Ten Favorite Debut Films

(in alphabetical order, with a preference for movies that represent a high point (if not always the absolute pinnacle) in their directors’ filmographies)

 

  • Before the Rain (directed by Milcho Manchevski, 1994)

  • The Chocolate War (directed by Keith Gordon, 1988)

  • The Duellists (directed by Ridley Scott, 1977)

  • The 400 Blows (directed by François Truffaut, 1959)

  • The Iron Giant (directed by Brad Bird, 1999)

  • Marty (directed by Delbert Mann, 1955)

  • Reprise (directed by Joachim Trier, 2006)

  • The Spirit of the Beehive (directed by Victor Erice, 1973)

  • 12 Angry Men (directed by Sidney Lumet, 1957)

  • You Can Count On Me (directed by Kenneth Lonergan, 2000)


— September 6, 2021


Return to Lists