What is the best directorial debut film of the 1990s?

The 1990s produced an extraordinary generation of debut filmmakers who would go on to define modern cinema. From Pulp Fiction to Reservoir Dogs, which debut announced its director's arrival most powerfully?

1

Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino's 1992 heist-gone-wrong crime thriller that introduced a generation to non-linear storytelling.

1000pts

2

Clerks

Kevin Smith's 1994 black-and-white $27k debut capturing slacker working-class ennui with sharp wit.

765pts

3

Menace II Society

The Hughes Brothers' 1993 debut — a nihilistic, unflinching look at inner-city violence in Watts.

584pts

4

Following

Christopher Nolan's 1998 noir debut shot on weekends for £6,000, already displaying his non-linear genius.

535pts

5

The Virgin Suicides

Sofia Coppola's 1999 dreamlike debut about five sisters dying in a Detroit suburb, based on Jeffrey Eugenides' novel.

535pts

6

In the Company of Men

Neil LaBute's 1997 debut — a chilling psychological study of workplace misogyny done on a shoestring budget.

535pts

7

Pi

Darren Aronofsky's 1998 lo-fi psychological thriller about a mathematician's obsessive search for pattern.

475pts

8

Kids

Larry Clark's 1995 controversial debut following one day in the lives of reckless New York City teenagers.

475pts

9

Bottle Rocket

Wes Anderson's 1996 debut charming buddy-crime comedy co-written with Owen Wilson.

401pts

10

El Mariachi

Robert Rodriguez's 1992 $7,000 debut — a kinetic action film shot guerrilla-style in Mexico.

401pts

11

Hard Eight

Paul Thomas Anderson's 1996 neo-noir debut — a quiet, precise character study set in the Nevada gambling world.

305pts

12

Welcome to the Dollhouse

Todd Solondz's 1995 debut — a brutally honest portrait of adolescent misery and suburban cruelty.

305pts

13

Boyz n the Hood

John Singleton's 1991 debut — a landmark portrait of South Central LA youth that earned him an Oscar nomination.

178pts

14

Swingers

Doug Liman's 1996 debut — a sharp, improvisation-fueled comedy capturing LA's entertainment-industry social scene.

178pts