A common rite of passage for many film devotees is viewing an entire filmography from an acclaimed director. This process reveals the director's growth as an artist, showing their greatest strengths and personal quirks that are present in all of their work. The most fascinating film in this pursuit is the director's first film when they are at their most inexperienced. These films are usually very scrappy endeavors made in more desperate circumstances but not lacking in passion, showing the promise of what is to come from these visionaries.
While their work undoubtedly improved in later films, many discredit how special these debut films can be. They are often quality films that contain all the overflowing energy of these promising young people who adore the medium, who want to be part of the world of movies, and are showing that love in these passion projects. Here are some of those inspiring debut projects from beloved directors that don't get enough credit for how special they are.
Darren Aronofsky - Pi (1998)
This no-budget indie film from recent film school graduates looking for a way to break into the business set off the careers of all those involved, most notably director Darren Aronofsky. Pi is a typical Aronofsky film of self-destructive obsessions, this one following a mathematician who spends every waking moment working toward discovering the universal pattern of nature. The premise is captivating, but it's the execution that makes it special. Made for a humble sixty-thousand dollars amassed from one-hundred dollar donations from friends and family, Aronofsky and company devoted themselves to the single-minded endeavor of making a movie as best they could with what they had.
All the rough edges enhance the experience, from the hot-glued sets to the black-and-white guerilla shooting, that all work to add texture to the story of a lonely guy who has a knack for numbers. A must-watch for aspiring filmmakers that still stands as one of the greatest examples of a debut film, full of ambition and clever compromises resulting in a uniquely strange movie that's fully realized.
The Daniels - Swiss Army Man (2016)
With the Daniels directing duo's recent runaway success of Everything Everywhere All at Once, more should revisit their previous film, Swiss Army Man. After the two built up a reputation for wild and inventive music videos, they made their cinematic introduction about a man stranded in the woods with a multi-functional corpse played by Daniel Radcliffe. It has all the signature Daniels elements of ridiculous humor and heartfelt emotion that were present in their recent Oscar darling, just made on a smaller scale.
It's unique in how it handles typically taboo topics with both humor and empathy, revealing the need to talk more openly about how strange it is to be alive and accept ourselves more fully. It's a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that hopefully will see a rise in viewings with all the newfound fans who have just discovered the Daniels.
Paul Schrader - Blue Collar (1978)
Paul Schrader is a special talent in cinema. Having penned the script for many of Martin Scorsese's best films, most notable among them being Taxi Driver, and directing contemporary masterpieces like First Reformed, it's a shame more haven't seen his directorial debut Blue Collar. It's a stellar film about three factory workers who feel forgotten by the union that was supposed to fight for them and plan to rob their union's office to get what they are owed.
With three exceptional lead actors and a wonderful story about the neglected lower class, Schrader made a perfect introduction to his specific sensibilities of capturing the feeling of a world that doesn't seem to care about anyone, with all of us doomed to fail in its inhuman systems. A wonderful film that introduced the filmmaking world to one of its greatest artists.
Wes Anderson - Bottle Rocket (1996)
There isn't a more visually distinct director in all contemporary cinema than Wes Anderson. Famous for his perfectly symmetrical images, dead-pan performances, and pastel colors that make his films such wonderful viewing experiences while also being distinctly him. His style has only deepened with each new film, causing some to forget his fantastic first film, Bottle Rocket. The debut not only showcased Wes Anderson, but also now-famous brothers Owen and Luke Wilson, in a heartfelt comedy about wanna-be criminals.
It has many of the elements that Anderson would soon become famous for, but an added charm for the low-budget element of the film that feels especially appropriate in a story about no-bodies who dream of becoming famous criminals. An excellent viewing experience that should be counted among Anderson's other great films.
The Coen Brothers - Blood Simple (1984)
Few directors have a filmography as varied and celebrated as the Coen brothers. With so many instant classics such as Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona, and more it makes sense for their debut tends to get lost in the shuffle even though it's still a great film. Blood Simple is still a perfect Coen brothers' film about small-town crimes gone wrong. It doesn't have that much of the dark wit they would be famous for in many of their later movies, but it's a slick neo-noir crime thriller in the heart of Texas, with misunderstandings and lies confusing the characters to unfortunate ends. It's as perfect of an introduction as you could hope for from the brilliant filmmaking brothers that still holds up as a tense watch that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Federico Fellini - Variety Lights (1950)
No director has better embodied cinema than the great Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini. Having made so many groundbreaking classics often causes some to neglect his earlier work for not being as wild and dream-like, especially his debut Variety Lights. Co-directed with Alberto Lattuada, the film shows many of the trademarks of a Fellini film with a circus-like atmosphere, vaudeville acts, and even his unfaithful protagonists that act as a stand-in for Fellini's own immoral tendencies. It's a wonderfully exciting film until it shifts in the typical Fellini way that feels especially palpable here. Funny, heartbreaking, and life-affirming in all those magic ways only Fellini is capable of that make this a magic viewing experience.
Hard Eight (1996)
One of the most consistently phenomenal directors in the current world of filmmaking is Paul Thomas Anderson, a filmmaker who is constantly creating some of the most challenging films that never fail to fascinate. When discussing his early career, most only bring up Boogie Nights, a surprisingly ambitious film for a second-time director, but not enough credit is given to his Los Vegas crime film Hard Eight. This impressive debut film about a pseudo-father-son relationship showcases Anderson's knack for characters and pulling great performances from his actors.
Everyone in the film is captivating and fully formed in a way few first-time writers could pull off. There are no good guys or bad guys, just people who are somewhere in a gray gradient of morality. A great Anderson film that's an appropriate debut for the now-celebrated director.
Lynne Ramsay - Ratcatcher (1999)
The most underrated debut from one of the most underrated directors is Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher. In what might be the most poetic depiction of a loss of innocence, Lynne Ramsay paints a tragic portrait of a boy becoming distant from everyone and everything around him after being party to the death of another child. A film steeped in realism that portrays childhood in a working-class family with what feels like a shocking level of accuracy still somehow becomes something operating on another level, capturing some deeper sense of hope in the face of hopelessness and a desire to connect. The film is further evidence of Ramsay's exceptional talent as an artist, who should receive more acclaim than she currently does.
Martin Scorsese - Who's That Knocking at My Door? (1967)
Debut films what they are often have a raw, desperation with a hopeful director trying all they can to express who they are and what they hope to accomplish in their movies going forward. Martin Scorsese's Who's That Knocking at My Door? is one of the purest forms of that reckless passion that resulted in something truly special. With a debut from one of cinema's most exceptional talents, many might be disappointed that his debut isn't as earth-shattering as his other work. While the film isn't as well-executed as what he would go on to do, his debut still has so much Scorsese in it.
With the New York criminal element, dissections of toxic masculinity, and his lifelong obsession with the sacred and the profane, Scorsese made something that feels very him that works as a marvelous first attempt at what he will improve upon throughout his career. A deeply personal film that is sure to inspire any future great filmmaker in their own artistic pursuits.
Charlie Kaufman - Synecdoche, New York (2008)
In what might be the most impressive directorial debut ever made, Charlie Kaufman's existential epic Synecdoche, New York is one of the most criminally underrated films ever made. After having made a name for himself as a brilliant screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman came to directing in force with one of the most insightful and thought-provoking films that is a testament to the unique artistic power of cinema. While having the mind-mending elements of the other films he wrote, none have the complexity and scale present in his first directorial vision.
Kaufman proves his skill as a visionary with an excellent cast that all give brilliant performances in a surreal world that refuses rational explanation. An essential watch for any cinema lover that will cause them to view their lives in a light they considered before.