Jeff's Reviews

Thoughts on every movie I've ever seen.

Directors

More than anyone else, a director is the person most responsible for the quality of a film. Here’s a list of the ones I seem to like the most.

Top 25 Directors
Ranking uses each director's mean user rating multiplied by n/(n+1), where n is the number of films. That damps small samples so a stellar average from one or two films doesn't outrank a similar average across many films.
James Cameron 9 movies 3.80
The Terminator (1984) James Cameron
Aliens (1986) James Cameron
The Abyss (1989) James Cameron
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) James Cameron
True Lies (1994) James Cameron
Titanic (1997) James Cameron
Avatar (2009) James Cameron
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) James Cameron
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) James Cameron
John Hughes 6 movies 3.29
Sixteen Candles (1984) John Hughes
The Breakfast Club (1985) John Hughes
Weird Science (1985) John Hughes
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) John Hughes
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) John Hughes
Uncle Buck (1989) John Hughes
Robert Zemeckis 12 movies 3.19
Romancing the Stone (1984) Robert Zemeckis
Back to the Future (1985) Robert Zemeckis
Back to the Future Part II (1989) Robert Zemeckis
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Robert Zemeckis
Forrest Gump (1994) Robert Zemeckis
Contact (1997) Robert Zemeckis
Cast Away (2000) Robert Zemeckis
What Lies Beneath (2000) Robert Zemeckis
The Polar Express (2004) Robert Zemeckis
Beowulf (2007) Robert Zemeckis
Flight (2012) Robert Zemeckis
Allied (2016) Robert Zemeckis
Christopher Nolan 10 movies 3.18
Memento (2000) Christopher Nolan
Batman Begins (2005) Christopher Nolan
The Prestige (2006) Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight (2008) Christopher Nolan
Inception (2010) Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Christopher Nolan
Interstellar (2014) Christopher Nolan
Dunkirk (2017) Christopher Nolan
Tenet (2020) Christopher Nolan
Oppenheimer (2023) Christopher Nolan
Steven Spielberg 23 movies 3.15
Jaws (1975) Steven Spielberg
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Steven Spielberg
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Steven Spielberg
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) Steven Spielberg
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Steven Spielberg
The Color Purple (1985) Steven Spielberg
Empire of the Sun (1987) Steven Spielberg
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) Steven Spielberg
Jurassic Park (1993) Steven Spielberg
Schindler's List (1993) Steven Spielberg
Amistad (1997) Steven Spielberg
The Lost World (1997) Steven Spielberg
Saving Private Ryan (1998) Steven Spielberg
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) Steven Spielberg
Catch Me If You Can (2002) Steven Spielberg
Minority Report (2002) Steven Spielberg
The Terminal (2004) Steven Spielberg
Munich (2005) Steven Spielberg
War of the Worlds (2005) Steven Spielberg
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) Steven Spielberg
Lincoln (2012) Steven Spielberg
Bridge of Spies (2015) Steven Spielberg
Ready Player One (2018) Steven Spielberg
Alfonso Cuarón 4 movies 3.10
Y Tu Mamá También (2001) Alfonso Cuarón
Children of Men (2006) Alfonso Cuarón
Gravity (2013) Alfonso Cuarón
Roma (2018) Alfonso Cuarón
Anthony Russo, Joe Russo 5 movies 3.08
You, Me and Dupree (2006) Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Captain America: Civil War (2016) Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Avengers: Endgame (2019) Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Peter Berg 8 movies 3.06
Very Bad Things (1998) Peter Berg
Rundown (2003) Peter Berg
Friday Night Lights (2004) Peter Berg
The Kingdom (2007) Peter Berg
Hancock (2008) Peter Berg
Battleship (2012) Peter Berg
Lone Survivor (2013) Peter Berg
Patriots Day (2016) Peter Berg
David Fincher 9 movies 3.00
Alien³ (1992) David Fincher
Se7en (1995) David Fincher
The Game (1997) David Fincher
Fight Club (1999) David Fincher
Panic Room (2002) David Fincher
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) David Fincher
The Social Network (2010) David Fincher
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) David Fincher
Gone Girl (2014) David Fincher
Mel Gibson 4 movies 3.00
Braveheart (1995) Mel Gibson
The Passion of the Christ (2004) Mel Gibson
Apocalypto (2006) Mel Gibson
Hacksaw Ridge (2016) Mel Gibson
Edward Zwick 6 movies 3.00
Glory (1989) Edward Zwick
Legends of the Fall (1994) Edward Zwick
Courage Under Fire (1996) Edward Zwick
The Siege (1998) Edward Zwick
The Last Samurai (2003) Edward Zwick
Blood Diamond (2006) Edward Zwick
Tony Scott 10 movies 2.95
Top Gun (1986) Tony Scott
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) Tony Scott
Revenge (1990) Tony Scott
True Romance (1993) Tony Scott
Crimson Tide (1995) Tony Scott
The Fan (1996) Tony Scott
Enemy of the State (1998) Tony Scott
Man on Fire (2004) Tony Scott
Deja Vu (2006) Tony Scott
Unstoppable (2010) Tony Scott
Bryan Singer 9 movies 2.95
The Usual Suspects (1995) Bryan Singer
Apt Pupil (1998) Bryan Singer
X-Men (2000) Bryan Singer
X2 (2003) Bryan Singer
Superman Returns (2006) Bryan Singer
Valkyrie (2008) Bryan Singer
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) Bryan Singer
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) Bryan Singer
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) Bryan Singer
Danny Boyle 7 movies 2.94
Trainspotting (1996) Danny Boyle
The Beach (2000) Danny Boyle
28 Days Later... (2002) Danny Boyle
Millions (2004) Danny Boyle
Sunshine (2007) Danny Boyle
127 Hours (2010) Danny Boyle
Steve Jobs (2015) Danny Boyle
Sam Mendes 7 movies 2.94
American Beauty (1999) Sam Mendes
Road to Perdition (2002) Sam Mendes
Jarhead (2005) Sam Mendes
Revolutionary Road (2008) Sam Mendes
Skyfall (2012) Sam Mendes
Spectre (2015) Sam Mendes
1917 (2019) Sam Mendes
J.J. Abrams 6 movies 2.93
Mission: Impossible III (2006) J.J. Abrams
Star Trek (2009) J.J. Abrams
Super 8 (2011) J.J. Abrams
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) J.J. Abrams
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) J.J. Abrams
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) J.J. Abrams
Frank Darabont 3 movies 2.88
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Frank Darabont
The Green Mile (1999) Frank Darabont
The Majestic (2001) Frank Darabont
Martin McDonagh 3 movies 2.88
In Bruges (2008) Martin McDonagh
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) Martin McDonagh
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) Martin McDonagh
Ron Howard 14 movies 2.87
Splash (1984) Ron Howard
Cocoon (1985) Ron Howard
Gung Ho (1986) Ron Howard
Parenthood (1989) Ron Howard
Backdraft (1991) Ron Howard
Apollo 13 (1995) Ron Howard
Ransom (1996) Ron Howard
A Beautiful Mind (2001) Ron Howard
Cinderella Man (2005) Ron Howard
The Da Vinci Code (2006) Ron Howard
The Dilemma (2011) Ron Howard
Rush (2013) Ron Howard
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) Ron Howard
Thirteen Lives (2022) Ron Howard
Alexander Payne 6 movies 2.86
Election (1999) Alexander Payne
About Schmidt (2002) Alexander Payne
Sideways (2004) Alexander Payne
The Descendants (2011) Alexander Payne
Nebraska (2013) Alexander Payne
The Holdovers (2023) Alexander Payne
Denis Villeneuve 6 movies 2.86
Prisoners (2013) Denis Villeneuve
Sicario (2015) Denis Villeneuve
Arrival (2016) Denis Villeneuve
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) Denis Villeneuve
Dune (2021) Denis Villeneuve
Dune: Part Two (2024) Denis Villeneuve
Steven Soderbergh 12 movies 2.85
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989) Steven Soderbergh
Out of Sight (1998) Steven Soderbergh
Erin Brockovich (2000) Steven Soderbergh
Traffic (2000) Steven Soderbergh
Ocean's Eleven (2001) Steven Soderbergh
Solaris (2002) Steven Soderbergh
Ocean's Twelve (2004) Steven Soderbergh
Ocean's Thirteen (2007) Steven Soderbergh
The Informant! (2009) Steven Soderbergh
Contagion (2011) Steven Soderbergh
Magic Mike (2012) Steven Soderbergh
Side Effects (2013) Steven Soderbergh
Stanley Kubrick 9 movies 2.80
Paths of Glory (1957) Stanley Kubrick
Spartacus (1960) Stanley Kubrick
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Stanley Kubrick
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Stanley Kubrick
A Clockwork Orange (1971) Stanley Kubrick
Barry Lyndon (1975) Stanley Kubrick
The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubrick
Full Metal Jacket (1987) Stanley Kubrick
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Stanley Kubrick
Jim Sheridan 4 movies 2.80
My Left Foot (1989) Jim Sheridan
In the Name of the Father (1993) Jim Sheridan
In America (2002) Jim Sheridan
Dream House (2011) Jim Sheridan
Kathryn Bigelow 5 movies 2.75
Point Break (1991) Kathryn Bigelow
Strange Days (1995) Kathryn Bigelow
K-19: The Widowmaker (2002) Kathryn Bigelow
The Hurt Locker (2008) Kathryn Bigelow
Zero Dark Thirty (2012) Kathryn Bigelow