The Worst Movie Directors of All Time Film Directors
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The Worst Movie Directors of All Time By   [218 more lists]

A list of the worst directing hacks ever. Through a combination of luck and possibly some kind of payola, these directors have managed to long, lucrative careers making films, even though they seem to lack any kind of discernible talent. Some of the more notable films from directors on this list include "Rush Hour 2," "Batman and Robin," "Con Air," "House of the Dead," "Simon Birch," "Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace" and... you know what, I can't even really continue, I think I just made myself nauseated.

If your least favorite director (or director you love to hate) isn't yet on the list, feel free to add them at the bottom of the page. And don't forget to vote!

 
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1  Contributors (so far)

Rank     Name Born Films Nationality
  1. 1
    1965
    Far Cry, Postal, House of the Dead, BloodRayne II: Deliverance, 1968 Tunnel Rats, BloodRayne, Rampage, Max Schmeling, Alone in the Dark, Darfur, In the Name of the King, BloodRayne: The Third Reich, Heart of America, Stoic, Seed, Blackwoods, The Storm, Sanctimony, Sabotage 1943, Auschwitz, In the Name of the King 2, Bluberella, Blubberella, Auschwitz, Final Storm, Zombie Massacre, In the Name of the King 2 More
    Germany
  2. 2
    1939
    Bad Company, Falling Down, Batman & Robin, D.C. Cab, Batman Forever, The Client, Flatliners, The Lost Boys, Town Creek, Veronica Guerin, 8mm, Phone Booth, Tigerland, Dying Young, The Number 23, A Time to Kill, The Phantom of the Opera, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, Virginia Hill: Mistress to the Mob, Cousins, St. Elmo's Fire, Twelve, Flawless, Trespass, Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill More
    United States of America
  3. 3
    1959
    Deep Blue Sea, 12 Rounds, Driven, Die Hard 2, Cutthroat Island, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Cliffhanger, Die Hard, 5 Days of War, The Covenant, Mindhunters, Mannerheim, Exorcist: The Beginning, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Born American, The Exorcist series, Cleaner, Prison More
    Finland
  4. 4

    Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer

    Disaster Movie, Epic Movie, Date Movie, Vampires Suck
  5. 5
    1970
    The Last Airbender, The Village, The Sixth Sense, The Happening, Unbreakable, Lady in the Water, Signs, Wide Awake, Praying with Anger More
    United States of America, India
  6. 6
    1965
    Armageddon, Bad Boys II, The Rock, Bad Boys, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, The Island, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Transformers, Pearl Harbor, Star Kid, Bad Boys III, Alien Cargo, Meat Loaf: Bat Out of Hell II - Picture Show, Pain & Gain More
    United States of America
  7. 7
    1969
    Beverly Hills Cop IV, Money Talks, Rush Hour 3, Rush Hour 2, X-Men: The Last Stand, Rush Hour, After the Sunset, Tower Heist, New York, I Love You, Red Dragon, The Family Man, Movie 43, X-Men 4: New Breeds, Blue Blood, Shooter Series: Brett Ratner, Cop House, Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra More
    United States of America
  8. 8
    1952
    The Flintstones, Beethoven, The Spy Next Door, Are We There Yet, Snow Dogs, Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, Scooby-Doo: In The Beginning, Jingle All the Way, Problem Child 2, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas More
    United States of America
  9. 9
    1951
    Palermo-Milan One Way, Troll 2, Hell of the Living Dead, Monster Dog, After Death, Coppia omicida, La Casa 5, Troll 2: Part 2 More
    Italy
  10. 10
    1964
    Ghost Rider, Daredevil, When in Rome, Simon Birch
    United States of America
  11. 11
    1948
    America's Sweethearts, Streets of Gold, Freedomland, Coupe de Ville, Christmas with the Kranks, Revenge of the Nerds 2: Nerds in Paradise, Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise More
    United States of America
  12. 12
    1944
    THX 1138, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, American Graffiti, Look at Life, Herbie, 1:42:08, Freiheit, Filmmaker, 06/18/67, Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town, Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138:4EB, The Star Wars Holiday Special, The Making of 'The Rain People, Reel Talent: First Films by Legendary Directors, Bald: The Making of 'THX 1138, The Emperor More
    United States of America
  13. 13
    1924
    Glen or Glenda?, Take it Out in Trade, Plan 9 from Outer Space, The Sinister Urge, Bride of the Monster, Take it Out in Trade: The Outtakes, RiffTrax: Plan 9 from Outer Space: LIVE! Nashville 2009, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Sinister Urge, Night of the Ghouls, Jail Bait, RiffTrax: Plan 9 from Outer Space, The Violent Years, Necromania, The Young Marrieds More
    United States of America
  14. 14
    1961
    Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Mechanic, The Expendables 2, Red Sonja, When a Stranger Calls, The General's Daughter, When a Stranger Calls 2, Medallion More
    United States of America, England
  15. 15
    1955
    Moon 44, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, 10,000 BC, Universal Soldier, Joey, Godzilla, The Patriot, Independence Day, Anonymous, Stargate, Ghost Chase, The Patriot , Das Arche Noah Prinzip, Anonymous More
    Germany
  16. 16
    1946
    Problem Child, Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, National Security, Beverly Hills Ninja, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Just Go With It, Grown Ups, The Benchwarmers, Saving Silverman, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Jack & Jill, The Shaggy Dog, Brain Donors More
    United States of America
  17. 17
    1931
    Hard Hunted, Picasso Trigger, Guns, Savage Beach, Hard Ticket to Hawaii, Do or Die, Malibu Express, The Triple B Collection: Return to Savage, Fit to Kill, The Triple B Collection: Do or Die, The Triple B Collection: Hard Hunted, Day of the Warrior, L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies: Return to Savage Beach More
    United States of America
  18. 18
    1958
    Jeepers Creepers II, The Nature of the Beast, Jeepers Creepers, Peaceful Warrior, Jeepers Creepers 3: Cathedral, Rites of Passage, Clownhouse, Powder, Jeepers Creepers 4 More
    United States of America
    added by: jamisings
    Director of Jeepers Creepers 1 & 2, but also a convicted pedophile who likes to rape little boys. Why is he even allowed to work at all?
  19. 19
    1944
    Enemy of the State, True Romance, Man on Fire, The Last Boy Scout, Top Gun, The Warriors, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Beverly Hills Cop, BMW films, Domino, Crimson Tide, Spy Game, Unstoppable, Déjà Vu, Agent Orange, The Fan, Days of Thunder, The Hunger, Revenge, The Hire: Beat The Devil, Loving Memory More
    England
  20. 20
    1966
    Star Trek, Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible III: Bonus Material, Super 8 More
    United States of America
    added by: jamisings
    Director of the WORSE Star Trek since Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
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    1. mollie
      The Worst Movie Directors of All Time at 5/15/2009 12:26 PM
      Okay, most of these I agree with. But, George Lucas and Michael Bay are pretty good for what they do. I don't go into their movies expecting cinematic greatness or anything, but I do go into them expecting to be swept away by big explosion and the blatant exploitation of hot chicks and muscley men, and they always deliver on those fronts.
      1. Anonymous
        The Worst Movie Directors of All Time at 7/15/2009 2:35 PM
        I would have agreed with the Michael Bay part before Transformers II - now, not so much.
        1. analise.dubner [List Creator]
          The Worst Movie Directors of All Time at 7/15/2009 7:46 PM
          Seriously, after Trans2, I actually moved him up to #5. Basturd, give me those 2.5 hours back! And also, my hearing!
      1. analise.dubner [List Creator]
        The Worst Movie Directors of All Time at 6/10/2009 12:52 PM
        I might be able to give you Michael Bay, but no way on George Lucas. That guy fluked into Star Wars... Empire was the best film of the series and he neither wrote nor directed it. His entire body of work in terms of directing basically contains the first Star Wars (a simple film with a huge vision and basic direction) and the three prequels which, I think most will agree, are some of the worst films ever made if you consider their potential. He has no sense of story or pacing and I think in a contest of Worst Actor's Directors, he would win hands down. Hayden Christensen? WTF was up with that?
        1. BrianGilmore
          The Worst Movie Directors of All Time at 6/22/2009 3:39 PM
          Totally. Also, you know why the acting was a liiiiiiittle better in Episode III than in the other prequels? It's because Lucas got someone else to direct the acting. I don't know what he did other than rearrange the Star Wars franchise like a lot of people want to do his face. Stick...to...producing?...or enjoying your money?....
          1. analise.dubner [List Creator]
            The Worst Movie Directors of All Time at 6/23/2009 9:34 AM
            I actually find it a little bit funny how much anger I feel towards him over those prequels. Its kind of out of proportion, really. But every time I just think about the wasted potential. About my crushed expectations. Every time I remember Jar Jar and that 15 minute-fucking-podrace in the middle of 'Menace'... every time I have a flashback to those excreble, interminable 'romance' scenes between the cardboard Hayden Christensen and poor, poor Natalie Portman... I get mad all over again.
    2. Shonuff
      The Worst Movie Directors of All Time at 4/29/2011 10:01 PM
      The list is pretty spot on save for Tony Scott & Renny Harlin. They both have some big misses, but their collective work has several gems in there. How could you not enjoy Cliffhanger, Die Hard 2 or the Long Kiss Goodnight? And Man on Fire, True Romance & Enemy of the State are more than entertaining when I'm in a certain mood. I'll even give Michael Bay a pass because, even with all his storytelling failings, he's still one of the best at shooting an action sequence. His movies suck, but I like watching stuff gloriously blow-up on occasion. Thank God for the FF button. Those other guys are masters of nothing & can eat a fat one.
      1. analise.dubner [List Creator]
        The Worst Movie Directors of All Time at 4/30/2011 8:09 AM
        I guess I enjoyed Cliffhanger in the same way that I enjoyed Battlefield Earth - with drinking and friends and the subtitles on so we could still know what was "going on" despite all the loud laughter in the room. And the other movies you mentioned, I didn't care for... but while I have no interest in giving Renny "Cutthroat Island" Harlin any kind of pass.... Tony Scott is at least a methodical director. And he did give us Top Gun, which, like or hate, was an iconic film. \n\nAs for Bay... I refuse to even call him an action director. What he does have is an eye for cartoon drama - which he used somewhat decently in The Rock... and I agree about the blowing-up-ed-ness of his "films"... but overall he never serves his story. Ask him to get through a movie without a manipulative score/soundtrack or a pandering explosion, and I bet he would tilt his head to the side like a dog that just heard a strange noise... and give you a blank, confused stare.

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