The Best Movies Directed by Actors

Ben Affleck pivoted away from Boston for his third directorial feature, which recounts the Iran Hostage Crisis. Proving that truth is stranger than fiction, the CIA finances a fake film production as part of an elaborate rescue plan. It won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Greta Gerwig’s take on Louisa May Alcott’s timeless novel is the last in a long line of popular film adaptations. It tells the story of the four March sisters, who experience romance, tragedy, and triumph against a post-Civil War backdrop.

More director than actor, Woody Allen nevertheless stars in a number of his own films (as well as the films of others). This black-and-white dramedy rips plotlines straight from his own life and follows a divorced TV writer (Allen) through existential crises and romantic misadventures. Legendary cinematographer Gordon Willis brings the film’s iconic visual palette to life.

A veteran of stage and screen, British-American actor Charles Laughton has just one feature directing credit to his name. It centers on a ruthless con artist (Robert Mitchum), who sets his sights on a gullible widow and $10,000 in stolen loot. Once a box office flop, it’s now considered a masterful benchmark of the noir subgenre.

This black-and-white classic presents the tale of Frankenstein as only Mel Brooks can deliver it. Gene Wilder plays the mad scientist’s grandson, who reanimates the dead to hilarious results. Director Quentin Tarantino recently named it as one of history’s seven ‘perfect’ movies.