10 Famous Directors Who Completely Changed Style For One Movie

Alfred Hitchcock, the "Master of Suspense", remains one of the most influential directors of all time. Over the span of fifty-plus feature films, Hitchcock solidified himself as a persistent innovator, artist, and auteur. As unique as each of his films turned out to be, Hitchcock certainly wasn't afraid to return to certain themes and stylistic choices over and over again.

From The Man Who Knew Too Much to Rear Window to The Birds, nearly every Hitchcock film contained mystery, suspense, death, and characters who were in way over their heads.

And then there's Mr. and Mrs. Smith, an outright screwball comedy that severely departs from his typical style. There's not a single dead body in the whole affair and nary a hint of genuine terror.

Granted, Hitchcock did break out of his usual genre on more than one occasion - for instance, The Trouble With Harry is technically a comedy, as well - but those other films at least retain many of what we now consider classic Hitchcock-ian tropes.