James Foley was at his most persuasive with men whose confidence was wearing thin. We value his patient attention to actors, though his uneven choice of material makes the directing credit an unreliable recommendation.
Fi1m perspective
In Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), the salesmen's insecurity matters as much as their salesmanship. James Foley gives the ensemble room to make that uncomfortable, keeping our attention on the performances rather than advertising the camera's presence. We felt uneasy because these men's efforts to assert themselves were so recognisable. We rate Foley most highly here, where the adaptation of David Mamet's play gives his attention to actors something exacting to work with.
His feature career began with Reckless (1984), followed by the family crime drama At Close Range (1986). With After Dark, My Sweet (1990), which he both wrote and directed, he adapted Jim Thompson and found a particularly suitable setting for his interest in insecurity and corruption. These early crime dramas give us a clearer reason to seek out his work than any promise of conspicuous visual flourishes. His recurring collaborators included cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía, who worked with him on five films.
Twin Peaks (1990) is a television credit we recommend warmly, with a warning that its patience sometimes becomes drift. Its soap-opera jealousy is funny, frightening and unexpectedly sad, while Kyle MacLachlan gives the strangeness a steady centre. Those qualities fit an actor-centred director, although we should not assign a whole series' achievement to one of its directors. The pleasure is in being allowed to spend time with people whose behaviour can amuse and disturb us without much warning. Foley later directed 12 episodes across the first three seasons of House of Cards (2013–2015), as television became a substantial part of his work.
The less convincing assignments warn against treating restraint as a virtue regardless of the material. Who's That Girl (1987) received mixed or negative reviews, and critics widely dismissed his final features, Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018). We appreciate a director who does not insist on being noticed, but that alone is too little to recommend a film. Start with Glengarry Glen Ross, then try After Dark, My Sweet.
Biography
James Foley (28 December 1953 – 6 May 2025) was an American film, television and music video director. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1978 and earned an MFA in film from the University of Southern California.
Foley made his feature debut with Reckless (1984). His subsequent films include At Close Range (1986), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Fear (1996), The Chamber (1996), Perfect Stranger (2007), Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018). He directed episodes of Twin Peaks (1991), Hannibal (2013), House of Cards (2013–2015), Wayward Pines (2015) and Billions (2016), as well as numerous music videos for Madonna.
Foley died from brain cancer at his home in Los Angeles.
