He tends to be topped billed in films that get released. He was up for Spider-man but lost it to Tobey Maguire which is when I think he pivoted away from big budget soulless cash grabs.
So you are saying the following filmmakers are B-List
Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals)
Joon-Ho- Bong (Okja)
David Ayer (End of Watch)
Duncan Jones (Source Code)
Jim Sheridan (Brothers)
Sam Mendes (Jarhead)
David Fincher (Zodiac)
Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain)
John Madden (Proof)
Dennis Villanueve (Prisoners)
As someone who loved Everest and Prisoners I have no qualms with Jake's choices. He's at that mid-range acting point where he's not getting the young man roles and he's not getting the older male gravitas roles but I assume he's going to win an Oscar at some point
it isnt about oscars..its about the kind of roles and movies he seems to make.
Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals)
Joon-Ho- Bong (Okja)
David Ayer (End of Watch)
Duncan Jones (Source Code)
Jim Sheridan (Brothers) are all b list directors...whenever their movies comeout..its really a coin toss..it can be good or bad.
Sam Mendes (Jarhead)
David Fincher (Zodiac)
These two were really the movies that kind of proved he is not a moviestar....he felt like a whinny baby who can't carry the movie. Maybe his roles are like that but whatever the reason..when you are top billed in those movies and they bomb
Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain)
he is a hit and miss..this was a hit.
John Madden (Proof)
this director is a joke..he made chiago and captain corellis mandarin..so its a coin toss with him.
Dennis Villanueve (Prisoners)
this was before dennis vilanueve became famous..so its his earliest movie that ultimately fell into the cliches of the genre.
I think he has less screen presence than most of the leading actors. His voice and dialogue delivery isnt threatening. Even his built is small. He doesnt have than manly touch