It's a director's duty to turn in a well-crafted movie that will be financially successful at the box office, and it's a job more than anything. And while directors are put on a pedestal for being visionaries, they are there to achieve a goal and answer to producers.
However, there are other filmmakers who aren't exactly directors-for-hire, but ones who follow their own path and choose projects based on how they can implement their style, not as a means to an end. Those who released incredible directorial debuts in the 2000s tend to follow that path, even if their following movies did have mixed results. Either way, these movies are tentpoles of 2000s cinema, and they signaled a promising start for some first-time directors.
Jason Reitman: Thank You For Smoking (2005) - 7.6
Since 2005, Jason Reitman has made a brand for himself by directing mostly indie comedy-dramas, and that all started with the 2005 movie, Thank You for Smoking. It is a clever comedy that follows a Big Tobacco lobbyist who spins negative press while at the same time trying to be a role model for his son. With his very first movie, Reitman delivered exactly what audiences could continue to expect from him, which were smart, irreverent, and hilarious dramedies. Thank You for Smoking is one of Jason Reitman's best movies.
Interestingly, the director had turned down offers to direct huge movies throughout his whole career. But that changed last year with the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, but even that had a dramatic and heartfelt quality to it that few other blockbuster movies do.
Ben Affleck: Gone Baby Gone (2007) - 7.6
Many actors have been inspired on film sets and attempted to transition into directing for themselves, whether it's Ryan Gosling or George Clooney, and some have been more successful than others. But one actor whom viewers least expected to catch the directing bug was Ben Affleck, and what was even more shocking was the type of screenplay that he chose for his debut.
Based on the Dennis Lehane novel of the same name, Gone Baby Gone is a thrilling and emotional rollercoaster about two PIs who investigate the kidnapping of a little girl. The movie is extremely dark and viewers will shudder after watching it, but it's also so compelling at the same time. It was the start of an incredible run of movies from the actor-turned-director.
James Wan: Saw (2004) - 7.6
Saw was a phenomenal success, as it's a modest movie that managed to make hundreds of millions thanks to word of mouth. The inventive way the horror movie was shot made James Wan a director that people should keep their eyes on.
When it comes to horror directors, they tend to stay in their comfort zone, predominantly directing horrors for their whole career. However, while Wan got his start in the torture series and is the mind behind franchises like The Conjuring and Insidious, he also has an action streak. Wan directed Furious 7 and Aquaman, both of which are the highest-grossing movies of their respective franchises. It's hard to believe the man who made a film about cars crashing through skyscrapers in Dubai is the same director whose suspenseful debut took place almost entirely in one room.
Ruben Fleischer: Zombieland (2009) - 7.6
Ruben Fleischer is a director for the people. While his movies are often critically scathed, nothing can stop them from becoming popular with general audiences and making money hand-over-fist at the box office. The director was behind the camera on Venom and the more recent Uncharted, but his typical no-stakes but fun action movies started with 2009's Zombieland.
Fleischer has yet to reach the same critical acclaim he did with Zombieland, but that's mostly due to how entertaining the action-comedy is. While the movie owes a lot to Shaun of the Dead, from a pure entertainment value standpoint, Zombieland is the superior of the two.
Joss Whedon: Serenity (2005) - 7.8
The controversial Joss Whedon directed The Avengers, and while such an event movie was always going to be a success, it was the way the filmmaker had the superheroes interact that made the film such a huge success. Even in the less positively received Age of Ultron, the best part of the movie isn't when the heroes are fighting an army of robots; it's when they are arguing over who can lift Thor's hammer at a party.
Creating groups of friends who joke around and make fun of each other has always been the director's modus operandi, and that's on best display in his directorial debut, Serenity. The movie is about a group of space cowboys and follows on from the canceled-too-soon TV series, Firefly. The movie flopped upon its release, but the sci-fi flick is now considered a cult classic.
Duncan Jones: Moon (2009) - 7.8
The son of David Bowie, Duncan Jones, has become a respected artist in his own right. Instead of living in his father's shadow, Jones became an accomplished filmmaker, and it all started with Moon. Given the movie's very modest budget of just $5 million, what the director was able to achieve in terms of visual effects in the film is unbelievable.
The film is a spectacle and looks like it cost at least 10 times the amount of its production cost. On top of that, being a mystery thriller that takes place in outer space, the movie has such a unique premise. It's one of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix, and there's even a Netflix original sequel, Mute.
Martin McDonagh: In Bruges (2008) - 7.9
In Bruges is one of the most captivating movies of the 2000s, and it's one of the darkest too. The movie follows two hitmen who hide in the titular Belgium city after one of them accidentally murdered a child. The movie established Martin McDonagh's style, as he'd continue to put out extremely dark and politically incorrect comedies to huge acclaim.
And of all of the directors who released the debuts in the 2000s, McDonagh is easily the most consistent, and he's repeatedly in contention for some of the industry's biggest awards. In October 2022, there'll be somewhat of a spiritual successor to In Bruges arriving in theatres, as the McDonagh-directed The Banshees of Inisherin will see Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell acting alongside each other once again.
Neill Blomkamp: District 9 (2009) - 7.9
Neill Blomkamp's first attempt at directing was a phenomenal success, as District 9 made a huge $210 million off of a budget of just $30 million. The movie was universally praised for being a fascinating and unique alien invasion movie, as it flipped the genre on its head by depicting humans as the villains. The movie tackles racism and social segregation in such a unique way, and it's influenced by the apartheid era in South Africa.
Unfortunately, Blomkamp hasn't been able to repeat this success and has been called a one-hit-wonder. The director went on to direct more sci-fi movies with social commentaries, but where District 9 was subtle and meaningful, Elysium and Chappie were direct and lectured audiences. And while District 10 is in development and has been widely talked about for years, it might actually be too little, too late.
Richard Kelly: Donnie Darko (2001) - 8.0
Donnie Darko is one of the greatest sci-fi fantasy movies of the 21st century. The film is profound and mind-blowing, and time travel has not been depicted in such an original way before or after the movie's release. Unfortunately, Richard Kelly is again another director considered to be a one-hit-wonder.
The filmmaker followed the 2001 cult classic with the overbearing and way too ambitious Southland Tales, and then the convoluted The Box, which actually had a strong premise and the potential to be great. The director has clearly been trying to chase what made Donnie Darko successful, but the mysterious but meaningful quality of the movie was like capturing lightning in a bottle.
Alejnadro González Iñárritu: Amores Perros (2001) - 8.1
All of director Alejandro González Iñárritu's movies explore extremely similar themes, and they are also told in oddly, similarly specific ways too. Amores Perros began the filmmaker's journey into telling stories about human connection and tragic events that connect people.
The movie brings three characters together after a car crash, and they all are struggling with intense, personal issues. Amores Perros is so emotionally exhausting but hauntingly beautiful at the same time. The directorial debut also sees Iñárritu playing with time and creating a non-linear structure, which is something that can be seen in most of his other movies too.