10 Best Comeback Movies That You Should Watching Update 03/2024

Best Comeback Movies

Directors like Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, and George Miller have all rebounded spectacularly after a string of underwhelming films to achieve new heights.

The most well-known Hollywood directors, like Quentin Tarantino and Francis Ford Coppola, have amassed an impressive body of work that is virtually exclusively comprised of critically acclaimed or financially successful films. The greats, on the other hand, aren’t immune to mistakes.

A director’s career can be derailed by a series of box office duds or by going dark for an extended period of time. The fact that Martin Scorsese or Spike Jonze were able to produce a genuine classic following a severe downturn says a lot about their abilities as filmmakers.

1. Her (2013)

Her (2013)

Considering Spike Jonze’s previous work, which included such films as Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, it was surprising to see him branch out into a different genre. A children’s film helmed by the director is calledWhere The Wild Things Are. Even though it’s based on an imaginary children’s book, it is the least bizarre of any of his films to date.

However, despite the fact that it was a risky and daring departure from what his supporters were expecting, it was not universally well received. Even though it’s been five years, Jonze is back to his old ways. He directed the sci-fi film Her, in which a man falls head over heels in love with a piece of software akin to Siri. Joaquin Phoenix’s acting, the subtle futuristic appearance or the amusing wordplay were all widely applauded. It was so well received that Jonze was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing for it.

2. Raging Bull (1980)

Martin Scorsese had a successful decade in the 1970s. This is the man who made Mean Streets and won the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival forTaxi Driver, two different kinds of gangster films that shocked the globe. In fact, Francis Ford Coppola wanted Martin Scorsese to direct The Godfather II, which was never going to happen. Although his luck ran out with New York, New York in 1977, the wunderkind nevertheless managed to produce an extremely cheesy film with no blood squibs.

A long time passed after the director’s film was panned critically before he made his comeback with a film unlike any other, Raging Bull. The boxing movie had audiences on the edge of their seats because to its use of black-and-white photography, improvised moments, and the magnetic chemistry between Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro.

3. The Visit (2015)

The Visit (2015)

Following the revolutionary success of The Sixth Sense, M. Night Shyamalan’s subsequent films received more and more negative reviews from critics and were generally panned by moviegoers. Between 2006 and 2013, the director’s career was at its lowest point. The Happening and The Last Airbender, arguably the most reviled of all film adaptations, were released during this time period.

It doesn’t matter if it was Shyamalan’s idea or not; he made the finest decision he could have in 2015. He decided to do The Visit, a low-budget picture, instead of a $100 million blockbuster. Shyamalan returned to his roots with this film, which was a suspense-driven horror film with a surprising twist.

4. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Death Proof was part of a double feature dubbed Grindhouse that also includes Robert Rodriguez’sPlanet Terror. It was more of an experiment than anything. Many of the director’s well-known trademarks were omitted in lieu of paying homage to the sleazy exploitation films of the 1970s. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Quentin Tarantino stated, “If that’s the worst I ever do, I’m good.”

The acclaimed director returned two years later with his most ambitious film to date, the World War II epic Inglourious Basterds. It was full of traditional Tarantino banter and multi-stranded plots, but it also defied the Tarantino pattern in a number of other ways. Tarantino worked with Christoph Waltz for the first time in this film, which was his first attempt to convey a historical story via the lens of a fantasy.

5. Big Eyes (2014)

Big Eyes (2014)

At this point in his career, Tim Burton had become obsessed with creating fantastical worlds that were nearly entirely constructed using computer-generated imagery (CGI). In a similar vein to M. Night Shyamalan, Burton took a hiatus from making big-budget films.

Instead, he made the biography Big Eyes about a painter. There was a lack of Burton’s hallmarks that made him famous when he initially became a Hollywood rock star. Burton’s career, but it was a finely constructed and historically authentic period drama.

6. The Martian (2015)

He is a household name, and the best thing about Ridley Scott as a director is that he has the ability to work in a variety of genres. Aside from that, his films Alien, American Gangster, and Gladiator are all considered classics thanks to his direction.

Scott, on the other hand, went through a rough patch in the first half of 2010. However, moviegoers were reminded of why Scott is so appreciated in 2015’sThe Martian, since the film is engaging, intriguing, and well researched.

7. BlacKkKlansman (2018)

BlacKkKlansman (2018)

It was in the 1980s that Spike Lee swiftly became a household celebrity because to his slick social satire films. For everyMalcolm X, there is a Bamboozled. The filmmaker has always been unrepentant about the films he’s wanted to make. For a much longer time in the 2010s, Lee did not produce an instant masterpiece.

His career hit rock bottom with the US remake of Oldboy, which entirely misunderstood the original’s genius. But the five films he made between 2006 and 2015 made his return even more exciting. Anything Lee had ever done was as surprising, dramatic, and socially oriented as BlacKkKlansman was. His best film in over a decade, it manages to be both horrifying and hilarious.

8. Clerks 2 (2006)

He is best known for the View Askewniverse, a film universe that existed before the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was even born. R-rated comedies like Clerks, Mallrats, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back are also part of the franchise. So when Smith directed Jersey Girl, a typical PG-13 dramedy, it was a surprise to many people.

It wasn’t long before he reverted to what he does best, making obscene jokes and inventing rebellious characters, after his previous film was a critical and box office failure.

While most sequels that come decades later are merely a cash-in, Clerks 2 had a passionate screenplay with some of Smith’s funniest material. Please keep the same formula that is already being used for Clerks 3 in mind.

9. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max Fury Road (2015)

George Miller’s filmography is one of the oddest ever, with each of his films taking place in a completely different time and place. Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two were both directed by theMad Max director in the mid-2000s. For one thing, the films were disappointing, especially for fans of the action filmmaker, but he also produced very little work over a 17-year period, with the exception of the Happy Feet films.

Miller, on the other hand, not only met but surpassed supporters’ expectations in 2015.

When it comes to 21st-century action films, Mad Max: Fury Road is a must-see. Fury Road’s production had a lot of issues, but in the end, the movie’s realistic effects are fantastic.

10. The Godfather Part III (1990)

In the 1980s, Francis Ford Coppola had a streak of flops, including a slew of films that not even the most ardent moviegoers had heard of. He appeared to be a completely different person from the one who had directed four classics in the 1970s. However, he returned to the series that made him a household figure in Hollywood.

Is it a great Godfather movie? No, but it’s a terrific movie overall. As a result of its critical acclaim and seven Academy Award nominations, it was a tremendous return for the director at the time of its release. As a result, he walked away from bankruptcy. Moreover, if all goes according to plan, Coppola will make a comeback in the near future withMegalopolis, a massively expensive film with a budget above $100 million.