James Gunn’s career is a notable one in modern blockbuster filmmaking, charting a path from low-budget genre work to the pinnacle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now as the architect of the newly launched DC Universe. His films are defined by a distinct combination of offbeat humor, explosive action, and a focus on characters who are outcasts and misfits. Plus, he has a rare talent for taking D-list characters and transforming them into household names, all while infusing his stories with a signature style that is equal parts heartfelt and anarchic. Finally, Gunn has developed a reputation for building stories around the formation of unconventional families, a theme he explores with a unique blend of cynicism and sincerity.
While not everyone enjoys Gunn’s specific style, he is one of the few directors who can claim all his movies are entertaining at the worst, with several being contemporary classics that became critical darlings and fan favorites. So, with Gunn’s latest film, Superman, now available in theaters, it feels like the right time to look back and rank the filmmaker’s impressive body of work.
7) Slither
James Gunn’s 2006 directorial debut, Slither, is an energetic horror-comedy about a small town infested by a malevolent alien parasite. The story begins when a meteorite carrying the organism crashes near Wheelsy, South Carolina, infecting a local businessman, Grant Grant (Michael Rooker). As the parasite takes over his body and mind, he begins to transform the townsfolk into grotesqueslug-like creatures. The town’s fate falls to Police Chief Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion) and Grant’s wife, Starla (Elizabeth Banks), who lead a small group of survivors against the growing alien threat. The film functions as a loving homage to 1980s B-movies, showcasing Gunn’s clear affinity for practical effects and dark humor.
Slither‘s placement at the bottom of the list reflects its relatively modest ambitions. Its strength lies in its successful fusion of genres, paying tribute to creature features with impressive practical effects. However, the plot is straightforward and offers few surprises for fans of horror. In addition, Slither‘s characters, while charming, are largely archetypes with limited emotional depth. This combination of stylistic confidence and narrative simplicity firmly places Slither as Gunn’s least developed film.
6) Super
Released in 2010, Super demonstrates a significant leap in thematic complexity for Gunn. The film centers on Frank Darbo (Rainn Wilson), a distraught short-order cook whose wife, Sarah (Liv Tyler), leaves him for a charismatic drug dealer named Jacques (Kevin Bacon). After a bizarre vision, Frank creates the superhero persona of the Crimson Bolt, arming himself with a pipe wrench and a homemade suit. He is soon joined by a dangerously enthusiastic comic store employee, Libby (Elliot Page), who becomes his sidekick, Boltie. Together, they enact a brutal and often misguided crusade against crime.
Super‘s ambition in deconstructing the vigilante mythos is its greatest asset, elevated by a raw and committed performance from Wilson. However, the film’s uncompromisingly bleak tone and low-budget violence can make it a difficult watch. The deliberate tonal clashes between slapstick comedy and shocking brutality are Super‘s core artistic choice but also its biggest structural flaw, preventing it from having the broader effectiveness of Gunn’s more recent work. It’s a more complex film than Slither, but its abrasive nature makes it less successful overall.
5) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The sequel to one of Marvel Studios’ best movies, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 deliberately sidelines a conventional A-plot to focus almost entirely on its characters’ interpersonal dynamics. The story is driven by two key family plotlines: Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) reunion with his long-lost father, the living planet Ego (Kurt Russell), and the violently fractured relationship between adopted sisters Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) and Nebula (Karen Gillan). The film functions as a series of character-driven vignettes, such as the exploration of shared pain between Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Yondu (Michael Rooker) or the budding friendship between Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff), rather than a traditional action-adventure narrative.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2‘s greatest strength is this deep emotional focus, which provides some of the most moving moments in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, particularly Yondu’s climactic sacrifice. However, this dedication to character comes at the expense of narrative momentum, resulting in a meandering plot that struggles with pacing in its second act. Plus, much of the sequel’s humor also feels like a rehash of the first film’s gags. As a result, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is an emotionally resonant but less structurally sound film than those ranked higher.
4) Superman
James Gunn’s Superman is a triumphant success, a film that accomplishes the incredibly difficult task of rebooting a cultural icon while launching a new cinematic universe. Its vibrant and hopeful tone serves as a welcome return to the character’s optimistic roots, while each frame conjured by Gunn echoes the best elements of the Silver Age of comic books. Plus, the narrative is anchored by the stellar performances of David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, whose chemistry as Clark Kent and Lois Lane provides the story with its beating heart. As a result, Superman skillfully grounds its spectacular action with genuine emotional weight, focusing on the hero’s fundamental kindness and his struggle to do good in a complicated world.
However, Superman‘s ambitious scope can sometimes drag it down. In addition to telling Superman’s story, the first DCU movie is tasked with introducing a wide array of new heroes and concepts to build the foundation of the shared universe. While this world-building is exciting, it naturally requires the film to serve multiple masters, leading to a script that sometimes feels disjointed and to an excessive use of exposition to ensure everyone is still following the plot. So, while Superman is a massive achievement, it still ranks lower than other Gunn’s movies.
3) The Suicide Squad
James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is an exercise in controlled chaos and a showcase for a filmmaker at the peak of his creative confidence. Given complete artistic freedom, Gunn delivered an R-rated war-caper that is inventive, hilarious, and surprisingly emotional from start to finish. Plus, the film is a marvel of ensemble storytelling, successfully juggling a massive cast of bizarre characters while maintaining a clear and propulsive narrative. Finally, the action in The Suicide Squad is brilliantly choreographed and visually spectacular, but the film’s most compelling quality is the unexpected humanity it finds in its cast of lovable degenerates.
The Suicide Squad‘s narrative is relentlessly focused on breakneck pacing and anarchic fun. This approach results in a wildly entertaining spectacle. Yet, this same rhythm means that its emotional core, while present and effective, is not explored with the same depth or patience as it is in Gunn’s most character-driven stories. The Suicide Squad is an expertly crafted adventure, but one that prioritizes its chaotic energy above all else, falling short of Gunn’s greatest cinematic achievements.
2) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The final film in the Guardians trilogy is James Gunn’s most emotionally mature work to date, a well-earned and satisfying conclusion that delivers a cathartic payoff to a story cultivated over nearly a decade. By centering the narrative on the traumatic past of Rocket (Bradley Cooper), the film explores surprisingly dark and complex themes of cruelty, memory, and compassion with a deft hand, offering gut-punching moments the MCU had never dared to before. In addition, every member of the core cast receives a meaningful character arc, bringing their individual and collective journeys to a fitting close.
As good as it can be, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s immense power is dependent on the audience’s prior investment in the franchise. Its success as an emotional capstone is deeply intertwined with its predecessors, and it functions as the final chapter of a larger saga. While this makes the film an incredibly rich experience, its success is of a different nature than that of a wholly original film. Plus, in trying to tie every loose thread, Gunn was forced to make some creative choices that led to a bloated story that could be better streamlined.
1) Guardians of the Galaxy
The original Guardians of the Galaxy remains James Gunn’s signature work and the height of his filmmaking achievements. Its placement at the top of this list is secured by the audacity of its premise and the quality of its execution. In 2014, taking a team of obscure cosmic characters, such as Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), and turning them into global superstars was a considerable creative risk. Gunn’s well-calibrated script accomplished this with effortless charm, balancing laugh-out-loud humor, thrilling action, and genuine heart without a single wasted scene. Furthermore, the film’s integration of its classic rock soundtrack became an essential part of the story’s soul, helping to turn the Guardians into a worldwide phenomenon.
While Guardians of the Galaxy has a noticeably underdeveloped antagonist, this minor flaw does little to detract from its accomplishments. The movie’s created a beloved and influential cinematic world entirely from scratch, expanding the MCU into the vast cosmos and becoming so influential that it even changed the Guardians’ status in Marvel Comics history. It did the difficult work of establishing the characters, the tone, and the stakes that would make subsequent stories, including more emotionally complex ones, possible. For its bolt of originality, its witty and tight craftsmanship, and its massive cultural impact, Guardians of the Galaxy remains Gunn’s best film.
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