9 Directors Who Only Made One Good Movie

6. Len Wiseman (Live Free Or Die Hard/Die Hard 4.0)

donnie darko
20th Century Fox

Len Wiseman's film-making career can almost be summed up in one word: Underworld. Having directed the first two, Wiseman has acted as producer on each subsequent installment. While the series is not without its fans, constant complaints of washed-out presentation, convoluted story and uninteresting writing have plagued the Underworld saga from day one.

Outside of those movies, Wiseman was responsible for directing two others: Live Free Or Die Hard and Total Recall (2012). The latter resulted in yet another limp attempt at a reboot, where humourless action-packed sequences took priority over all else. The former, however, marks Wiseman's best-received movie.

Releasing 12 years after its direct predecessor, Live Free Or Die Hard was lauded by audiences for its commitment to the style of 1980s action flicks and its hilariously over-the-top set-pieces. Suddenly, working with a lighter source material and charismatic lead, Wiseman's action-orientated sensibilities led to a delightfully fun romp.

Interesting to note, Renny Harlin also almost made this list, having directed countless movies but only ever one that could be considered good: Die Hard 2. If only McClane hadn't been cancelled, perhaps Willis could've made something of Uwe Boll's career yet.

Contributor

The fourth best writer living in Bristol named Alexander Erting-Haynes. When not writing, found shamelessly gushing about Majora's Mask, The Office (UK) and Shaun of the Dead.