5 movies directed by actors to stream on Showmax

After years on a TV or movie set, some actors transition from being in front of the camera to behind the camera. Their roles as directors help them bring their visions to life. While some star in their passion projects, others choose to remain behind the camera.

Whether it’s a historical drama about a grieving father, or a comedy centred around two friends who go on a journey of self-discovery, Showmax features riveting movies that are directed by actors.

Russell Crowe – The Water Diviner (2014)

At the height of his career, New Zealand-born actor Russell Crowe made his directorial debut with historical film The Water Diviner. In the movie, the Oscar-winning Russell portrays Joshua Connor, an Australian widower who travels to Turkey to search for his three missing sons after World War I.

Considering that Russell started acting when he was six years old, his extensive experience in the film industry gives him an advantage as The Water Diviner poignantly explores Joshua’s grief against the backdrop of a war-torn country.

The Water Diviner won 14 accolades, which include Best Lead Actor, Best Film and Best Original Screenplay at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards in 2015.

Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman (2020)

Before actress Emerald Fennell filmed her first movie Promising Young Woman, she made a name for herself in period pieces such as biographical movie The Danish Girl and drama show Call the Midwife. The British actress was also the head writer and executive producer in Season 2 of dark comedy series Killing Eve.

In Promising Young Woman, she maintains the grim humour and adds thriller to the mix. The plot is centred around 30-year-old medical school dropout whose life was turned upside-down by a tragedy involving her best friend before she could finish her studies.

She turns her rage into a twisted plan to avenge what happened by making men pay for being creeps. Promising Young Woman is a milestone for Emerald, who was seven months pregnant while filming – and to top it off, the movie went on to win Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars in 2021.

Olivia Wilde – Booksmart (2019)

In actress Olivia Wilde’s debut feature film Booksmart, a pair of teens go on a mission to attend a party on their last day of high school, but the evening doesn’t go as they anticipate.

Olivia is best known for her roles in crime drama film A Vigilante and medical drama series House, but before she led blockbuster movies and hit shows, she’s always wanted to direct as it offered more creative freedom – and in Booksmart, she does just that. The movie is rated 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, with users citing it as “fresh, wickedly funny and adventurous”.

Edward Norton – Motherless Brooklyn (2019)

Inspired by the 1999 novel of the same by Jonathan Lethem, Motherless Brooklyn is written, produced and directed by Edward Norton, who also stars. The film was brought to life after Edward read and fell in love with the book, but it took 20 years for him to get the production on the big screen.

Edward plays a private investigator with Tourette syndrome – a neurodevelopmental disorder – who attempts to solve his mentor’s murder. The film features a star-studded cast that includes Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Willem Dafoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Motherless Brooklyn isn’t Edward’s first time behind the camera – his directorial debut was in 2010 romantic comedy Keeping the Faith, in which he played Father Brian Finn, alongside Ben Stiller and Jenna Elfman.

John Krasinski – A Quiet Place II (2018)

Not only is John Krasinski the lead actor and writer of A Quiet Place, he also directs the sequel post-apocalyptic horror film. The Office star plays Lee, the deceased patriarch of the Abbotts. He appears in flashbacks in A Quiet Place: Part II while his family fight for survival.

As much as A Quiet Place: Part II is chilling and suspenseful, it’s a family movie – not just for viewers but for John and his wife, Emily Blunt, who leads the film, which also serves as a love letter to their daughters Hazel and Violet.