10 Directors Who Never Topped Their First Film

4. John Singleton - Boyz N The Hood

Zack Snyder Dawn of the Dead
Columbia Pictures

John Singleton is a talent who left us far too soon, passing away in 2019 at the age of just 51. In a career full of some great work, the absolute highlight of Singleton's filmography is without question Boyz n the Hood.

With a stunning core cast comprising of Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long, Regina King and Angela Bassett, this exploration of the gang culture of South Central Los Angeles struck a major chord with so many. As for Singleton, this directorial debut earned him a Best Director and Best Original Screenplay nomination at the 1992 Academy Awards - which made him, at 24 years of age, the youngest person ever to be nominated for the Best Director gong.

Singleton would continue to put out movies on a regular basis until turning his attention to TV in the later years of his career. While big-screen offerings such as 1997's Rosewood, 2000's Shaft and 2005's Four Brothers all garnered positive reactions, the career of John Singleton will forever rightfully be synonymous with his breathtaking feature, Boyz n the Hood.

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