David O. Russell is one of the most well-respected directors currently working in Hollywood. Ever since making a name for himself with the offbeat 1994 indie comedy Spanking The Monkey, O. Russell has written and directed eight additional feature films to go along with a handful of shorts.
Despite a lack of plot details, O. Russell's new untitled comedic film project is currently in pre-production with Christian Bale, Michael B. Jordan, and Margot Robbie attached to star. In anticipation of his newest endeavor, here are all of David O. Russell's movies ranked from worst to best, according to their IMDB score.
Accidental Love (2015) 4.1/10
Under the pseudonym Stephen Greene, O. Russell directed the poorly-received off-beat comedy Accidental Love, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessica Biel, James Marsden, Bill Hader, and more. In addition to its paltry IMDB rating, the film has a 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 20/100 Metascore.
Story-wise, the film concerns waitress Alice (Biel) who accidentally has a nail embedded in her head. The nail causes erratic behavior which leads Alice to Washington D.C., where she meets a goofy senator (Gyllenhaal) who takes an interest in her case.
Spanking The Monkey (1994) 6.2/10
David O. Russell burst onto the cinematic scene in 1994 with Spanking the Monkey, the first feature film he wrote, directed, and executive-produced. As a result, O. Russell won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay and Best First Feature.
The film follows Ray (Jeremy Davies), a bright medical student away from MIT for the summer. Returning home to take care of his mother Susan (Alberta Watson) after she sustains a broken leg, Ray begins to develop sexual feelings for her. The quasi-incestuous relationship freaks Ray out, prompting him to court a girl his age named Toni (Carla Gallo).
I Heart Huckabees (2004) 6.6/10
Mired by on-set controversy, I Heart Huckabees proved too-ambitious a film project for O. Russell in the eyes of most following the commercial and critical success of Three Kings. The quirky comedy, starring Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Naomi Watts, and Mark Wahlberg, largely failed to resonate.
The existential detective comedy follows several characters, including married couple Bernard (Hoffman) and Vivian (Tomlin), who spy on people in the attempt to save them from a series of threatening forces.
Joy (2015) 6.6/10
In his third straight collaboration with Jennifer Lawrence, O. Russell opted to tell the biographical story of inventor Joy Mangano, who was responsible for the creation of the Miracle Mop, among other devices.
The character study charts Joy's evolution from making large sums of money for other people and corporations to going into business for herself by pursuing a slew of inventions she conjured up in her mind. With the support of her grandmother Mimi (Diane Ladd), Joy navigates her professional life with her personal baggage as a divorced mother of two. Lawrence earned an Oscar nod for Best Leading Actress for her performance.
Flirting With Disaster (1996) 6.7/10
Following Spanking the Monkey, O. Russell was given a much bigger budget and an ensemble cast to play with for his sophomore effort Flirting With Disaster, a road-comedy in which an adopted man sets out to find his biological father.
Ben Stiller stars as Mel Coplin, who along with his wife Nancy (Patricia Arquette) and four-month-old son, travel across the country to meet his real father. A series of mishaps and misunderstandings lead Mel to confront one potential father after another, where he ends up in New Mexico to find answers from his biological mother Mary (Lily Tomlin). Josh Brolin, Richard Jenkins, Alan Alda, Tea Leoni, and Mary Tyler Moore co-star.
Three Kings (1999) 7.1/10
Following the critical success of Flirting With Disaster, O. Russell was afforded yet a bigger canvas to tell his next story on the big screen. As such, he hired George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube to star in the screwball war comedy, Three Kings.
The film traces a squad of U.S. soldiers on duty in Kuwait. When the trio uncovers a large cache of gold bullion, they decide to divide the loot equally among themselves and transport the gold out of the Middle East. But when they witness the local regime execute innocent bystanders, the three soldiers act selflessly by staying and helping to fight the injustice.
American Hustle (2013) 7.2/10
With a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating and 90/100 Metascore to boot, O. Russell's American Hustle earned 10 Academy Award nominations, yet did not take home a single award.
The mafia crime story concerns world-class con-man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and his cunning partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) who are forced to work with crooked FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). To keep from doing jail-time, Irving and Sydney become entangled with the New Jersey mob and compromised City Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner).
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) 7.7/10
Adapted from the Matthew Quick novel, Silver Linings Playbook explores the mental health of Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), a man with a crippling bipolar disease that lands him in a mental institution.
Once released from the hospital, Pat tries to mend fences with his ex-wife Nikki (Brea Bee), and his supportive parents Dolores (Jacki Weaver) and Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro). However, Pat's life does not change for the better until he meets Tiffany (Lawrence), a wild young lady with her own troubling circumstances. As the two begin to find solace in dancing together ahead of a ballroom competition, Pat and Tiffany begin to fall in love with each other. Lawrence won an Oscar for Best Leading Actress for her performance.
The Fighter (2010) 7.8/10
Following a six-year absence after I Heart Huckabees, O. Russell returned to direct the highest-rated film of his career to date according to IMDB. The Fighter tells the true story of South Boston boxer "Irish" Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a local fighter who faces as many battles outside the ring as inside of it.
With the help of his more famous brother and once-brilliant boxer Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), Micky climbs the ranks as a top pugilistic contender. However, Dicky's crack-cocaine addiction threatens to undermine his success at every turn. Bale won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.