20 directors who ended up hating their own movies, from Joss Whedon to David Fincher
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Not all filmmakers stand by their work. Jacob Stolworthy and Jack Shepherd run through the directors who have been candid about hating their own movies. There’s no denying that making a film is difficult. Not only does getting a story from script to screen cost millions (at least, those with well-known actors do), but it also requires both cast and crew to devote years to a singular project.
![[Tony Kaye has distanced himself from Edward Norton film ‘American History X’]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2022/01/06/11/newFile-4.jpg)
Despite filmmaking being a labour of love, there are still occasions when a director – the person who arguably spends the most amount of time working on a film – can dislike the final results. The majority of cases stem from studio interference: when filmmakers have to make changes to their work due to creative differences with the financiers.
![[Everyone involved with ‘Batman & Robin’ has called it was a disaster – including late director Joel Schumacher]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2022/01/06/11/newFile-5.jpg)
Other common causes for dissatisfaction are when directors are rushed into a project (mainly sequels), when they regret an early artistic decision, or – in Steven Soderbergh’s case – when they knew 15 minutes in there was a problem but continued anyway.
![[Josh Trank was vocal about his dislike of the finished cut of ‘Fantastic Four’]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2022/01/06/11/newFile-7.jpg)
Below are 20 directors who dislike their own films, including David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick and a few Marvel directors. David O’Russell – Accidental Love. David O Russell began working on Nailed in 2008. Envisioning the film as a romantic comedy with political undertones, the director cast Jessica Biel and Jake Gyllenhaal in leading roles, and was awarded $2m (£2m) to make it – and still, the entire filming process was a mess. The set was shutdown a reported 14 times after cast and crew complained about not being paid. Eventually, after key scenes failed to be filmed during production, the entire thing was abandoned. After Russell started getting Oscar attention for The Fighter and American Hustle, though, the studio wanted to release Nailed in cinemas; work continued on the film without Russell’s involvement. The film was, retitled Accidental Love, was released in cinemas, with the director’s name changed to Stephen Greene. Critics, naturally, hated the result.
