In 2007,Martin Scorsesewon his first and only Best Director Academy Award for his work onThe Departed. Most sensible people would agree thatThe Departedis not the best of Scorsese’s films, but few would be angry that a director of his caliber has an Oscar under his belt. After all, Scorsese had previously received Best Director nominations forThe Aviator,Gangs of New York,Goodfellas,The Last Temptation of ChristandRaging Bull.
The factors that impact who actually wins the Oscars include finances, marketing, Hollywood politics, the cultural conversation occurring in any given year, and, perhaps most importantly, the nominees' narrative. All of this is to say that while excellent directors are often recognized with Oscars, this honor isn’t always given to the director’s best or most interesting work. Even powerhouse directors like Martin Scorsese have films that are underseen and underrated.This list will discuss some of the most underrated films from Oscar-winning directors. There isn’t a ranking here; instead, it’s just about celebrating the underappreciated work of some of the industry’s best.
10Sam Mendes
As The Great Depression has a stranglehold on America, Mike Sullivan (Tom Hanks) works as an enforcer for a mid-western mobster. Mike’s relationship with his boss and colleagues gets complicated when Mike’s young son Michael (Tyler Hoechlin) witnesses a mob hit taking place.
Sam Mendesmay not be widely recognized like other Oscar-winning directors, but his films certainly are. The director’s work includesthe ’90s classicAmerican Beauty, for which he won Best Director, twoBondfilms, and the war epic1917. Based on the graphic novel of the same name,Road to Perditionis agritty and highly stylized exploration of revenge and a father-son relationship. It may not be as well known or awarded as his other works, but the period set film from Mendes is one of his best.
Road to Perdition
9Steven Soderbergh
‘Unsane’ (2018)
Sawyer (Claire Foy) moves from Boston to Pennsylvania to get away from the man who has been stalking her for years. While speaking with a therapist about her situation, Sawyer unknowingly signs up for a voluntary 24-hour hold in a psychiatric ward. No one believes Sawyer when she explains the mix-up, and her stress causes doctors to extend her hold. With 33 feature films and several TV series, many films may have slipped under the radar for casualSteven Soderberghfans.Unsaneis certainly one of them.
While the film’s premise may be enough to get viewers in the door, the real hook for this 2018 film is the way it was made.Unsanewas filmed entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus. The film’s unconventional equipment choices are certainly noticeable in the finished product, but thestripped-back and unique lookblends well with the unsettling and raw storytelling. Since winning his Oscar for directingTraffic, Soderbergh has continually embraced new techniques, including casting adult actorSasha GreyinThe Girlfriend Experienceand using anamorphic lenses to filmNo Sudden Move.
8Ron Howard
‘Rush’ (2013)
James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) is a confident British party boy. Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) is a disciplined Austrian workaholic. Both men are professional race car drivers with a fierce rivalry. The pair cross paths and face off throughout several years in the 1970s while also experiencing personal highs and lows.
Ron Howardis as prolific as he is reliable. With over 20 feature films under his belt, it’s no surprise that some get forgotten along the way;Rushis one such film. While it was far from unsuccessful upon its release,Rush’s reputationdoesn’t equal its quality. Based on real people and events, the film isengaging and propulsive and features heart-stopping racing set pieces. Although it differs wildly fromA Beautiful Mind, for which Howard won Best Director,Rushis still one of Howard’s best.
7Quentin Tarantino
‘Jackie Brown’ (1997)
Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) is a flight attendant with a lucrative side hustle smuggling money for arms dealer Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson). When Jackie is caught smuggling by law enforcement, she is pressured to collect evidence on their behalf or go to prison. Stuck between two undesirable options, Jackie forms a plan of her own.Reservoir DogsandPulp Fictionare deservedly lauded as excellent freshman and sophomore outings from a promising filmmaker. Meanwhile, theKill Billduology is admired for its fresh take on the revenge thriller and composites of styles and genres.
But between these two distinct eras, there wasJackie Brown. The 1997 film wasmore conventional and polished thanQuentin Tarantino’s earlier workand tends to get lost in the mix when the director’s oeuvre is discussed. Besides being a fun and engaging watch, the cast ofJackie Brownis also a bit of an outlier among Tarantino’s work. Many of his films feature a rotating cast of the same actors, butJackie Brownis the only film of Tarantino’s featuring lead actor Pam Grier and supporting actorsMichael KeatonandRobert De Niro.
Jackie Brown
6Kathryn Bigelow
‘Near Dark’ (1987)
Young cowboy Caleb (Adrian Pasdar) meets Mae (Jenny Wright) at a bar. The pair have instant chemistry and hit it off. Unfortunately, Mae is actually a vampire, and she transforms Caleb into one with a bite on the neck. Now unable to live a normal life, Caleb abandons his family and takes to the road with Mae and the gang of vampires she travels with.
Before bursting into the mainstream with the ’90s action bromancePoint Break,Kathryn Bigelowhelmed a gritty neo-western horror film calledNear Dark. The film was a box office flop buthas since gained a well-deserved cult following. In addition to showcasing the skill and style that would later win Bigelow her Oscar forThe Hurt Locker,Near Darkalso features a scene-stealing performance from a youngBill Paxton. It might not be nearly as popular as it should be, butNear Darkis a perfect display of Bigelow’s blossoming directorial abilities.
5Danny Boyle
‘Steve Jobs’ (2015)
Fourteen years of Steve Jobs’s (Michael Fassbender) life are summarized by exploring three key points in time. Over these three distinct acts, Jobs prepares to launch a range of new Apple products, the lead-up to each rife with tension, stress, and backstage mayhem that gives a unique insight into Jobs. Unfortunately forDanny Boyle, two years before the release ofSteve Jobs, another film about the Apple co-founder was released.JobsstarredAshton Kutcherin the titular role and wasn’t well received. By the timeSteve Jobsrolled around, “Jobs-fatigue” had well and truly taken over.
Separated into three distinct acts,Steve Jobsisrich with dialogue and energyand defined by a play-like exploration of a man through the lens of his most valued creation. Boyle, who won Best Director forSlumdog Millionairein 2009, wasn’t the only Oscar winner involved with the creation ofSteve Jobs. The energetic screenplay for the film waswritten byAaron Sorkin, who won Best Adapted Screenplay in 2010 forThe Social Network.
Steve Jobs
4Bong Joon-ho
‘The Host’ (2006)
In the early 2000s, scientists dump large quantities of chemicals into the Han River in Seoul. Afterward, sightings of some kind of animal in the Han River are reported, and local fish populations are impacted. Several years later, an enormous amphibious creature bursts out of the river and attacks the surrounding city. Before retreating to the water, the creature snatches young Hyun-seo (Go Ah-sung) and takes her under.
Bong Joon-howas hitting home runslong before he broke records with Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Picture andBest International Feature Filmwins forParasite.The Hostis a blockbuster monster movie withsatirical and political undertones. In addition to being thrilling, exciting, and sometimes comedic,The Hostis abiting criticism of foreign interference in Korean politicsand the price of greed.
3Spike Lee
‘25th Hour’ (2002)
Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) is facing a seven-year prison sentence for dealing drugs. Monty has one day left before he’s required to turn himself in to begin his sentence. Throughout his final day of freedom, Monty and his dog, Doyle, travel around New York City. They catch up with Monty’s old friends, tie up some loose ends, and reflect on New York City and how it’s changed in the wake of September 11.
Spike Leeis known for classics likeDo the Right ThingandMalcolm X. Although Lee is a skilled filmmaker whose work spans a range of stories and themes, he is best known for his astute and enthralling explorations of race and the Black American experience.25th Hourisn’t explicitly about the Black American experience, but it is about the American experience andhow the country, and more specifically, New York City, changed after 9/11. On its face,25th Houris a character-based story about one man reckoning with his future and reconciling his past. However, the subtext is much richer and invites viewers, particularly Americans, to go on the same journey of reflection as the film’s protagonist.
2William Friedkin
‘Killer Joe’ (2011)
Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is a cop by day and a hitman for hire by night. His police connections help him get away with his crimes but make him a dangerous person to cross. Young drug dealer Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch) hears about Joe and hires him to kill his mother so he can collect her life insurance policy.
William Friedkinwas in his 70s when he directedKiller Joe. The legend, who won Best Director forThe French Connectionand traumatized a generation withThe Exorcist,didn’t shy away from subversive and confronting work in his older age.Killer Joeactually received an NC-17 rating, most likely due to a memorable scene involving a bucket of chicken. Friedkin’s refusal to censor his film for a more box-office-friendly rating and his constant desire topush boundaries and standards of good tastedefine his legacy. These factors also defineKiller Joeand represent a few of the many reasons that the film is unmissable.
Killer Joe
1Martin Scorsese
Paramedic Frank Pierce (Nicolas Cage) is burned out and depressed. Despite attending a range of scenes across Manhattan each night, he hasn’t saved a patient in months. Throughout three night shifts, Frank and his rotating roster of partners attend dangerous and confronting scenes. All the while, Frank is being haunted by the ghosts of the patients he couldn’t help.
Lovers ofMartin Scorsese’s gangster filmsmay be surprised to learn that the director has conquered many other genres over his long and iconic career. One of his films that breaks from the gangster stereotype isBringing Out the Dead, a stark and cynical portrayal of a city’s underbelly and the burned-out emergency services workers trying to find order in the chaos. The subject matter may be different, butthe directorial skill remains on point. Overexposed nighttime photography and energetic editing and camera work result in a film thatbalances its dark subject matter with personality and magnetic charisma.
