Directors Whose First Movie Was Your Favorite

Vincenzo Natali - Cube
Richard Kelly - Donnie Darko

alex cox - repo man
whit stillman - metropolitan
todd haynes - superstar: the karen carpenter story

A lot of Directors make their very best work at their second go in charge, their first work is often a trail run / dip of the toe in the water, their second movies often showing a director's true talent....

Frank Darabont (Shawshank)

David Fincher (Seven)

Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights)

Tarrantino (Pulp Fiction)

M.Nigjhy Shamalyn (The Sixth Sense)

John Singleton
James L Brooks
George A. Romero

Mike Nichols - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Rob Reiner - This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Robert Redford - Ordinary People (1980)
Bill Paxton – Frailty (2001)
John Singleton – Boyz n the Hood (1991)
P. J. Hogan – Muriel's Wedding (1994)
Neil Blomkamp - District 9 (2009)
Jonathan Glazer – Sexy Beast (2000)
Spike Jonze - Being John Malkovich (1999)
Randal Kleiser - Grease (1978)
Michael Cimino – Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet - Delicatessen (1991)
Ari Aster - Hereditary (2018)

The Wachowskis' "Bound"
Billy Bob Thornton's "Sling Blade"
Paul Weitz's "American Pie"
Michael Lehmann's "Heathers"
Jan De Bont's "Speed"
Len Wiseman's "Underworld"
David Mirkin's "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion"
Joe Johnston's "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" (although his later film Jumanji is great, too, HIStK was visually impressive considering when it was made)

I second Cube and Donnie Darko, too. I'd also second The Shawshank Redemption, but Frank Darabont directed The Green Mile right after that and they're both equally amazing.

Duncan Jones - Moon

Terrence Malick - badlands