Steven Spielberg. Stanley Kubrick. Martin Scorsese. It’s hard to find anyone who hates these universally beloved directors. That doesn’t mean every critically acclaimed director is liked by everyone, though.
While some directors, especially in the modern era, are no stranger to critical and box office success, that doesn’t mean they’re perfect. These are the directors that, despite their success, we’re not the biggest fans of.
J.J. Abrams
Abrams had the impressive talent of ruining the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises.
While his Star Trek movies were successful, they didn’t feel like Star Trek. Instead, they were action movies set in the Star Trek world. Then there was the disaster that was Rise of Skywalker.
Even before that, Abrams’ love affair with the lens flare had already frustrated us.
Brett Ratner
Before getting into the allegations against Ratner, he took the successful X-Men movie franchise and ruined it with X-Men: The Last Stand. Even before that, his adaptation of Red Dragon was a disservice to Thomas Harris’ novels.
I’m convinced he got lucky with Rush Hour and rode that gravy train until it ran out.
Michael Bay
Let’s not mince words here; no one will confuse Michael Bay’s movies with art.
Every now and then, he’s delivered an enjoyable action flick, especially early in his career. Bad Boys and The Rock are fantastic movies, and Armageddon is a guilty pleasure of mine.
Does that mean he’s one of the best action directors of all time, though? Absolutely not.
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Zack Snyder
I say this as a huge fan of Watchmen and someone who enjoyed the Snyder Cut of Justice League: Zack Snyder can’t get out of his own way.
For every great movie he’s made, there seems to be a disaster waiting to happen, whether it’s his Superman movie, Man of Steel, or his first original story, Sucker Punch.
Wes Anderson
You either love his movies or you hate them. I’m in the latter category, no matter how often I try to watch them.
His style is off-putting and boring, and eccentric characters and a whimsical story can only do so much.
Darren Aronofsky
I feel like you can talk about Darren Aronofsky in a similar way to Wes Anderson.
While Aronofsky’s films may not reach the “theater kid” levels like Anderson’s, there’s still a lot happening in them that can be off-putting and a little too arthouse. I’m not against that type of movie, but his films often try too hard.
David O. Russell
In the early 2010s, David O. Russell seemed like a critical darling, based on the success of The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook, and American Hustle.
However, Russell’s films, particularly Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, are filled with unlikable characters that feel like they’re miscast. They’re overhyped beyond belief.
Ridley Scott
There’s no denying that Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator are all incredible movies. Having said that, have you ever really sat down to look at Ridley Scott’s filmography?
You’d be surprised at how many duds there are in there, including the disaster that was Prometheus. A shocking number of his movies are either flops or entirely forgettable.
Taika Waititi
Waititi burst onto the mainstream scene after the success of Thor: Ragnarok, even though he had already seen success from What We Do in the Shadows.
Since then, he has been shoved down our throats and given a blank check to keep doing his thing. Thankfully, people have caught on to the fact that, over time, “his thing” has become more annoying than enjoyable.
Aaron Sorkin
Hear me out here.
I love Aaron Sorkin. He’s written some of the greatest movies and television shows ever. Few people, if any, can match his talent as a writer.
As a director, though? That’s where he falls short. All of the best Sorkin movies were directed by someone else, and I firmly believe there’s a reason for that.
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