Summary

It can come as a surprisal that there are manygreat picture directors who have n’t worked in years . Whatever their reasons for sound on a age - longsighted reprieve from filmmaking , the prolonged absence seizure of great manager can cause not just hypothesis about their personal lives , but also typically results in higher need for their pic . It ’s actually not rare for even extremely successful film manager to take long - term breaks from their duties in the amusement industry .

Even thebest movie directors of all timearen’t immune to taking such retentive breaks . Whether it ’s a instance of burnout from the notoriously demanding job , pursuing other artforms , or more serious career fuss , it ’s not unusual for a director to take a suspension that can last for several years . Regrettably , even just one badly - received feature film can jump the careers of even the most promising film director , suddenly halting their successive years of making movies . In any shell , when great directors block off make films , it deeply affects not just the audiences crave their unique cinematic style , but also the actor and other professional that they ’ve collaborated with over the class .

10Martin Brest (Scent of a Woman, Beverly Hills Cop)

Last Feature Film: Gigli (2003)

After directingGigli -one of the threecareer - ending movies Ben Affleck somehow survived in 2003- American director Martin Brest has n’t made any raw full features . For long - clock time followers of the filmmaker , it ’s unfair to approximate Brest byGiglialone . Best known for his work in the ' 80s and ' 90s , the theatre director ’s most notable moving picture includeMeet Joe Black , Beverly Hills Cop , andScent of a Woman , which earned Brest critical acclaim particularly for direct Al Pacino to a Best Actor Oscar - winning performance . Despite his former hiatus and a rather short filmography , Brest ’s wallop on pop cinema endures through his extremely influential early plastic film .

9Na Hong-jin (The Wailing, The Chaser)

Last Feature Film: The Wailing (2016)

A rising maven in the action and crime genres , South Korean director Na Hong - jin is the mind behind the intense and violent crime dramasThe ChaserandThe Yellow Sea . In 2016,Na Hong - jin revolutionize modern revulsion throughThe Wailing , a movie driven by its genre - bending twirl and irregular storytelling . He has n’t directed any newfangled feature films since then . It ’s a pathos because Hong - jin has bring in vital and consultation acclaim for his meticulous directing , attending to particular , and keen agreement of tension - building . The director made the curt thrillerFaithin 2023 , but Na Hong - jin ’s loyal followers are still waiting for his next full feature film .

The Korean revulsion pic The Wailing is a two - and - a - half - hour joyride of horror with a ton of awful but often complex twists .

8Peter Weir (Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show)

Last Feature Film: The Way Back (2010)

Australian theatre director Peter Weir earnedAcademy Award nominating speech for Best Director in films such asDead Poets Society , The Truman Show , Witness , andMaster and Commander : The Far Side of the World . With a cinematic style characterize by stiff character evolution and a hang for capturing poignant minute , Weir has surely made his mark on blockbuster movie house . alas , this trend of Oscar nomination did n’t prolong to his 2010 true story - inspired dramatic event , The Way Back , even though it also star Colin Farrell , Jim Sturgess , and Ed Harris . While Hollywood and hearing likewise mourn the long absence of Weir ’s mainstream artistic vision , there ’s a reasonwhy Peter Weir cease making movies .

7Panos Cosmatos (Beyond the Black Rainbow, Mandy)

Last Feature Film: Mandy (2018)

Despite being the son ofTombstoneandRambo 2director George P. Cosmatos , Panos quickly step out of his male parent ’s darkness through his mastery of horror and psychedelia . InBeyond the Black Rainbow , Panos Cosmatos deliver a sci - fi horror tale steeped in surreal imagery and American chronicle . Meanwhile , Mandytakes the same concepts and infuses them with action and an even recondite signified of melancholy insanity . While these film receive motley reviews , they showcase Cosmatos ' unambiguously strange imaginativeness and engage methods of push cinematic boundaries . Unfortunately , Cosmatos has n’t produce anything else afterMandy , leave the world wanting for his sassy takes on contemporary sci - fi , repugnance , and fantasy .

Mandy has become a cult classic horror thanks to its hallucinatory elements , and the flakey and surreal Cheddar Goblin utterly encapsulates that .

6Joe Dante (Gremlins, Small Soldiers)

Last Feature Film: Nightmare Cinema (2018)

It ’s no surprise that Joe Dante was one of the three directors hired forNightmare Cinema , an anthology horror mystery picture show about a haunted film field . Indeed , Dante is known for directingGremlins , one of the most influential creature feature of speech of all time . What ’s surprising is that Dante has n’t conduct more full feature afterNightmare Cinema . FromGremlinsandThe ' BurbstoSmall Soldiers , Dante has usher a knack for satirical storytelling , genre - blend , and explore suburban paranoia with a comedic cutaneous senses . Dante has directed more TV serial than films in the last tenner , and American filmmaking remain lacking without his fantastical take on mainstream horror funniness .

5Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Steamboy)

Last Feature Film: Short Peace (2013)

One of thebest gum anime movies of all time , Akira , was not only directed by Katsuhiro Otomo - he also wrote the manga that the landmark hacker activity film is base on . Indeed , Otomo ’s contribution to celluloid let in pushing the bounds of animate storytelling , introducing mature and thought - chivvy content , and inspiring a generation of filmmakers worldwide . While Otomo is among the most influential Japanese writer and filmmakers of this epoch , his last work involve a full feature was 2013’sShort Peace , in which he directed a segment of the acclaimed sci - fi fantasy . Otomo is also known for directingSteamboyandMemories , but his most impactful film remains to beAkira .

After years of being seemingly stuck in evolution , a Modern report shares a surprising update on Taika Waititi ’s live - military action Akira picture .

4Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now)

Last Feature Film: Distant Vision (2016)

illustrious for his role inThe Godfathertrilogy , Francis Ford Coppola ’s directorial style is note by rich character maturation and profound geographic expedition of power dynamics . Apocalypse Nowfurther showcased his ability to sail complex narrative , earning critical eclat for its portrayal of the Vietnam War , and eventually inspire countless films in the anti - war subgenre . Coppola ’s cinematic contributions include redefining the gangster pic , pioneering innovative filmmaking technique , and being a key figure in the New Hollywood earned run average . His latest project , Distant Vision , sees Coppola exploring experimental film in a personal and inter - generational narrative . Meanwhile , expectations are high forFrancis Ford Coppola ’s coming movieMegalopolis .

3Bong Joon Ho (Parasite, Snowpiercer)

Last Feature Film: Parasite (2019)

Bong Joon Ho’sParasitemade history by gain the Palme d’Or and multiple Oscars , illustrating Bong ’s ability to seamlessly weave social comment and dark humor into compelling narration . AlongsideParasite , SnowpiercerandThe Hostexemplify his mastery of merging writing style , immix social issues with elements of scientific discipline fabrication and revulsion . The theater director has even shown a penchant for mob - oriented risky venture inOkja . Bong ’s cinematic contribution let in breaking terminology and writing style barriers , gaining international credit for contemporary Korean film , and tempt a new wave of filmmakers . asunder from the approaching sci - fi dramaMickey 17,not much else is known about Bong ’s succeeding celluloid programme .

2Raya Martin (Independencia, How to Disappear Completely)

Last Feature Film: Death of Nintendo (2020)

While Raya Martin is an obscure name in the west , he is the first Filipino to be accepted in the Cannes Film Festival ’s Cinéfondation Résidence , a non - profit program for post - postgraduate educatee filmmaker . His most notable films includeSmaller and Smaller Circles , a crime thriller about priests inquire a gruesome murder , andIndependencia , an genuinely produced experimental understood film about the cultural history of the Philippines . Martin further explores this history inDeath of Nintendo- a comedic period picture limit in the ' 90s . Characterized by avant - garde approaches that challenge filmmaking conventions , Martin ’s career makes him one of the most promising albeit comparatively unknown Asian filmmakers today .

1Spike Lee (Malcolm X, Do The Right Thing)

Last Feature Films: David Byrne’s American Utopia, Da 5 Bloods (2020)

A trailblazing theater director known for his impactful films deal slipstream , identity , and societal outlet , Spike Lee ’s work often have bold visual choices and potent narratives that confront systemic iniquity . Do the right-hand Thingis a seminal work , enamor racial tensions in a Brooklyn neighborhood during a scorching summer day . Malcolm Xis a biographical epic explore the life of the polite rights drawing card . Lee ’s impact transcends the amusement manufacture , promoting variety in filmmaking , and using his platform to address societal challenges . Lee ’s last movies wereDavid Byrne ’s American UtopiaandDa 5 Bloods . While he may seem to be on hiatus , Lee actually has several forthcoming flick .

Characters from The Wailing.

Collage of Nicolas Cage’s Red and the Cheddar Goblin lurking in Mandy

Characters looking surprised in Akira

Custom image of Martin Brest directing Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman, and Spike Lee during a public interview

The shaman Il-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) performing a ritual to protect the villagers in The Wailing

Red (Nicolas Cage) holding an axe in Mandy

The Projectionist (Mickey Rourke) spins another tale in Nightmare Cinema

Shōtarō Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata) on a skidding motorcycle in Akira - the inspiration for the famous Akira meme

Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) arrives in America after escaping his family’s enemies in The Godfather Part 2

The boy (Mika Agilos) lying next to a bolo with intricate carvings on the jungle floor in Independencia by Raya Martin

Denzel Washington’s Malcolm X in glasses looking up in Malcolm X