11 Awful Directors With One Great Movie

10. James McTeigue - V For Vendetta

James McTeigue Natalie Portman V For Vendetta
Warner Bros.

The Awful Director: The Wachowskis' frequent first assistant director started making movies himself in the mid-2000s, with The Invasion (which he provided uncredited reshoots for), Ninja Assassin, The Raven and Survivor all being widely-panned by critics.

The latter in particular, a glorified straight-to-video Pierce Brosnan-starring action thriller that somehow got a theatrical release, reinforces just how much of a fluke McTeigue's storming debut was.

The One Great Movie: McTeigue's 2005 debut was the graphic novel adaptation V for Vendetta (written by the Wachowskis), a brutally violent political satire driven by a terrific ensemble cast, stylish visuals and potent social commentary.

It gets no points for subtlety, but it's easily one of the most memorable and iconic films of the 2000s, and suggested a much brighter future for McTeigue than reality has dictated.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.