The 30 Greatest Directorial Debuts

Some first impressions are much better than others.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

There's nothing like the first time. Before filmmakers become jaded or hardened from years spent inside Hollywood's unforgiving, rigorous machine, they all start off as hungry artists who just want a chance to make art. Which, most of the time, results in their debut movies being unique and uncompromising. Granted, that doesn't always make the movies any good—keep in mind, hacks like Ed Wood, Uwe Boll, and, yes, even Tyler Perry were once big-screen rookies.

When a freshman's introductory flick effectively showcases his or her natural and undeniable chops, though, it's all the more exciting. All of the auteurs included on our list of 10 directors who have never made a bad movie, for instance, broke into the industry with, well, very good movies—namely, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Christopher Nolan.

But do the first-time efforts from those A-list filmmakers rank within our countdown of The 30 Greatest Directorial Debuts? The answer may surprise you.

RELATED: The 25 Worst Movies By Good Directors
RELATED: 10 Female Movie Directors You Need to Know
RELATED: 10 Directors Who Have Never Made a Bad Movie

Written by Matt Barone (@MBarone), Jason Serafino (@serafinoj1), Ross Scarano (@RossScarano), Greg Topscher (@gtopscher), and Jennifer M. Wood (@j_m_wood)

30. Kids (1995)

Not Available Interstitial

29. Mad Max (1979)

Not Available Interstitial

28. Duel (1971)

Not Available Interstitial

27. Gummo (1997)

Not Available Interstitial

26. Pi (1998)

Not Available Interstitial

25. She's Gotta Have It (1986)

Not Available Interstitial

24. Chocolat (1988)

Not Available Interstitial

23. Blood Simple (1984)

Not Available Interstitial

22. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Not Available Interstitial

21. The Evil Dead (1981)

Not Available Interstitial

20. I Stand Alone (1998)

Not Available Interstitial

19. Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Not Available Interstitial

18. sex, lies, and videotape (1989)

Not Available Interstitial

17. Shadows (1959)

Not Available Interstitial

16. Menace II Society (1993)

Not Available Interstitial

15. This is Spinal Tap (1982)

Not Available Interstitial

14. Donnie Darko (2001)

Not Available Interstitial

13. Diner (1982)

Not Available Interstitial

12. Targets (1968)

Not Available Interstitial

11. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Not Available Interstitial

10. Hunger (2008)

Not Available Interstitial

9. Knife in the Water (1962)

Not Available Interstitial

8. The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Not Available Interstitial

7. The 400 Blows (1960)

Not Available Interstitial

6. Killer of Sheep (1977)

Not Available Interstitial

5. Badlands (1973)

Not Available Interstitial

4. Breathless (1960)

Not Available Interstitial

3. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Not Available Interstitial

2. Eraserhead (1976)

Not Available Interstitial

1. Citizen Kane (1941)

Not Available Interstitial

Latest in Pop Culture