10 Directors Who Never Topped Their First Film

10. Simon West - Con Air

Having previously worked on music features for the likes of Mel & Kim and Rick Astley, Simon West has carved quite the steady career for himself on the silver screen.

In terms of the biggest project he's worked on, that's likely 2001's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, yet the Englishman has also tackled military cover-up thriller The General's Daughter, the all-grunting action of The Expendables 2, Jason Statham's skull-cracking turn in The Mechanic, and the fun do-over of When A Stranger Calls.

When it comes to his finest hour, though, Simon West will forever struggle to better his 1997 feature film debut, Con Air. Away from Nicolas Cage's glorious mane and John Malkovich threatening a bunny stuffed toy, there is so much on offer in Con Air that is just so very brilliantly of its time, yet also somehow so timeless.

Joining Cage and Malkovich as part of a stellar ensemble, there's fellow scenery-devourers such as Steve Buscemi, John Cusack, Danny Trejo and Ving Rhames, with the action, machismo and sheer cheese of Con Air marking it out as a favourite of many a film fan.