From Guardians to The Belko Experiment, these are some of the movies James Gunn directed, wrote, and produced that you should watch.
Director, writer, producer, and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn was recently greeted with a standing ovation in the geeky hallowed Hall of H for Superman—and rightfully so. The film has been lauded as a great first film for the DCU and a refreshing take on the Man of Steel, bringing the character’s kindness and goodness to the forefront and not shying away from the fun and ridiculousness of comic books.
But James has had a successful career in film even before the DCU or MCU. Want to get familiar with the films he’s done? These are some of the movies James Gunn directed, wrote, and produced that you should add to your watchlist.
[Hero image: James Gunn/Facebook]
James Gunn movies that you need to watch after Superman
Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy
Let’s start off with the obvious. The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is perhaps what catapulted James into worldwide fame though he had been making incredible films before he jumped into the MCU playground. It was in these three films that James proved he was able to make the audience feel for a bunch of unknowns. Let’s be real, a very few people knew who the Guardians were before the films. On top of that, James’ sublime taste in music is displayed across three films, not to mention his expert use of visual storytelling on top of his already great writing. GOTG Vol. 3 will go down in MCU history as one of the most heartwrenching/warming movies.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
The Suicide Squad is memorable for a number of things. It’s the first DC movie James directed and wrote, which would snowball into him creating Peacemaker and eventually becoming co-CEO of the new DC Studios with Peter Safran. It’s also the only movie in the DC Extended Universe that will still be canon in the new DC Universe—well, at least some of its events will be. Also, the movie itself is yet further proof that James can expertly juggle numerous characters and make the audience feel for them no matter how “unlovable” they may be.
But there’s also another reason why this movie is a pivotal moment in James’ career. It was made between the second and third GOTG films, and was basically the result of the ridiculous fiasco of James getting fired from Marvel due to age-old tweets. Warner Bros. approached him and wanted him to do Superman movie, which he would end up doing later down the road, but opted for The Suicide Squad instead. When Marvel hired him back, he had already agreed to do the DC movie, and the rest is history.
Watch here.
Scooby-Doo Duology
If you need proof that James Gunn was already doing remarkable films before he did GOTG, this is it. The live-action Scooby-Doo movies have become a cult classic. Critics annihilated it when both came out, but over the years, the kids who loved it grew up, and now they’re the outspoken fans who love the absurdity of the live-action take of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon classic. It really should be a trilogy, and it sucks that the third film, which James was set to both write and direct (James only served as writer for the two films), was cancelled.
Watch Scooby Doo The Movie here.
Watch Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed here.
Slither (2006)
James isn’t just adept at making ensemble buddy movies; he’s great at comedy-horror too. Case in point: Slither, a film about aliens taking over a small town featuring grotesque imagery, ridiculous circumstances, and disgusting alien larvae. It’s a masterclass in balancing horror and comedy, which also features James’ buddies and frequent collaborators like Nathan Fillion and Michael Rooker.
Watch here.
Brightburn (2019)
Though James only served as producer on this film while his two other brothers, Brian and Mark, were writers, Brightburn is a notable movie in his career and a must-watch because it’s basically James’ Superman movie before Superman. The plot of Brightburn is the same as Superman’s origin story: a spaceship crashes on Earth and a kind couple discovers a baby within, who then decide to raise it as their own. The kid grows up and discovers he has powers, but unlike Superman, goes the opposite direction and starts terrorising people.
Watch here.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
The interwebs are full of people debating whether Zack Snyder or James Gunn had the best iteration of Superman. Meanwhile, there are fans who love both, and there are also Zack and James who are good friends and made fun of the so-called “rivalry. What people may have forgotten is that the two have collaborated before. It’s not just any movie either; it’s the remake of the 1978 George Romero classic. With a screenplay from James and Zack making his directorial debut, it’s a match that works very well, and it makes us want the two to collab again soon.
Watch here.
The Belko Experiment (2016)
This movie proves yet again that James is great at horror. The Belko Experiment brings battle royale into an office setting, arguably the most boring setting of all, pitting employees against each other in a gruesome, inhumane last-man-standing contest. It’s thrilling and a disturbing reflection of human behaviour. Definitely not heartwarming like GOTG or Superman by any means.
Watch here
This story first appeared here.