In order to become a truly famous Hollywood director, most household names like Quentin Tarantino and Francis Ford Coppola have created an astounding body of work that consists almost entirely of critical or box office hits. But even the greats have their misses.

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Most successful directors have run into speedbumps in their careers by releasing a string of box office bombs or simply being quiet for a prolonged time. But whether it's Martin Scorsese or Spike Jonze, these particular cinematic auteurs managed to turn out a legitimate classic after a significant slump.

Her (2013)

Joaquin Phoenix smiling in Her

Spike Jonze is best known for surrealist and anti-romantic movies like Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, so it came as a surprise when Jonze reinvented himself with a different genre. The filmmaker helmed Where The Wild Things Are, an optimistic and whimsical kids movie. What's ironic is that despite being based on a fantastical kids novel, it's the least surreal of all of his movies up to this point.

However, though it was a brave and bold left turn that subverted his fans' expectations, it wasn't a completely welcome change. But five years later, Jonze returned to his old habits. He directed Her, a sci-fi movie about a man falling in love with a Siri-like software. It was praised to no end, whether it was Joaquin Phoenix's performance, the subtle futuristic look, or the hilarious dialogue. It even earned Jonze an Academy Award for Best Writing.

Raging Bull (1980)

Jake Lamotta boxing in Raging Bull.

The 70s was a big decade for Martin Scorsese. He had wowed the world with Mean Streets, a different kind of gangster movie, and he won the Palme d´Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Taxi Driver. Francis Ford Coppola even wanted Scorsese to direct The Godfather Part II. But in 1977, it seemed as if the wunderkind's luck had run out, as he directed New York, New York, an overly schmaltzy movie that didn't have a single blood squib.

After the critical shaming the director received for the movie, there was an extended period before he returned with a movie unlike any other, Raging Bull. Between the black and white style, the improvised scenes, and the electric chemistry between Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro, the boxing movie knocked cinema-goers on their feet.

The Visit (2015)

The grandmother spooks her grandchildren in The Visit were not what they seemed.

After the groundbreaking phenomenon that was The Sixth Sense, M. Night Shyamalan´s movies got more critically derided and were more disappointing to general audiences with each consecutive release. The director hit an all-time low in a stretch between 2006 to 2013. The timeframe included The Happening, and one of the most hated movie adaptations of all time, The Last Airbender.

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But in 2015, Shyamalan made the best decision he could have made, whether it was his choice or not. Instead of working on another blockbuster with a $100 million budget, the director filmed the low-budget The Visit. It was a return to his roots, as it was a suspense-driven horror movie, and as is the case with the best Shyamalan movies, there's a shocking twist.

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Aldo Raine pretends to be an italian stuntman at a movie premiere in Inglourious Basterds

Death Proof was more of an experiment than anything, as it was part of a double feature called Grindhouse, which included Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror. They were love letters to 1970s exploitation movies, and the director forwent many of his trademarks that fans love in favor of imitating those old films. Quentin Tarantino doesn't think it's all that bad, as he said to The Hollywood Reporter, "If that's the worst I ever make, I'm good."

But regardless, the celebrated filmmaker returned two years later with his most ambitious movie ever, the World War II epic Inglourious Basterds. Not only was it full of that classic Tarantino dialogue and compelling multi-stranded narratives, but it broke the Tarantino mold in a lot of ways too. It was the first of his movies to retell history in a fantasy style, and it was Tarantino's first collaboration with the spectacular Christoph Waltz.

Big Eyes (2014)

Walter works on a painting in Big Eyes.

Having fallen into a well of CGI that he couldn't seem to climb out of, Tim Burton had become obsessed with fantasy worlds that were made almost completely out of computer-generated images. The budgets were getting out of hand, but similar to M. Night Shyamalan, Burton took a break from blockbuster movies.

The director instead made Big Eyes, a biopic about a painter. The trademarks that Burton was known for when he first reached a rock star-like status in Hollywood were absent. But it made for a tastefully made, historically accurate period drama, and it's completely unique in Burton's filmography.

The Martian (2015)

Mark walks across Mars in The Martian

Ridley Scott is a household name, and the best thing about the director is that he's able to work in many different genres, including sci-fi, crime, and swords and sandals movies. Not only that, but he directed the gold standard of each of them, helming Alien, American Gangster, and Gladiator.

But in the first half of the 2010s, Scott had a bit of a slump. However, 2015's The Martian reminded audiences of why Scott is so beloved, as the movie is compelling, exciting, and well-researched.

BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Ron and Flip talking to each other in front of a board full of photos and newspaper clippings

Spike Lee quickly made a name for himself in the 80s for his extremely stylish social commentary movies. The director has always been unapologetic about the films he has wanted to make, as for every Malcolm X, there's a Bamboozled. But in the 2010s, there was a much longer period where Lee went without putting out an instant classic.

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The lowest moment in Lee's career came with the US remake of Oldboy, which completely misunderstood what made the original great. But the five movies released between 2006 and 2015 made his comeback that much more exciting. BlacKkKlansman was as shocking, intense, and socially driven as anything Lee had done in the past. It somehow manages to be as funny as it is terrifying, and it was his best movie in over a decade.

Clerks 2 (2006)

Jay & Bob in the Mooby's fast food chain in Clerks 2

Kevin Smith is best known for the View Askewniverse, a cinematic universe that came into existence long before the MCU. The franchise is full of irreverent R-rated comedies including Clerks, Mallrats, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. So it came as a shock when Smith directed Jersey Girl, a run-of-the-mill PG-13 dramedy.

After being hated by both critics and audiences and becoming a box office bomb, the director returned to what he does best, making vulgar jokes and creating rebellious characters. Clerks 2 came 12 years after the first movie, and instead of it being a cash-in like most comedy sequels that come decades later, it was a heartfelt screenplay with some of Smith's funniest work. Hopefully, Clerks 3 will follow the same formula, as it's currently in production.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Furiosa and Max sitting in a vehicle in Mad Max: Fury Road.

George Miller has one of the strangest filmographies ever, as all of his movies are worlds apart. In the mid-2000s the Mad Max director moved to animation, as he helmed Happy Feet, and seven years later, Happy Feet Two. Not only were the movies disappointing, especially to fans of the action director, but his output was slow too, as the Happy Feet films were the only pictures he directed over a 17-year span.

But in 2015, Miller not only met fans' expectations, but exceeded them in a big way. Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action movies of the 21st century. There was so much that went wrong with Fury Road's production, but it worked out in the end, as the practical effects in the movie are spectacular.

The Godfather Part III (1990)

Michael in the kitchen in The Godfather Part III

Francis Ford Coppola had a string of disappointments throughout the 80s, including many movies that even the biggest cinephiles haven't heard of. It almost seemed like he was a completely different person from the man who had directed not one, but four classics in the 70s. However, the director turned back to the series that helped him become a household name in Hollywood.

The Godfather Part III might not be a great Godfather movie, but it's a great movie in general. It was a huge comeback for the director, especially at the time, as it was well-reviewed and amazingly nominated for seven Academy Awards. It even brought him out of bankruptcy. And if all goes to plan, Coppola will have a second comeback soon enough, as he's working on Megalopolis, a movie on a massive scale that will have a budget of over $100 million.

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