My Favorite Directors Working Today
by bseagrave54 | created - 08 Oct 2014 | updated - 9 months ago | PublicA list of my favorite directors working today based on their work.
Overall rating based on top 5 rated films.
1. Christopher Nolan
Writer | Tenet
Best known for his cerebral, often nonlinear, storytelling, acclaimed Academy Award winner writer/director/producer Sir Christopher Nolan CBE was born in London, England. Over the course of more than 25 years of filmmaking, Nolan has gone from low-budget independent films to working on some of the ...
Overall: 9.3
The Dark Knight- 9.5
Prestige- 9.3
Interstellar- 9.3
Inception- 9.2
Dunkirk - 9
Next: Oppenheimer
2. David Fincher
Director | Se7en
David Fincher was born in 1962 in Denver, Colorado, and was raised in Marin County, California. When he was 18 years old he went to work for John Korty at Korty Films in Mill Valley. He subsequently worked at ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) from 1981-1983. Fincher left ILM to direct TV commercials...
Overall: 8.5
Curious Case of Benjamin Button- 8.7
The Social Network- 8.5
Zodiac- 8.5
Fight Club- 8.3
Seven- 8.3
Next: The Killer
3. Martin Scorsese
Producer | Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Charles Scorsese was born on November 17, 1942 in Queens, New York City, to Catherine Scorsese (née Cappa) and Charles Scorsese, who both worked in Manhattan's garment district, and whose families both came from Palermo, Sicily. He was raised in the neighborhood of Little Italy, which later ...
Overall: 8.3
Taxi Driver- 8.8
Goodfellas- 8.7
The Departed- 8.3
The Irishman - 8
The Wolf of Wall Street- 7.8
Next: Killers of the Flower Moon
4. Terrence Malick
Writer | Days of Heaven
Terrence Malick was born in Ottawa, Illinois. His family subsequently lived in Oklahoma and he went to school in Austin, Texas. He did his undergraduate work at Harvard, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in philosophy in 1965.
A member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, he attended Magdalen ...
Overall: 8.3
Thin Red Line- 9
A Hidden Life- 8.8
Tree of Life- 8.2
Badlands- 8.2
Days of Heaven- 7.5
Next: The Way of the Wind
5. Paul Thomas Anderson
Director | Punch-Drunk Love
Anderson was born in 1970. He was one of the first of the "video store" generation of film-makers. His father was the first man on his block to own a V.C.R., and from a very early age Anderson had an infinite number of titles available to him. While film-makers like Spielberg cut their teeth making...
Overall: 8.3
There Will Be Blood- 9.3
Inherent Vice- 8.2
The Master- 8.2
Boogie Nights- 7.8
Punch Drunk Love- 7.8
6. Joel Coen
Producer | The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Joel Daniel Coen is an American filmmaker who regularly collaborates with his younger brother Ethan. They made Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, True Grit, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Burn After Reading, A Serious Man, Inside Llewyn Davis, Hail Caesar and other projects. Joel ...
& Ethan Coen
Overall: 8.3
No Country for Old Men- 9.2
Fargo- 9
The Big Lebowski- 8
O Brother Where Art Thou?- 8
Hail, Caesar!- 7.5
7. Quentin Tarantino
Writer | Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Jerome Tarantino was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. His father, Tony Tarantino, is an Italian-American actor and musician from New York, and his mother, Connie (McHugh), is a nurse from Tennessee. Quentin moved with his mother to Torrance, California, when he was four years old.
In January of...
Overall: 8.2
Pulp Fiction- 8.7
Inglorious Basterds- 8.5
Kill Bill vol 1- 8.2
Kill Bill vol 2- 8.2
The Hateful 8- 7.3
8. Zack Snyder
Director | 300
Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter, best known for action and science fiction films. Snyder made his feature film debut with the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead and has gone on to be known for his comic book movies and ...
Overall: 8
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ultimate Edition) - 8.3
Watchmen - 8.2
Zack Snyder's Justice League- 8
Man of Steel - 8
300 - 7.6
Next: Rebel Moon
9. Steve McQueen
Director | 12 Years a Slave
Steve McQueen was born on October 9, 1969 in London, England, UK. He is a director and producer, known for 12 Years a Slave (2013), Shame (2011) and Hunger (2008). He is married to Bianca Stigter. They have two children.
Overall: 7.9
12 Years a Slave- 9
Shame- 7.8
Hunger- 7.5
Widows - 7.3
Next: Occupied City
10. Barry Jenkins
Producer | If Beale Street Could Talk
Barry Jenkins was born on November 19, 1979 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is a producer and director, known for If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), Moonlight (2016) and Aftersun (2022).
Overall: 7.85
Moonlight - 8.5
If Beale Street Could Talk - 7.2
Next: The Piano Lesson
11. Edgar Wright
Director | Shaun of the Dead
Edgar Howard Wright (born 18 April 1974) is an English director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. He is best known for his comedic Three Flavours Cornetto film trilogy consisting of Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and The World's End (2013), made with recurrent collaborators Simon Pegg...
Overall: 7.8
Shaun of the Dead- 8.2
Hot Fuzz- 8.2
Scott Pilgrim vs The World- 8
Baby Driver - 7.3
The World's End- 7.1
Next: The Running Man
12. Kathryn Bigelow
Director | The Hurt Locker
A very talented painter, Kathryn spent two years at the San Francisco Art Institute. At 20, she won a scholarship to the Whitney Museum's Independent Study Program. She was given a studio in a former Offtrack Betting building, literally in an old bank vault, where she made art and waited to be ...
Overall: 7.6
Zero Dark Thirty- 8.5
The Hurt Locker- 8.3
Detroit- 7.3
Point Break- 6.3
Next: Aurora
13. Robert Eggers
Director | The Lighthouse
Robert Houston Eggers is an American filmmaker and production designer. He is best known for writing and directing the historical horror films The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019), as well as directing and co-writing the historical fiction epic film The Northman (2022). His films are noted ...
Overall: 7.6
The Lighthouse: 7.8
The Northman: 7.7
The Witch: 7.3
Next: Nosferatu
14. Denis Villeneuve
Director | Dune
Denis Villeneuve is a French Canadian film director and writer. He was born in 1967, in Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada. He started his career as a filmmaker at the National Film Board of Canada. He is best known for his feature films Arrival (2016), Sicario (2015), Prisoners (2013), Enemy (2013), ...
Overall: 7.6
Blade Runner 2049- 8
Dune- 7.7
Sicario- 7.5
Incendies- 7.5
Prisoners- 7.2
Next: Dune: Part Two, Cleopatra
15. Guillermo del Toro
Writer | El laberinto del fauno
Guillermo del Toro was born October 9, 1964 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Raised by his Catholic grandmother, del Toro developed an interest in filmmaking in his early teens. Later, he learned about makeup and effects from the legendary Dick Smith (The Exorcist (1973)) and worked on making his ...
Overall- 7.6
Pan's Labyrinth- 8.5
The Shape of Water - 8.5
Nightmare Alley- 7
Hellboy- 7
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio- 6.8
Next: The Buried Giant
16. Jason Reitman
Producer | Up in the Air
Jason Reitman is a Canadian filmmaker and producer who notably directed Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Juno, Thank You for Smoking, Up in the Air, Young Adult and Tully. He produced Chloe and Jennifer's Body, two films that advanced Amanda Seyfried's career for adult oriented roles. He is the son of Ivan...
Overall: 7.5
Juno- 8
Thank You for Smoking- 7.5
Up in the Air- 7.5
Tully- 7.2
Young Adult- 7.2
17. Ryan Coogler
Director | Black Panther
Ryan Kyle Coogler is an African-American filmmaker and producer who is from Oakland, California. He is known for directing the Black Panther film series, Creed, a Rocky spin-off and Fruitvale Station. He frequently casts Michael B. Jordan in his works. He produced the Creed sequels, Judas and the ...
Overall: 7.4
Creed- 8
Black Panther- 7.3
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - 7.2
Fruitvale Station- 7
Next: Wrong Answer
18. Greta Gerwig
Writer | Barbie
Greta Gerwig is an American actress, playwright, screenwriter, and director. She has collaborated with Noah Baumbach on several films, including Greenberg (2010), Frances Ha (2012), for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination, and Mistress America (2015). Gerwig made her solo directorial debut ...
Overall: 7.3
Little Women - 7.3
Lady Bird - 7.3
Next: Barbie
19. Derek Cianfrance
Writer | Blue Valentine
Derek Cianfrance began making movies at age 13. He later attended The University of Colorado where he studied under avant-garde film legends Stan Brakhage and Phil Solomon. His first three films, 'Five O'clock Shadow', 'Raw Footage', and Brother Tied (1998), won consecutive Goldfarb Awards for best...
Overall: 7.3
The Place Beyond the Pines - 8
The Light Between Oceans - 7
Blue Valentine - 7
Next: Wolfman, Empire of the Summer Moon
20. Park Chan-wook
Director | Oldeuboi
Park Chan-wook was born on August 23, 1963 in Seoul, South Korea. He is a producer and director, known for Oldboy (2003), The Handmaiden (2016) and Decision to Leave (2022). He is married to Eun-hee Kim. They have one child.
Overall: 7.2
The Handmaiden - 8
Decision to Leave - 7.3
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance - 7
Oldboy - 7
Lady Vengeance - 6.5
21. Danny Boyle
Director | 127 Hours
Daniel Francis Boyle is a British filmmaker, producer and writer from Radcliffe, Greater Manchester. He is known for directing 28 Days Later, 127 Hours, Trainspotting, T2 Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, Millions, Shallow Grave, The Beach, Yesterday, and Steve Jobs. He won many awards for ...
Overall: 7.2 Trainspotting- 8 Steve Jobs- 8 Sunshine- 7 28 Days Later...- 7 127 Hours- 6
22. Nicolas Winding Refn
Writer | The Neon Demon
Writer, director, and producer Nicolas Winding Refn was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1970, to Anders Refn, a film director and editor, and Vibeke Winding (née Tuxen), a cinematographer. Just before he turned 11, in 1981, he moved to New York with his parents, where he lived out his teen years. ...
Overall: 7.2
Drive- 8.5
Bronson- 7
The Neon Demon - 7
Only God Forgives- 7
Valhalla Rising- 6
Pusher- 6
23. Sam Mendes
Producer | 1917
Samuel Alexander Mendes was born on August 1, 1965 in Reading, England, UK to parents James Peter Mendes, a retired university lecturer, and Valerie Helene Mendes, an author who writes children's books. Their marriage didn't last long, James divorced Sam's mother in 1970 when Sam was just 5-...
Overall: 7.2
1917 - 7.8
American Beauty- 8
Jarhead- 7
Road to Perdition- 7
Skyfall- 7
Next: The Motive and the Cue
24. Alfonso Cuarón
Producer | Gravity
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco was born on November 28th 1961 in Mexico City, Mexico. From an early age, he yearned to be either a film director or an astronaut. However, he did not want to enter the army, so he settled for directing. He didn't receive his first camera until his twelfth birthday, and then ...
Overall: 7.2
Gravity- 8
Roma- 7.7
Children of Men- 7.6
Y Tu Mama Tambien- 6.6
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- 6.2
25. Ava DuVernay
Writer | Queen Sugar
A director, producer, writer, marketer and film distributor, Ava DuVernay made her feature film debut with the documentary This is the Life (2008), a history on hip hop movement that flourished in Los Angeles in the 1990's. This was followed by series of television music documentaries which ...
Overall - 7.1
Selma - 7.7
13th - 7.6
A Wrinkle in Time - 7
Middle of Nowhere - 6
Next: Caste
26. Alex Garland
Writer | Ex Machina
Alex Garland is an English novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director. He is best known for the films Ex Machina (2015) and Annihilation (2018).
Garland's others works as a writer includes The Beach (2000), 28 Days Later (2002), Sunshine (2007), Never Let Me Go (2011) and Dredd (2012).
He is ...
Overall: 7.1
Annihilation - 7.5
Ex Machina - 7.3
Men - 6.5
Next: Civil War
27. Rian Johnson
Producer | Knives Out
Rian Johnson was born in Maryland and at a young age his family moved to San Clemente, California, where he was raised. After graduating from high school, he went on to attend the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. His first feature film, Brick (2005), was released in 2005 ...
Overall - 7
Looper- 7.2
Knives Out - 7.2
Brick- 7
The Last Jedi - 6.8
Glass Onion - 6.7
Next: Knives Out III
28. David O. Russell
Director | American Hustle
David Owen Russell is an American film writer, director, and producer, known for a cinema of intense, tragi-comedic characters whose love of life can surpass dark circumstances faced in very specific worlds. His films address such themes as mental illness as stigma or hope; invention of self and ...
Overall: 6.8
The Fighter- 8
American Hustle- 7
Silver Linings Playbook- 7.3
Three Kings- 6
Joy- 6
29. Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Director | Biutiful
Alejandro González Iñárritu (ih-nyar-ee-too), born August 15th, 1963, is a Mexican film director.
González Iñárritu is the first Mexican director to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and by the Directors Guild of America for Best Director. He is also the first Mexican-born ...
Overall: 6.75
The Revenant- 8.5
Birdman- 7
Amores Perros- 6
Babel- 6
30. Darren Aronofsky
Writer | Pi
Darren Aronofsky was born February 12, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, Darren was always artistic: he loved classic movies and, as a teenager, he even spent time doing graffiti art. After high school, Darren went to Harvard University to study film (both live-action and animation). He won ...
Overall: 6.4
The Wrestler- 8
The Fountain- 7
Black Swan- 6
Requiem for a Dream- 6
Pi- 5
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