It is one of Martin Scorsese’s most successful and acclaimed films—but he denies having directed it

Martin Scorsese’s career is one of the most acclaimed among directors worldwide. Since he started collaborating with Leonardo DiCaprio, he has continued to have critical and, almost always, box office successes. However, not all the movies he has made are to his liking.

Now, in GQ, Scorsese has made it very clear that, in his opinion, he has a stain on his career that he regrets every day: Shutter Island. Released in 2010, it is actually a highly acclaimed film that grossed nearly 300 million, but he doesn’t like it at all. The reason? After making The Departed, he was unsatisfied with Warner’s treatment and wanted to make a film outside of the majors. But the Oscar he won for The Departed made him reconsider his career, and he finally convinced himself to make Shutter Island.

Shutter Island falls short… according to Scorsese

“He was encouraged to make another film with Shutter Island. It turned out that he should have gone to make Silence,” explains Scorsese. Silence, a much better film honestly, finally premiered in 2016. But after Shutter Island, the director decided not to work directly for a major studio again.