By the Sea

Jolie's next directorial effort was the marital drama By the Sea, released in November 2015, in which she starred opposite her husband, Brad Pitt, marking their first collaboration since 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Based on her screenplay, the film was a deeply personal project for Jolie, who drew inspiration from her own mother's life. Critics, however, dismissed it as a "vanity project," as Jolie directed, produced, and starred in this film.