Worst Directors of All Time

1. John Moore

John Moore was born in Dundalk, Ireland in 1970, a small town situated about 60 miles from the country's capital Dublin. Moore attended a technical college in Dublin where he studied filmmaking and after completing the school he went on to direct and write a series of short films all produced in ...

2. Rian Johnson

Producer | Knives Out

Rian Johnson was born in Maryland and at a young age his family moved to San Clemente, California, where he was raised. After graduating from high school, he went on to attend the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. His first feature film, Brick (2005), was released in 2005 ...

3. Paul Feig

Producer | Freaks and Geeks

Paul Feig is an American film director and writer who is known for creating Freaks and Geeks and directing Bridesmaids, The Heat, Spy and A Simple Favor. He is known for directing films starring frequent collaborator Melissa McCarthy. He also directed the highly controversial 2016 reboot of ...

4. John Landis

Director | The Blues Brothers

John Landis began his career in the mail room of 20th Century-Fox. A high-school dropout, 18-year-old Landis made his way to Yugoslavia to work as a production assistant on Kelly's Heroes (1970). Remaining in Europe, Landis found work as an actor, extra and stuntman in many of the Spanish/Italian "...

5. Victor Salva

Writer | Powder

Born in Martinez, California, 20 miles outside San Francisco, Victor Salva had written and directed over 20 short and feature-length films before graduating from high school. In the mid-'80s his 37-minute short Something in the Basement (1986) took first place in the fiction category at the Sony/...

6. Olivier Megaton

Director | Transporter 3

Olivier Megaton was born on August 6, 1965 in Versailles, Seine-et-Oise [now Yvelines], France. He is a director and writer, known for Transporter 3 (2008), Taken 3 (2014) and Colombiana (2011).

7. Aaron Seltzer

Writer | Disaster Movie

Aaron Seltzer was born on January 12, 1974 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He is a writer and director, known for Disaster Movie (2008), Date Movie (2006) and Epic Movie (2007).

8. Jason Friedberg

Writer | Disaster Movie

Jason Friedberg was born on January 16, 1970 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Disaster Movie (2008), Epic Movie (2007) and Meet the Spartans (2008).

9. Keoni Waxman

Producer | Shooting Gallery

Keoni Waxman is an American filmmaker who was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is known for writing, directing and producing action films, dark thrillers and indie dramas which he shoots all over the world for his company ActionHouse Pictures. Keoni currently resides with his family in Santa...

10. Eli Roth

Producer | Thanksgiving

Eli Raphael Roth was born in Newton, Massachusetts, to Cora (Bialis), a painter, and Sheldon H. Roth, a psychoanalyst, psychiatrist, and clinical professor. His family is Jewish (from Austria, Hungary, Russia, and Poland). He began shooting Super 8 films at the age of eight; after watching Ridley ...

11. Uwe Boll

Producer | Postal

As a youth, he produced a number of short films on Super 8 and video. After short stints as guest auditor at Filmacademy Vienna and Filmhochschule Munich, Boll studied literature and economics in Cologne and Siegen. He graduated from university in 1995 with a doctorate in literature. From 1995-2000...

12. Dennis Dugan

Actor | Happy Gilmore

Dennis Barton Dugan is an American film director, actor, comedian and screenwriter from Wheaton, Illinois who directed several films featuring Adam Sandler including Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, Jack & Jill, Grown Ups, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and You Don't Mess With the Zohan. He also ...

13. Mabrouk El Mechri

Director | JCVD

Mabrouk El Mechri was born on September 18, 1976 in Versailles, Yvelines, France. He is a director and writer, known for JCVD (2008), Kung Fu Zohra (2022) and The Cold Light of Day (2012).

14. Albert Pyun

Director | Cyborg

Albert Pyun was an award-winning US filmmaker best known for his contributions to the science-fiction and action genres. He is credited with pioneering the cyborg sub-genre and is considered to be a maverick and renegade in independent genre cinema. With over 50 titles to his name, he has enjoyed a...

15. Dimitri Logothetis

Producer | Jiu Jitsu

Dimitri Logothetis immigrated to America with his parents at age six. He grew up in Los Angeles, went to high school in the South Bay were he played football, and attended college at Loyola Marymount were received a Masters in Film and Television. Dimitri made a short film at Loyola which he ...

16. Rupert Sanders

Director | Snow White and the Huntsman

Rupert Sanders is a British filmmaker from Westminster, London who is known for directing Snow White and the Huntsman and the live-action film based on Ghost in the Shell. He also directed The Life, an advertising campaign for Halo 3: ODST and the pilot of the Apple TV science fiction show ...

17. David Kellogg

Director | Inspector Gadget

David Kellogg was born in 1952. He is a director and producer, known for Inspector Gadget (1999), Cool as Ice (1991) and Playboy: Farmer's Daughters (1986). He is married to Denise Kellogg. They have three children.

18. Brian A. Miller

Director | Vice

Brian A. Miller is a Los Angeles based feature film writer and director known for Reprisal (2018), Backtrace, Vice (2015), The Prince (2014), and Officer Down (2015) and the upcoming "Price of Valor". He's worked with such name actors as Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, John Cusack, Jason Patric, ...

19. Steven C. Miller

Director | Margaux

Steven C. Miller was born in Decatur, Ga. His love for film began early when his father bought him a VHS video camera. Miller started off small with multiple music videos and short films. In 2005 Miller attended and graduated Full Sail University.

In 2005, immediately after graduating film school at...

20. Mike Gunther

Stunts | Bad Boys for Life

Mike Gunther's unique array of talents as a writer, director, and innovative action expert enable him to create, capture and deliver the kind of action films audiences pack theaters to see. A driving force behind some of Hollywood's top blockbusters, his work has helped bring in over $3 billion in ...

21. John R. Leonetti

Director | Annabelle

John R. Leonetti was born on July 4, 1956 in California, USA. He is a cinematographer and director, known for Annabelle (2014), The Conjuring (2013) and Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013).

22. Lee Tamahori

Director | Once Were Warriors

Beginning as a commercial artist and photographer, he joined the New Zealand film industry in the late 1970s as a boom operator. He became an assistant director a decade later. Making international award-winning commercials for 10 years, he has also directed several TV series. His first feature ...

23. Titus Paar

Director | Him

Titus Paar was born on October 12, 1984 in Norrköping, Östergötlands län, Sweden. He is a director and writer, known for Him (2021), Fear of the Woods - The Beginning (2020) and Legend of Dark Rider: The Beginning (2016).

24. Stuart Gillard

Director | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III

A multi-award-winning director, writer, producer and actor, Stuart Gillard is a three time nominee for the prestigious DGA (Directors Guild of America) Award, winning for Going to the Mat (2004), a movie he directed for the Walt Disney Company. Mr. Gillard is a man of many talents whose career ...

25. Seth Gordon

Producer | The Lost City

Seth Gordon is known for The Lost City (2022), Pixels (2015) and Cry Wolf (2005).

26. Jimmy ScreamerClauz

Composer | When Black Birds Fly

Jimmy ScreamerClauz was born on May 14, 1983 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is a composer and actor, known for When Black Birds Fly (2015), Reality Bleed-Through (2008) and Ascetic (2021).

27. Marian Dora

Director | Melancholie der Engel

Marian Dora is known for Melancholie der Engel (2009), Blight of Humanity (2018) and Das Verlangen der Maria D. (2018).

28. James Nguyen

Writer | Birdemic: Shock and Terror

James Nguyen is director & creator of the successful film franchise, BIRDEMIC. Currently, he is directing SEA RISING - Mavericks. James has been in the movie business for over 20 years. His films are influenced by Hitchcock's cinema & they are often about the harms of climate change (Climate Fix, ...

29. Leigh Scott

Writer | Transmorphers

With more than two dozen feature films under his belt, Leigh Scott has been working as a professional writer, director, producer, editor, and cinematographer in the film industry for nearly twenty years.

He attended USC's prestigious School of Cinema-Television. While in school he obtained an ...

30. Sarik Andreasyan

Producer | Mafiya. Igra na vyzhivanie

Born in 1984 in Yerevan, Armenia, by the age of 29, Sarik Andreasyan became a top-3 highest grossing Russian directors according to Variety Russia.

Directing a successful remake of the Russian cult classic "Office Romance" at the age of 23 puts him on the map and the widely beloved box office hit "...

31. Scott Wheeler

Director | Martian Land

Scott Wheeler was born on September 11, 1964 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is a director, known for Martian Land (2015), Avalanche Sharks (2014) and Sink Hole (2013).

32. Jeremy M. Inman

Editor | Avengers Grimm

Jeremy M. Inman is known for Avengers Grimm (2015), Sinister Squad (2016) and Monster Hunters (2020).

33. Jared Cohn

Director | Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash

Jared Cohn is a film and television director, writer and producer based in Los Angeles, California. Born and raised in New York, Jared received a bachelor in fine arts from the from New York Institute of Technology... then went west. Jared enjoys music, painting, photography, cinematography and ...

34. Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

Director | De slag om de Schelde

Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. is known for The Forgotten Battle (2020), The Thing (2011) and Red Rain (1996).

35. Christopher Ray

Producer | Assault on VA-33

Christopher Ray was born on July 30, 1977 in Florida, Missouri, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Assault on VA-33 (2021), Minutes to Midnight (2018) and A House Is Not a Home (2015).

36. Colin Strause

Visual_effects | Skyline

Since moving to Hollywood as teens in the mid-90s, Colin and his brother, Greg have charted a meteoric rise from self-taught artists working on local cable commercials in the suburbs of Chicago, to renowned visual effects gurus. Their careers began on the original run of The X-Files television show...

37. Greg Strause

Visual_effects | The Day After Tomorrow

Greg Strause grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Greg and his brother Colin Strause began experimenting with visual effects in their early teens. In 1995, Greg moved to Los Angeles and started working on the special effects for The X-Files (1993). From there he moved on to big-budget hits such as ...

38. Lawrence Guterman

Director | Son of the Mask

Hired after Steven Spielberg saw his USC Thesis Film "Headless!" (which won Grand Jury Prize for best short at the Houston Int'l Film Festival) to direct Dreamworks Interactive's "Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland", Guterman was then hired to direct sequences on "Antz", the company's first C.G.I. ...

39. Scott Ziehl

Director | Broken Vessels

Scott Ziehl is known for Broken Vessels (1998), Shadow Witness (2012) and Squanderers (1996).

40. Michael Schelp

Producer | Toyz Goin' Wild

Michael Schelp is a documentary filmmaker based in New York. He has executive produced several TV series for US television networks including ""MANswers"" on Spike TV, ""Viking: the Ultimate Obstacle Course"" on ESPN, and ""Blais Off"" on Discovery Science Channel. He senior produced CHA$E (SciFi ...

41. Trevor Wall

Director | Sabrina: Secrets of a Teenage Witch

Trevor Wall is known for Sabrina: Secrets of a Teenage Witch (2013), Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks (2003) and Hero 108 (2010).

42. Joseph J. Lawson

Visual_effects | Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Over his career, Joe Lawson has filled many roles as a filmmaker: director, writer, practical and digital visual effects supervisor and artist, storyboard artist, voice-over artist and actor as well as directing animated and live action productions including five features, commercials, Dan Dare: ...

43. Daniel Farrands

Producer | The Amityville Murders

Daniel Farrands was born on September 3, 1969 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for The Amityville Murders (2018), The Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019) and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995).

44. Raja Gosnell

Director | Big Momma's House

Raja Gosnell started his film career as an assistant editor in the late 1970s. His first credit as a film's main editor was the romantic comedy "The Lonely Guy" (1984), for director Arthur Hiller. During the 1980s, Gosnell served as editor in films directed by Tom Laughlin, David Worth, Bob Dahlin,...

45. John Hyams

Director | Alone

Beginning his career in the fine arts, John Hyams graduated from Syracuse University's School of Visual and Performing Arts, earning top awards in painting and sculpture. Hyams exhibited and sold work in Los Angeles and New York before turning his attention to film. In 1997 Hyams wrote, directed, ...

46. Mark Atkins

Cinematographer | A Perfect Vacation

Mark Atkins is known for Awaken (2015), Android Cop (2014) and Night Orchid (1997).

47. Shane Van Dyke

Actor | Titanic II

Shane Van Dyke was born on August 28, 1979 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Titanic II (2010), Don't Worry Darling (2022) and The Silence (2019).

48. Michael Keusch

Director | Autobahnraser

Michael Keusch was born in 1955 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is a director and writer, known for Autobahnraser (2004), Lena's Holiday (1991) and Every City Is Every Other City.

49. Richard Crudo

Cinematographer | American Pie

Richard Crudo, ASC is a cinematographer and director with a long-standing and celebrated career in the film industry.

His most recent work includes: directing "Ed Murphy: American Hero", a documentary chronicling the life of a decorated World War II veteran who was one of the first members of the ...

50. Roy Knyrim

Visual_effects | The Abyss

Roy Knyrim is known for The Abyss (1989), The Mist (2007) and Darkman (1990).

51. Sergei Bodrov

Writer | Mongol

Sergei Bodrov was born on June 28, 1948 in Khabarovsk, Khabarovskiy kray, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is a writer and director, known for Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2007), Prisoner of the Mountains (1996) and The Amateurs (1985).

52. Neil LaBute

Writer | In the Company of Men

Acclaimed and highly discussed filmmaker Neil LaBute has made himself a force to be reckoned with and a name to watch. With his true-to-life cynical and self-absorbed characters and all-too-true social themes, he has firmly established himself as an unforgiving judge of the ugliest side of human ...

53. Danny Steinmann

Director | Friday the 13th: A New Beginning

Writer/director/producer Danny Steinmann was the son of noted East Coast art collector Herbert R. Steinmann. Danny made his debut as both writer and director with the funky hardcore porno picture High Rise (1973), on which he used the alias Danny Stone. Steinmann was a production associate on ...

54. Rob Hedden

Writer | Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

Rob Hedden wrote and directed the 2012 romantic action comedy "You May Not Kiss The Bride" starring Dave Annable, Katharine McPhee, Kathy Bates, Rob Schneider and Mena Suvari. His original feature script "The Condemned" was released theatrically by Lionsgate in 2007. The action film starring Stone ...

55. Gil Kenan

Director | Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Gil Kenan was born on October 16, 1976 in London, England, UK. He is a director and writer, known for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), Monster House (2006) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021). He has been married to Eliza Chaikin since 2005.

56. Maximilian Elfeldt

Director | End of the World

Maximilian Elfeldt is known for End of the World (2018), War of the Worlds: Annihilation (2021) and Bachelor Night (2014).

57. Oleg Stepchenko

Director | Viy

Educated at the V.I. Surikov Artistic Academy (Moscow) in theatre and film art and production design, Oleg is one of the leading feature film directors in Russia and the FSU. Oleg's training as a production designer coupled with his directing experience in theatre, his work with Russia's top music ...

58. Lance Mungia

Director | Six-String Samurai

Lance Mungia was born in 1972. He is a director and writer, known for Six-String Samurai (1998), The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005) and A Garden for Rio (1996).

59. Courtney Solomon

Producer | After

Courtney Solomon is an accomplished writer, director, producer and entrepreneur who is responsible for the creation of several franchises and has been involved with the production, marketing and distribution of over 80 films creating a significant film library.

Solomon grew up in Toronto, Canada ...

60. Nick Lyon

Director | Forever Hold Your Peace

Nick Lyon is an American film director who has made a name for himself in the horror and thriller genres. After attending the the Film Akademie Baden Weurtemburg in Ludwigsburg Germany.

Lyon made his directorial debut with I Love You, Baby starring Academie Award Winning Actor Maximillian Schell. He...

61. Anthony C. Ferrante

Director | Sharknado

Anthony C. Ferrante was born in Antioch, California, USA. He is a director and writer, known for Sharknado (2013), Nix (2022) and Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch (2023).

62. Jon McBride

Actor | Woodchipper Massacre

Jon McBride is known for Woodchipper Massacre (1988), Feeders (1996) and Cannibal Campout (1988).

63. John Polonia

Director | Feeders

John Polonia was born on September 30, 1968 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a director and actor, known for Feeders (1996), Forest Primeval (2008) and Peter Rottentail (2004). He died on February 25, 2008 in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, USA.

64. Mark Polonia

Director | Camp Murder

Mark Polonia was born on September 30, 1968 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a director and editor, known for Camp Murder (2021), Land Shark (2017) and Bigfoot Vs. Zombies (2016). He is married to Maria Davis.

65. Dominique Othenin-Girard

Director | Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

Dominique Othenin-Girard is a Swiss independent film director, producer and scriptwriter. A graduate of the London Film School, he has directed over 30 motion pictures and films for television in the USA, UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Algeria, Kenya, India, Cambodia and...

66. Joe Chappelle

Producer | Godfather of Harlem

Joe Chappelle is known for Godfather of Harlem (2019), Black Bird (2022) and The Wire (2002).

67. Donald Farmer

Director | Hi-8 (Horror Independent 8)

Donald Farmer is considered one of the most unique of the "cult-horror" directors. Directing dozens of feature films for decades, his unique film concepts, have brought film goers excitement, fear, and joy. His leading actresses are often cast for their unique beauty, and Donald seeks to empower ...

68. David Worth

Director | Borrowed Time III

David Worth has a resume of over fifty feature films as a Cinematographer or, Director of Photography (DP) and Director, including two as the DP for the Iconic Director Clint Eastwood: BRONCO BILLY & ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN. He was also the DP the original BLOODSPORT, before he Directed the original ...

69. James Kondelik

Editor | Behind the Walls

James Kondelik is known for Behind the Walls (2018), Mindcage (2022) and Lights Out (2024).

70. Jon Kondelik

Producer | Greenlight

Jon Kondelik is known for Greenlight (2019), Behind the Walls (2018) and Blood Brothers (2015).

71. Griff Furst

Actor | I Love You Phillip Morris

Furst started his career in television, portraying a wide variety of characters in dozens of network and cable series, before gaining recognition for his role as the original Lucas Hood in Cinemax's Banshee. He then expanded to supporting and roles in films like The Magnificent Seven, The Founder, ...

72. Ben Demaree

Cinematographer | Dear Diary I Died

Ben Demaree is known for Dear Diary I Died (2016), Kaitlyn's Chance and Ouija House (2018).

73. Richard Schenkman

Producer | The Man from Earth

Richard Schenkman writes, directs and produces feature films, commercials, documentaries and more. His first film was The Pompatus of Love (1995), which he wrote with Jon Cryer and Adam Oliensis. A festival favorite, it enjoyed a successful theatrical release in 1995. He then directed the action/...

74. Michael Oblowitz

Director | This World, Then the Fireworks

Michael Oblowitz is a South African filmmaker who has directed and produced a number of critically acclaimed movies and videos. Born in Cape Town, he is a Fine Arts and Philosophy graduate of the University of Cape Town and holds an M.A. in Film from Columbia University. He was involved in New ...

75. Bob Bralver

Stunts | Darkman

Bob Bralver was born on January 15, 1941 in the USA. He is an assistant director and actor, known for Darkman (1990), Road House (1989) and Suicide Kings (1997).

76. Tommy Wirkola

Writer | Død snø 2

Tommy Wirkola was born on December 6, 1979 in Alta, Norway. He is a writer and director, known for Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014), What Happened to Monday (2017) and Dead Snow (2009).

77. Danny Cannon

Producer | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Danny Cannon is an Emmy-nominated film and television producer, director and writer, known for executive producing and directing Pennyworth (2019), Gotham (2014), Nikita (2010), I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), Judge Dredd (1995), and is responsible for executive producing the billion ...

78. Pitof

Director | Vidocq

Pitof started his career in 1976 as photographer, assistant director and editor for films and commercials. He then branched out into musical scoring, software design and graphic design for televisions, music videos and commercials.

A pioneer of digital imaging in France, Pitof made his debut in ...

79. David Greene

Director | Godspell: A Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew

David Greene had a varied early career, beginning with his first job as junior reporter for the Walthamstow Guardian. Life as a journalist was not to be his forte, however. During the years spanning the mid- to late 1930's, he tried his luck variously in the furniture removal business, as a deck ...

80. Brian Yuzna

Producer | Beyond Re-Animator

Brian Yuzna was born on August 30, 1949 in Manila, Philippines. He is a writer and producer, known for Beyond Re-Animator (2003), The Dentist (1996) and Faust (2000). He is married to Cathy Yuzna. They have four children.

81. Mort Nathan

Producer | The Golden Girls

Mort Nathan was born on May 11, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for The Golden Girls (1985), Boat Trip (2002) and Kingpin (1996).

82. Tom Six

Director | The Human Centipede (First Sequence)

Tom Six was born on August 29, 1973 in Alkmaar, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He is a director and writer, known for The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009), The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence) (2015) and The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011).