Numbers can occasionally lie. Despite creating critical or commercial successes, outspoken directors were more demeaning of their work than movie pundits. It's true to that old adage that an artist is often their worst critic: they can reflect on their work in a way that someone outside their point of view can't.
The filmmakers’ regret for their movies was fueled by poor reviews or horrible experiences with the cast and studio. For instance, Tony Kaye’s feedback on American History X was so harsh it derailed his career as a promising movie-maker. Regardless of what the masses or the critics thoughts, these films inspire ire from their own makers.
10 Tony Kaye — 'American History X' (1998)
New Line Cinema’s American History X helped Edward Norton nab an Oscar nomination and was instrumental in cementing him as a respected Hollywood leading man. The picture did wonders for his career and had a reverse effect on the director Tony Kaye.
The tension between New Line Cinema and Kaye swelled after the studio meddled with his final cut of the project. The keys to the editing bay were handed over to Edward Norton, and Kaye boycotted his film by avoiding screenings for the 1998 drama. Kay revealed he finally watched the film in 2007.
9 Eddie Murphy — 'Harlem Nights' (1989)
Eddie Murphy got a chance to collaborate with his idol and other comedy legends in Harlem Nights. Behind-the-scenes issues and the critics prompted Murphy’s one-and-done approach after his directorial debut.
Critics slammed Murphy’s cult classic project. Murphy has gone on the record to admit he wasn’t completely focused during the filmmaking process having “…one foot in the club, and one foot on the set”. In addition, Murphy learned that his idol Richard Pryor was battling MS while filming the crime-comedy drama. After begging the legend to star in the picture, the production is tied to sad memories for Eddie.
8 Harold Ramis — 'Groundhog Day' (1993)
Groundhog Day was the most well-received directed motion picture by Harold Ramis. The success of the motion picture was overshadowed by the schism that developed between Ramis and his pal Bill Murray while shooting the fantasy comedy. While Ramis has never explicitly stated that he "hates" the film, destroying his friendship with Murray darkens its legacy.
Murray and Ramis were at odds concerning the direction of the film during production. The accolades received by the movie weren’t enough to repair the damage, and the two were estranged until shortly before Ramis’ death.
7 John Landis — 'Beverly Hills Cop III' (1994)
Beverly Hills Cop III served as a reunion for frequent collaborators Eddie Murphy and director John Landis. Their experience during filming caused Landis to harbor ill feelings toward the picture.
John Landis recognized the script for the Beverly Hills Cop film was weak during pre-production. The director wanted to lean on Eddie’s comedic chops, but Murphy wanted to stray away from comedy. Landis calls the sequel “an odd movie” because Eddie Murphy “just wasn’t funny.”
6 David Fincher — 'Alien 3' (1992)
Touted as the highest-grossing film in the Alien series at the time, Alien 3 met mixed reviews. The director’s criticism was among the harshest reviews collected for the third installment.
David Fincher clashed with the studio, and the creative differences prompted him to disown the science fiction horror film. The turmoil during production also left a sour taste in the mouths of other staffers. Fincher admitted, “a lot of people hated Alien 3, but no one hated it more than I did.”
5 Joel Schumacher — 'Batman & Robin' (1997)
The overachieving Batman & Robin finished as the ninth-highest-grossing film of 1997. The director Joel Schumacher sided with critics and panned the superhero movie.
The comic book movie was met with severe criticism from audiences, and Schumacher issued an apology after the dust settled. Schumacher compared his direction to murdering a baby and admitted “[he] wasn’t in touch with the superhero world at the time,” so the mistakes on the project have left a trail of apologies decades after the release.
4 Steven Spielberg — 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' (1984)
After directing his first-ever sequel with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Steven Spielberg has remained glued to the Indiana Jones franchise. Spielberg ranks the second installment at the bottom of his list for the series.
In the Making of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom documentary, The director stated, “Temple of Doom is my least favorite of the trilogy.” Spielberg wasn’t a fan of the movie’s dark tone, which was added by George Lucas.
3 Alan Taylor — 'Thor: The Dark World' (2013)
Alan Taylor shepherded Thor: The Dark World in the second phase of the MCU. Pre-production on the superhero film was phenomenal, but Taylor’s quarrels with Marvel Studios began during post.
Directors like Edgar Wright have left the MCU over creative differences. When Taylor noticed the gaps in creativity between him and the studio, it was much too late for a departure. Alan criticized Marvel for a bait-and-switch, claiming, “…I was sort of given absolute freedom while we were shooting, and then in post it turned into a different movie.” He went on to say that he wouldn’t wish the experience on any other film director.
2 Michael Bay — 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' (2009)
Heralded as the fourth highest-grossing movie in 2009, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was universally panned by audiences and critics. The director Michael Bay is typically numb to feedback from critics but agreed with their evaluation of the Transformers sequel.
In an Empire Magazine interview, the action director admitted the installment was “crap.” The poor story and undeveloped characters are products of the 2007-08 writers’ strike. Michael Bay revealed that the story was penned in three weeks to maintain production deadlines.
1 Sam Raimi — 'Spider-Man 3' (2007)
The box office king of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy is Spider-Man 3. The third movie collected mixed reviews from both the critics and the director.
Raimi has discussed how Gwen Stacy and Venom were added to the superhero film due to studio pressure. When discussing the aftermath of the bloated project, Raimi labeled the movie “awful.”