power than almost immoderate different film.

The movie’s style, arsenic good arsenic its blistering return connected nan corrosive quality of money, power, and ambition, person imbued it pinch a genuinely uncommon benignant of lasting power. It’s a fearless creator connection that Welles, acknowledgment to nan endless workplace battles he faced, spent nan remainder of his profession struggling to match. But to opportunity that he managed to do much successful Citizen Kane than astir filmmakers ever had successful their first movie would beryllium an understatement.

Citizen Kane is disposable to rent now connected each awesome integer platforms.

1. Unforgiven (1992)

Warner Bros.

Very fewer actors person ever made nan leap to directing arsenic successfully arsenic Clint Eastwood. Over nan past 50 years, Eastwood has assembled a postulation of directing credits truthful awesome that it now rivals his activity arsenic a performer. No movie that he has directed sits higher connected his database of achievements, either, than Unforgiven. Eastwood’s Oscar-winning masterpiece is simply a thrilling and elegiac Western that simultaneously mourns nan decease of nan genre that made Eastwood a cinematic icon, examines its problematic issues, and showcases nan terrifying powerfulness of nan Hollywood gunslinger.

No different movie connected this database resonates arsenic profoundly arsenic it does because of really it relates to its maker’s career, and nary 1 other could person made Unforgiven pinch nan aforesaid reverent and yet scrutinizing eye. It’s a genre-defining triumph — a movie that resurrects, reinvents, and says goodbye to nan Old West arsenic moviegoers had travel to cognize it. In galore ways, Unforgiven feels for illustration nan culmination of Eastwood’s full career. It besides happens to beryllium his pinnacle arsenic some an character and director.

Unforgiven is streaming now connected Max.