It’s understandable for those who work in the arts to have a creative misstep every now and then. And when it comes to the world of film, writers and directors aren’t exempt from this. Some of the best and most acclaimed filmmakers of all time have had a movie (or two) that wasn’t super well-received, especially if it was made when they were first starting out, and before they’d really developed their craft. For as beloved as filmmakers likeMartin ScorseseandAlfred Hitchcockare, no one’s going to go out of their way to call the former’sBoxcar Berthaor the latter’sJuno and the Paycockgreat films, for example.
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An aggregate site likeRotten Tomatoesmight have its imperfections, but broadly, it can be used as a way to see how consistently filmmakers put out movies. The following 10 filmmakers have the rare distinction of having directed no movies that are “rotten” by the site’s assessment. A rotten film is anything that gets below a 60% approval from critics, while a movie is deemed “fresh” if 60% or more of the critics liked it. As such, it’s fair to say that whatever these filmmakers release, it’s probably going to be worth watching.
Christopher Nolan
Making his directorial debut in the late 1990s before making a name for himself withMemento(2000),Christopher Nolanis one of the most exciting directors of blockbuster movies working today. Sure, some might think his stories can be a little too complex for their own good, and his exposition too in-your-face, but few filmmakers working today pull off the kinds of movies he can with such high budgets behind them, too.
When it comes to Nolan’s track record on Rotten Tomatoes, a few films he’s produced are rotten, but all his directorial efforts are fresh. His ambitious and gleefully chaoticTenetis his lowest-rated currently, at what’s still afairly solid rating (69%), with his highest-rated beingThe Dark Knight, sitting at an impressive 94%.
Chantal Akerman
An independent filmmaker whose profile has beenboosted after the recent Sight & Sound2022 Critics Poll,Chantal Akermanhas a strong following, even if she’s not quite a household name. While Hitchcock’sVertigohad been sitting at the #1 spot since the poll was last held in 2012, 2022 saw it dethroned by Akerman’sJeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles.
This 1975 film has a94% rating on Rotten Tomatoesand runs for over three hours, with most of its runtime spent showing a housewife’s daily routine. It’s slow and challenging, but clearly left an impact on those who vote for Sight & Sound. On the other end of the scale, Akerman’s lowest-rated film - a documentary calledFrom The Other Side- just manages to be fresh, with a60% rating from critics.
Akira Kurosawa
When it came to directinggreat films packed with unforgettable scenes, few have ever done it as effortlessly asAkira Kurosawa. He’s likely the most well-known Japanese filmmaker of all time, and had an incredibly consistent (and long) directing career, making more than 30 films over about half a century.
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While not quite every single one of his movies is a masterpiece, none of them are bad enough to have a rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics. His penultimate film,Rhapsody in August, is as low as it gets for Kurosawa, as it sits right on the border between rotten and fresh,at 60%.
Jordan Peele
Jordan Peelehas only recently branched out into writing and directing films, and before 2017, was best known for being a comedian and actor. That all changed with 2017’sGet Out, which was a huge financial and critical success, seeing as it has anapproval rating of 98%from critics, with a gross of $176 million in the U.S. alone.
Given he’s so new to directing, he’s only made two other films, but at the same time, they sit at 93% (Us) and 82% (Nope). Time will tell if Peele can maintain this amazing streak, but the future looks promising, especially considering he’s becoming a larger-scale, more ambitious filmmaker with every new release.
Céline Sciamma
WhileCéline Sciammamight have risen to prominence thanks to the groundbreaking and critically belovedPortrait of a Lady on Firein 2019, it was far from her first film. She directed three before its release, and has directed another since, with all five directorial efforts in total having arating between 82 and 97%.
While other filmmakers with all fresh movies might have one or two that come close to being rotten, Sciamma’s proven far too consistent to have that befall her. She’s well-established by now as a filmmaker with a distinct voice and visual style, meaning anything new she releases in the coming years will likely be worth paying attention to.
Paul Thomas Anderson
Right from his first handful of feature films,Paul Thomas Andersonwas a directorial force to be reckoned with. His low-key 1996 filmHard Eighthas an 82% rating, his 1997 follow-upBoogie Nightshas an amazing 93%, and he rounded out the decade with 1999’sMagnolia, which has an 83%.
Anderson directed all of those whilst he was still in his 20s, and in the 2000s and 2010s, released films that many would consider as even better than his first three, such as 2007’sThere Will Be Bloodand 2012’sThe Master. Now at the age of 52, it’s genuinely becoming hard to imagine Anderson ever releasing a movie that’s not critically well-received.
Bong Joon-ho
When it comes toBong Joon-ho, the closest he’s come to directing a rotten film is one that he only directed one-third of. 2008’sTokyo!is an anthology film with one segment directed by Bong Joon-ho, another directed byLeos Carax, and a third directed byMichel Gondry, and it stillsits at a very respectable 76%.
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Everything else directed by Bong Joon-ho sits at an 86% rating or higher, with his most recent film, the Oscar-winningParasitefrom 2019, having a 99% approval rating from critics. Safe to say, just about everything he touches turns to cinematic gold, which makeshis upcomingMickey 17easily one of the most anticipated movies of 2024.
Steve McQueen
Not to be mixed up with theiconic film star from the 1960s/1970sof the same name, theSteve McQueenworking today is just as iconic, but does his work behind the camera instead of in front of it. McQueen’s best known for his 2013 Best Picture winner,12 Years A Slave, which is also his highest-rated on Rotten Tomatoes, at 95%.
His other three movies -Hunger,Shame, andWidows- are also excellent, as is the 5-part TV miniseries,Small Axe, of which he directed all episodes (and some were movie-length). McQueen’s films tackle heavy subject matter whilst also being emotional and engaging, making him among the most important and consistent filmmakers currently working today.
Edgar Wright
Edgar Wright’sfilms have always contained an infectious sense of energy, which makes it surprising to realize that he’s actually in his late 40s, and has been working as a director for well over two decades now.
Recent years have seen him branching out of comedy and into more serious genres, most notably in 2021, which had him releasing a mystery-horror film -Last Night in Soho- and a documentary -The Sparks Brothers(which was admittedly still pretty comedic).At a 76% rating,Last Night in Sohois as low as it gets for Wright so far, making for a very consistent and entertaining filmography that already spans a good 20 years.
Stanley Kubrick
WhileStanley Kubrick’searly films in the early-to-mid 1950s aren’t nearly as acclaimed as what he’d start putting out - and keep putting out - from the late 50s onwards, they’re still considered fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. According to the site, the closest thing you’ll get to a “bad” Kubrick movie is 1953’s war-dramaFear and Desire, whichhas a 71% rating.
Elsewhere, his classics have the kind of amazing ratings you’d expect, with a staggering nine (out of 13) having arating of 88% or higher. You don’t need Rotten Tomatoes to tell you Kubrick was one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, but either way, the numbers on the site certainly don’t hurt such a claim…
