Countlessfilm directorsare known for repeatedly making similar movies, although some manage to reinvent themselves with something new. It may be a filmmaker who got pigeonholed in the action genre who later went entirely against audience expectations to release an epic romance that defines the rest of their career and has an incredible impact on cinema. Other directors are known for catering primarily to a male audience, who then show a new dimension to themselves with a highly feminist story that embraces female empowerment.
Many ofthe best directors of all timewere categorized by their longevity and their ability to reinvent themselves as the years went on. From household names like James Cameron and Steven Spielberg, truly creative artists often find the need to break away from audience expectations and produce a movie that’s unlike anything else in their acclaimed filmographies.Reinvention is one of the most interesting things a filmmaker can do, and these directors transformed their styles after years of making the same kind of movie.
8Steven Spielberg
Reinvented himself with Schindler’s List (1993)
While it’s true that Steven Spielberg is one of the most famous film directors who ever lived, over the course of his career, he built up a reputation for producing family-friendly movies and box office smashes. While Spielberg’s career really took off with the release of the intense seaside thrillerJawsin 1975, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, his output was mostly aimed at viewers of all ages. FromE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialtoIndiana Jonesright through toJurassic Park,Spielberg’s bread and butter for this period of his career were all mainstream crowd-pleasers.
However, with the release ofSchindler’s Listin 1993, Spielberg showcased a new side to his cinematic skillset with an epic WWII historical drama. As the recipient of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture,Schindler’s Listreestablished Spielberg as a major cinematic voice in mature adult cinema. Following this, Spielberg balanced his more family-friendly output with challenging releases likeSaving Private Ryan,Lincoln,Bridge of Spies, and even the autobiographical storyThe Fablemans, proving his skills across any genre he tries his hand at.
Schindler’s List
Cast
Schindler’s List is a historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg, chronicling the efforts of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved over a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust. Starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, the film vividly portrays the atrocities committed during World War II while highlighting Schindler’s transformation from a profit-driven industrialist to a humanitarian savior.
Every Steven Spielberg Movie Ranked From Worst To Best
From industry-defining blockbusters to heartfelt prestige films, here are all 34 movies from director Steven Spielberg, ranked from worst to best.
7David Fincher
Reinvented himself with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
David Fincher is among the greatest filmmakers, and every entry in his filmography has something interesting to say. While Fincher got off to a rocky start with his directional debutAlien 3, following the release ofSe7enhe continued his success with a hot streak of fantastic psychological thrillers, includingThe Game,Fight Club, andPanic Room. With a talent for directing truly compelling stories with sinister undertones, after making the criminally underrated mystery thrillerZodiac, Fincher shifted gears and reinvented himself.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonis an interesting oddity in Fincher’s career as it switched up his usual formula to tell the thematic rich story of a man (Brad Pitt) who ages in reverse. With elements of fantasy, this adaptation of a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald showcased a different side to Fincher and proved he was far from a one-trick pony. AlthoughFincher has since returned to more thriller-style releases such asGone GirlandThe Killer, subsequent movies like the biographical dramasThe Social NetworkandMankhighlight his talents for reinvention and taking artistic risks.
6Ridley Scott
Reinvented himself with Thelma & Louise (1991)
Ridley Scott gained widespread recognition for directing legendary sci-fi movies likeAlienandBlade Running, two releases that solidified his place among the best filmmakers of the 20th century. With a reputation for making large-scale action movies primarily aimed at a male audience, taking a deeper look at Scott’s career, it’s actually far more nuanced than that.A prime example of Scott’s incredible versatility was the way he reinvented his style withThelma & Louise, a feminist road trip story that addresses chauvinist male behavior and embraces female empowerment.
As alandmark film in feminist cinema,Thelma & Louiseis just one of several times that Scott reinvented himself and proved his talents across different styles. From the rom-com appeal ofA Good Yearwith Russell Crowe to the Scorsese-like crime epicAmerican Gangster, Scott is no stranger to reinvention and taking chances. However, despite Scott’s willingness to try new things he’s also just as comfortable embracing his legacy, as seen from hisAlienprequel movies likePrometheusto the upcoming legacy sequelGladiator II.
Thelma & Louise
Thelma & Louise is a 1991 drama directed by Ridley Scott, featuring Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise. The film follows the journey of two friends on a road trip that spirals into unexpected and intense circumstances, challenging their friendship and transforming their lives. Brad Pitt makes an early appearance in a supporting role, helping to cement the film’s enduring legacy.
5Woody Allen
Reinvented himself with Interiors (1978)
Woody Allen carved out a unique persona for himself during the 1970s, as his cinematic style involved a neurotic everyman dealing with the complexities and challenges of everyday existence. This was seen when he wrote and directed himself in comedies likeSleeper,Love & Death, and theBest Picture winnerAnnie Hall. As Allen’s comedic skill improved throughout the decades, he gained further acclaim and, following this major Oscar win, would have been expected to continue his filmmaking career in the same comedic vein.
However, afterAnnie Hall, Allen changed tact entirely and reinvented his style with the intense family dramaInteriors, a film he wrote and directed but did not appear in. With far more in common with the work of Ingmar Bergman than anybody in the world of comedy,Interiorsplayed into Allen’s more intellectual side as he highlighted his interest in dramatic, non-comedic works. WhileAllen never again made a drama as intensely serious asInteriors, the after-effects of this film are clear in later releases likeCrimes and MisdemeanorsorBlue Jasmine.
4George Miller
Reinvented himself with Babe (1995)
Australian director George Miller burst onto the filmmaking scene with his directional debutMad Maxin 1979, a movie that not only acted as the inception point for the long-running franchise but also Mel Gibson’s breakout role. As a revolutionary action movie made on a shoestring budget, its sequel,Mad Max 2,expanded on its dystopian apocalyptic worldbuilding, andMiller cemented himself as a brave new voice in contemporary cinema. While Miller did broaden his horizons with other releases like the supernatural comedyThe Witches of Eastwickand the dramaLorenzo’s Oil, in 1995, he reinvented himself for an entirely new audience.
With the release ofBabe, a kids’ friendly film co-written by Miller, he opened the door to children’s entertainment and even directed the sequelBabe: Pig in the Big Cityin 1998. Despite Miller’s reputation as the director of the gritty, punk rock, violentMad Maxfranchise, he further confounded audience expectations by making twoHappy Feetmovies, a light-hearted series about a tap-dancing penguin. Although Miller has since returned to hisMad Maxroots, much of his filmography now comprises child-friendly family entertainment.
Babe
Gentle farmer Arthur Hoggett wins a piglet Babe at a county fair. Narrowly escaping his fate as Christmas dinner, Babe bonds with motherly border collie Fly and discovers that he too can herd sheep. But will the other animals accept him?
3Adam McKay
Reinvented himself with The Big Short (2015)
Adam McKay started his career as a writer forSaturday Night Liveduring the 1990s and used this experience to become a major comedy director, making films collaborating with the show’s alumni, such as Will Ferrell. With Ferrell, McKay directedAnchorman,Talladega Nights,Step Brothers, andThe Other Guysand was at the forefront of comedy movies during the 2000s. These beloved films were hugely successful, but they typecast McKay as a director of just one particular movie style. That was until he reinvented himself with the release ofThe Big Shortin 2015.
WhileThe Big Shortwas still a comedy, it was a far different beast from anything McKay had previously made, and itsbiting satire of the 2008 global recessionproved that he had the skills needed to create highly relevant social commentaries. As a Best Picture nominee at the Academy Awards, the release ofThe Big Shortsignaled the dawning of a new, more satirical, and socially aware phase of McKay’s career. This new style extended into all of McKay’s subsequent feature films, including the Dick Cheany biopicViceand the climate change satireDon’t Look Up.
The Big Short
A fictionalized depiction of the events surrounding the financial crisis of 2007-2008, The Big Short employs narrative techniques such as fourth-wall breaks to succinctly explain financial concepts to its audience, using Michael Lewis’s 2010 book as a template. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt.
2James Wan
Reinvented himself with Furious 7 (2015)
The Australian filmmaker James Wan has made a name for himself as a major voice in the world of horror. As the co-creator of theSawandInsidiousfranchises and the creator ofThe ConjuringUniverse,Wan was responsible for some of the most successful horror movies of the 21st century. As a director, writer, and producer, Wan has been involved in dozens of horror films, although he still found the time to reinvent himself and prove his action movie credentials with the excellentFast & FuriousinstallmentFurious 7in 2015.
Despite being a major change of pace for Wan,Furious 7is still one ofthe best movies in the entireFast & Furiousfranchise, as it continues to up the stakes and become increasingly outrageous with each subsequent movie. From the director of low-budget horror movies to the man behind a major action blockbuster, Wan’s first big-budget movie allowed him to direct more movies outside of the horror genre. This was seen with his subsequent superhero moviesAquamanandAquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Furious 7
Furious 7, released in 2015, follows Dominic Toretto and his team as they face a new threat from Deckard Shaw, who seeks vengeance for his comatose brother. This installment blends action and emotion, with the crew tackling challenges across thrilling landscapes while maintaining their bond and pursuit of justice.
1James Cameron
Reinvented himself with Titanic (1997)
While James Cameron may now be primarily focused on hisAvatarfranchise, the first installment of which is the highest-grossing movie of all time, the early days of his career were filled with several classic releases. As the man behindThe Terminator,Aliens, andTrue Lies,Cameron was primarily an action filmmaker in the 1980s and early 1990s. However, with the release ofTitanic,he reinvented himself as a titan of cinema who consistently broke major box office records and only worked on projects he was entirely passionate about, no matter how long they took.
Titanicwas a significant change of pace for Cameron. Its epic historical romance, set around the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, was the most expensive movie ever released.Titanic alsobecame the highest-grossing movie of all time until Cameron’s ownAvatarsurpassed it. The unprecedented success ofTitanicmeant that Cameron never had to work again if he didn’t want to. This allowed Cameron to reinvent himself and focus on refining visual and technical aspects, and it would be 12 years before his follow-up filmAvatarwas released and another 13 years before its sequel came out.
Titanic
Titanic is the 1997 blockbuster romantic/disaster epic based on the events surrounding the sinking of the legendary “unsinkable” vessel. Flashing back to the past and forward to the present, the film primarily follows the stories of the well-to-do and somewhat timid Rose and the poor but lively Jack, star-crossed lovers who meet aboard the doomed ship. In addition, the film tells true and fictionalized accounts of the passengers of the RMS Titanic, with an older Rose recounting her tale to the crew of a research ship.
