Most directors make many movies but have zero masterpieces, but there are a select few who made just one movie that’s also a masterpiece. The film industry can be a fickle place, and poor box office takings or simply being ahead of your time can mean that outstanding directors’ careers end before they ever really get a chance to begin, and great filmmakers end up with just one lone feature film to their name. Other directors bow out for many different reasons, whether that’s taking a new career path, switching directions, or ill health.

There are not a lot of movies that we can genuinely call masterpieces, but all of these movies offer something special and, in their own way, deserve this lofty тιтle. Whether it’s classic black-and-white films from the bygone era or cult classic comedies that never got the love they deserved, every single one of these one-time directors left their mark on cinema as a whole. Although we wish they had stuck around for more films, at least these directors left us with incredibly cinematic experiences to enjoy.

10

The Honeymoon Killers (1970)

Directed by Leonard Kastle

As a film with a troubled history, Martin Scorsese was initially hired as the director of The Honeymoon Killers but was fired early in the shooting process (via The New York Times.) Scorsese was then replaced by Donald Volkman, who only lasted two weeks. It was then that Leonard Kastle, who had been involved in the development of the movie, took over directing duties in this crime story inspired by the true story of the 1940s lonely hearts killers, Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck.

Kastle was not a filmmaker by trade and was actually an opera composer, with The Honeymoon Killers being his only foray into the world of directing. While The Honeymoon Killers received good reviews at the time, its status as a cult classic has only grown, and it boasts an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Kastle had clearly succeeded as a filmmaker, but he opted instead to return to teaching and composing rather than carve out a career as a filmmaker.

9

L’Atalante (1934)

Directed by Jean Vigo

L’Atalante was a French film from the acclaimed director Jean Vigo, who helped establish the poetic realism film movement of the 1930s. While Vigo did make other silent short films like À propos de Nice, La Natation par Jean Taris, and Zéro de conduite, this was his only fully fledged feature film. As a movie continually hailed as one of the greatest works of cinema ever produced, L’Atalante showcased the art of filmmaking through its story of a newly married couple on a ship at sea.

Vigo produced L’Atalante in a state of ill health, as he was suffering from tuberculosis and was bedridden for portions of the filming (via Gomes.) With shooting conditions that were often wet and cold, Vigo never recovered and was confined to his bed for the rest of his life before pᴀssing away in 1934. At just 29 years old at the time of his death, Vigo likely could have made many more cinematic masterpieces had he not succumbed to his illness so young.

8

Carnival Of Souls (1962)

Directed by Herk Harvey

The psychological horror film Carnival of Souls was one of the most uniquely disorienting films of the 1960s and was a prime example of a film that took the audience decades to catch up to. As the lone feature film from director, actor, and screenwriter Herk Harvey, Carnival of Souls was initially screened as a double bill with the now forgotten horror The Devil’s Messenger.

Carnival of Souls was a frighteningly atmospheric movie that really gets under your skin, and its cold, detached aesthetic had the feel of a classic of German expressionism.

This popular phenomenon of giving audiences two movies for the price of one likely did Carnival of Souls a disservice, as it overshadowed the impact of the film. Telling the story of a young woman left disturbed following a car accident, Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) finds herself unable to ᴀssimilate with her new community after she moves town and is stalked by a ghoulish stranger played by Harvey throughout.

Carnival of Souls was a frighteningly atmospheric movie that really gets under your skin, and its cold, detached aesthetic had the feel of a classic of German expressionism. It’s a shame that Harvey wasn’t able to overcome the failure of Carnival of Souls to make more movies, as he had a uniquely cinematic eye for unnerving visuals and slow-building tension.

7

Mystery Men (1999)

Directed by Kinka Usher

The star-studded superhero spoof Mystery Men saw the television commercial director Kinka Usher make the leap into feature films for just one movie before returning to commercials once again. With Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, and William H. Macy among its cast, Mystery Men had a lot of star talent as it told the story of a group of lesser superheroes who must save the day when the city’s real hero gets captured. With a hilarious premise that predated the MCU by nearly a decade, Mystery Men was a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and bombed at the box office.

However, looking back on Mystery Men today, its status as a cult classic is unquestionable, and its stars have even expressed interest in returning for a sequel (via Comic Book.) While the failure of Mystery Men at the box office and Usher’s absence from the movie industry in the 21st century mean this is highly unlikely, it’s still a testament to the film’s underappreciated appeal that we’re still talking about it all these years later.

6

Phase IV (1974)

Directed by Saul Bᴀss

Saul Bᴀss was a graphic designer who was particularly known for his impressive тιтle sequences, film posters, and corporate logos. Throughout Bᴀss’s long and impressive career, he worked with iconic directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese. It seems some of these filmmakers’ talents rubbed off on him, as his only work as a director was also a cinematic masterpiece filled with impressive visuals.

Phase IV loosely adapted the H.G. Wells story “Empire of the Ants” and told the story of a mysterious cosmic event that caused an astounding mutation that led ants to develop a hive mind, rapidly evolve, and build strange towers in the Arizona desert. As the very first movie to depict geometric crop circles, this strange 1970s sci-fi may have influenced later hoax crop circles by real-life pranksters.

5

Angst (1983)

Directed by Gerald Kargl

The Austrian filmmaker Gerald Kargl only ever made one feature film, and that was the unnerving and atmospheric horror Angst. As a dark and brooding story of a psychopath recently released from prison, Angst was almost avant-garde in its execution as it utilized a POV camera style, high-speed camera movements, and grim, foreboding music. As this unnamed killer wanders the landscape, we’re subjected to his terrifying ambition to murder again and witness the fear in his victims’ eyes.

Angst was a masterpiece of horror filmmaking whose exquisite cinematography was nothing short of spellbinding. However, Angst was also a deeply challenging movie and was even banned in several countries for its uncompromising depictions of violence. While this stands as Kargl’s only feature film, this was far from his only output as a director, as he later worked on documentaries and educational films.

4

Wanda (1970)

Directed by Barbara Loden

The independent triumph that was Barbara Loden’s Wanda never received the acclaim it deserved at the time, which was likely why it stands as her only movie. As a filmmaker often described as the female counterpart to John Cᴀssavetes, Loden’s authentic and original story explored the cultural malaise of a stifled woman living in a banal coal mining town. With much of the dialogue improvised, Wanda had a loose and realistic feel that means it’s endured incredibly well over the past five and a half decades.

With Loden herself starring as Wanda Goronski, this unhappy housewife from rural eastern Pennsylvania’s life is turned upside down after she leaves her husband. In a powerful story of wild abandonment, Wanda eventually finds herself embroiled in a life of crime when she runs off with a crook she calls Mr. Dennis (Michael Higgins.) Wanda captured the existential nature of American life and tapped into the demoralizing and stifling nature of life for a woman whose foundations of meaning have crumbled beneath her feet.

3

One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

Directed by Marlon Brando

While legendary actor Marlon Brando was known for his outstanding Oscar-winning roles in classics like On the Waterfront and The Godfather, many will not be aware that he also directed one singular movie. As a film that was initially set to be directed by Stanley Kubrick, after the filmmaker dropped out just weeks before production to work on Lolita, Brando offered to make it himself.

With Brando also starring as Rio, the escaped prisoner seeking revenge on his old partner, One-Eyed Jacks was an accomplished Western that blended high-stakes action with an engaging love story. One-Eyed Jacks showcased Brando’s talents not just as one of the best actors who ever lived, but as a capable director in his own right.

However, One-Eyed Jacks also did poorly at the box office and abruptly ended any ambitions that Brando may have had to continue making his own movies. While the legacy of One-Eyed Jacks has only grown in the subsequent decades, its failure at the time was too big to overcome.

2

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are ᴅᴇᴀᴅ (1990)

Directed by Tom Stoppard

The British playwright Tom Stoppard is no stranger to Hollywood productions, as he’s written or co-written the screenplay for various movies, including Brazil, Empire of the Sun, and Shakespeare in Love. Despite Stoppard’s impressive credentials, he only jumped into the director’s chair on one occasion, and that was to adapt his own play, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. As a clever take on secondary characters from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, this unique film was a fascinating exploration of idenтιтy, fate, and free will.

As an accomplished piece of filmmaking that boasted impressive lead performances from Gary Oldman and Tim Roth, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are ᴅᴇᴀᴅ was a hilariously unique film that offered new points of interest to Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. Stoppard remained active as a dramatist in the years following this movie’s release and has continued contributing to major screenplays, yet this was the one and only time he decided to direct a film himself.

1

The Night Of The Hunter (1955)

Directed by Charles Laughton

As perhaps the greatest thriller of the black-and-white era, The Night of the Hunter was a cinematic masterpiece that was also such a failure that its director never made another movie again. With a career-best performance from Robert Mitchum as a terrifying serial killer posing as a preacher, this eerie and unnerving picture saw him pursuing two children in an attempt to steal $10,000 from their late father.

The Night of the Hunter was a movie that was totally ahead of its time, and the sad result of this was actor-turned-director Laughton giving up on directing before he’d even gotten fully started.

With a foreboding atmosphere that pushed things into far darker territory than Hollywood was used to, it took decades for audiences to truly appreciate the power of this release. The Night of the Hunter was a movie that was totally ahead of its time, and the sad result of this was actor-turned-director Laughton giving up on directing before he’d even gotten fully started.

While Laughton had plans to direct an adaptation of Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, after the box office earnings of his first film didn’t live up to previously thought-of expectations, he was replaced by Raoul Walsh. While The Night of the Hunter could have been the beginning of an acclaimed filmmaking career, it was instead a lone, misunderstood masterpiece.

Source: The New York Times, Gomes, Comic Book