It's not easy at all, especially when we look at the debut films of some of the greatest filmmakers. For this list only first feature length films (fiction/documentary) were considered, the only exception is Cocteau's 'Blood Of A Poet'.

From hilarious comedies to full-on thrillers, these debut films from top directors would be impressive even if they weren't the directors first. Just take a look at some of the great movies on the list.

1. Boyz n the Hood. 1991 1h 52m R. 7.8 (157K) Rate. 76 Metascore. Follows the lives of three young males living in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles, dissecting questions of race, relationships, violence, and future prospects. Director John Singleton Stars Cuba Gooding Jr. Laurence Fishburne Hudhail Al-Amir. 2. Nightcrawler. 2014 1h 57m R.

1. The Shawshank Redemption. 1994 2h 22m R. 9.3 (2.9M) Rate. 82 Metascore. A banker convicted of uxoricide forms a friendship over a quarter century with a hardened convict, while maintaining his innocence and trying to remain hopeful through simple compassion. Director Frank Darabont Stars Tim Robbins Morgan Freeman Bob Gunton. 2. Reservoir Dogs.

1. Citizen Kane (directed by Orson Welles) “I started at the top and have been working my way down every since,” joked Orson Welles in the years following his startling debut feature. Citizen Kane has been so longed hailed as “the greatest film ever made” that it is in serious danger of becoming the least seen masterpiece around.