The Top 25 Greatest Directors of the 21st Century
by EmboldenedLoser | created - 20 Aug 2022 | updated - 1 month ago | PublicBorn a few years prior the advent of the WWF Attitude Era -- simulating tropes of misogyny and homophobia notwithstanding, the richest example of public entertainment in the televised era -- I've been borne witness to heaps of movies, mostly damp in quality and purpose, during each passing year of my (un-damp in quality and purposeful) life of enriching my nice brain with film. With every fifty or so studio-orchestrated blockbuster bangers contorted with finesse to induce as wide an audience as desired, there are those exhibitions of film worthy of artistic value that reward the time of viewers with respect to their intellect. I've arrived at the supposition that most of this era's filmmakers are the offspring of the professional class, burgeoning with money and influence, financing their ignominious and obnoxious grown-up children into making something of themselves and upholding them from being accosted by rich attendees at the fancy ceremonies. The future of cinematic content is looking bleak, with little respite.
I'm limiting this list to directors who have directed at minimum three feature-length movies from the year 2000 onward. Unfortunately, that means an all-time legend like Edward Yang (rip to you, king) for an insufficiency in film count. If your piety is credentialism, then let it be known that according to this website (or app... you freaks and sickos) I've watched 1,500+ from Y2K (better known as Chris Jericho) until now/the future.
** - denotes that the film is ranked in my list of the greatest movies ever, henceforth also ranked in my list of the greatest movies of this century
* - denotes that the film is ranked in my list of the greatest movies of this century
1. 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...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- There Will Be Blood (9.5/10)**
- Punch-Drunk Love (8.5/10)**
- The Master (9/10)**
- Phantom Thread (7/10)
- Inherent Vice (7/10)
- Licorice Pizza (7.5/10)
2. David Lynch
Writer | Twin Peaks
Born in precisely the kind of small-town American setting so familiar from his films, David Lynch spent his childhood being shunted from one state to another as his research scientist father kept getting relocated. He attended various art schools, married Peggy Lynch and then fathered future ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Mulholland Drive (10/10)**
- Inland Empire (8/10)*
- Twin Peaks: The Return (8.5/10)** [18 part film]
3. 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...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Kill Bill Vol. 1 (8/10)*
- Kill Bill Vol. 2 (7.5/10)
- Death Proof (7/10)
- Inglorious Basterds (9/10)**
- Django Unchained (8/10)
- The Hateful Eight (7/10)
- Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (8.5/10)*
4. Wes Anderson
Director | Fantastic Mr. Fox
Wesley Wales Anderson was born in Houston, Texas. His mother, Texas Ann (Burroughs), is an archaeologist turned real estate agent, and his father, Melver Leonard Anderson, worked in advertising and PR. He has two brothers, Eric and Mel. Anderson's parents divorced when he was a young child, an ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- The Grand Budapest Hotel (8.5/10)**
- Moonrise Kingdom (7.5/10)
- The Royal Tenebaums (9/10)**
- Fantastic Mr. Fox (8/10)
- The Darjeeling Limited (6.5/10)
- The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (7/10)
- Isle of Dogs (7/10)
- The French Dispatch (6.5/10)
- Asteroid City (6.5/10)
- The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (7/10) [short film]
5. 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 ...
[and Ethan Coen - the Coen brothers]
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- No Country for Old Men (9.5/10)**
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (7/10)
- Burn After Reading (6.5/10)
- True Grit (7/10)
- Inside Llewyn Davis (8/10)*
- A Serious Man (8/10)*
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (6.5/10)
- The Man Who Wasn't There (7/10)
- Hail, Caesar! (7/10)
- The Tragedy of Macbeth (7/10) [directed solely by Joel Coen]
- The Ladykillers (6/10)
- Intolerable Cruelty (6/10)
- Drive-Away Dolls (5.5/10) [directed solely by Ethan Coen]
6. Michael Haneke
Writer | Caché
A true master of his craft, Michael Haneke is one of the greatest film artists working today and one who challenges his viewers each year and work goes by, with films that reflect real portions of life in realistic, disturbing and unforgettable ways. One of the most genuine filmmakers of the world ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Amour (7/10)
- Cache (9/10)**
- The White Ribbon (7.5/10)
- The Piano Teacher (8.5/10)**
- Code Unknown (6.5/10)
- Happy End (5.5/10)
7. Jonathan Glazer
Director | Under the Skin
Jonathan first found fame for his revolutionary work on Radiohead's 'Street Spirit' and Jamiroquai's multi-MTV award winning 'Virtual Insanity' video.
In 1999 he directed the ground-breaking Guinness 'Surfer', which picked up 2 D&AD Black Pencils and the top spot at most of the other awards ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Sexy Beast (8/10)*
- Birth (6/10)
- Under the Skin (8.5/10)**
- The Zone of Interest (8/10)*
8. 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.
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Oldboy (8.5/10)**
- The Handmaiden (8/10)*
- Lady Vengeance (7.5/10)
- Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (7/10)
- Thirst (6/10)
- Decision to Leave (7.5/10)
9. 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 ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- The Aviator (7.5/10)
- The Departed (8/10)*
- Shutter Island (7/10)
- The Wolf of Wall Street (8/10)
- Hugo (7/10)
- Gangs of New York (7/10)
- The Irishman (7/10)
- Silence (7.5/10)
- Killers of the Flower Moon (8/10)*
10. Kore-eda Hirokazu
Director | Manbiki kazoku
Born in Tokyo in 1962. Originally intended to be a novelist, but after graduating from Waseda University in 1987 went on to become an assistant director at T.V. Man Union. Snuck off set to film Mou hitotsu no kyouiku - Ina shogakkou haru gumi no kiroku (1991). His first feature, Maborosi (1995), ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Shoplifters (8.5/10)*
- Nobody Knows (7.5/10)
- Like Father, Like Son (6.5/10)
- Still Walking (8/10)*
- After the Storm (6/10)
- Broker (6/10)
- Our Little Sister (6.5/10)
- Monster (7.5/10)
11. Asghar Farhadi
Writer | Forooshande
Asghar Farhadi was born in 1972 in Iran. He became interested in cinema in his teenage years and started his filmmaking education by joining the Youth Cinema Society of Esfahan in 1986 where he made 8mm and 16mm short films. He received his Bachelors in Theater from University of Tehran's School of...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- About Elly (7.5/10)
- A Separation (8.5/10)**
- The Past (7/10)
- Fireworks Wednesday (7/10)
- The Salesman (7/10)
- Everybody Knows (6/10)
- A Hero (7.5/10)
12. 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 ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- The Witch (8/10)*
- The Lighthouse (8.5/10)*
- The Northman (7.5/10)
13. 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 ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- The Tree of Life (9.5/10)**
- The New World (7.5/10)
- A Hidden Life (7/10)
14. Charlie Kaufman
Writer | I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Avid reader Charlie Kaufman wrote plays and made short films as a young student. He moved from Massapequa, New York to West Hartford, Connecticut in 1972 where he attended high school. As a comedic actor, he performed in school plays and, after graduation, he enrolled at Boston University but soon ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Synecdoche, New York (9.5/10)**
- Anomalisa (7/10)
- I'm Thinking of Ending Things (7/10)
15. Todd Field
Director | Tár
William Todd Field was born in Pomona, California, and began acting after graduating from high school in Portland, Oregon, where he was raised. A budding jazz musician as well, he skipped college in favor of a move east to New York to study acting. Once there, he began performing with the Ark ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- In the Bedroom (7.5/10)
- Little Children (7/10)
- Tar (8.5/10)**
16. Ari Aster
Director | Hereditary
Ari Aster is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for writing and directing the A24 horror films Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019). Aster was born into a Jewish family in New York City on July 15, 1986, the son of a poet mother and musician father. He has a ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Hereditary (8/10)*
- Midsommar (7.5/10)
- Beau Is Afraid (7.5/10)
17. Don Hertzfeldt
Director | World of Tomorrow
Don Hertzfeldt was born on August 1, 1976 in Fremont, California, USA. He is a director and writer, known for World of Tomorrow (2015), It's Such a Beautiful Day (2011) and The Simpsons (1989).
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- It's Such a Beautiful Day (8.5/10)** [2012]
- Rejected (7.5/10) [short film]
- World of Tomorrow (7.5/10) [short film]
18. Hayao Miyazaki
Writer | Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi
Hayao Miyazaki is one of Japan's greatest animation directors. The entertaining plots, compelling characters, and breathtaking visuals in his films have earned him international renown from critics as well as public recognition within Japan.
Miyazaki started his career in 1963 as an animator at the ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Spirited Away (9.5/10)**
- Howl's Moving Castle (7/10)
- Ponyo (6.5/10)
- The Wind Rises (6.5/10)
19. Michael Mann
Producer | The Insider
As a director, screenwriter, and producer, four-time Academy Award nominee Michael Mann has established himself as one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers in American cinema. After writing and directing the Primetime Emmy Award-winning television movie The Jericho Mile (1979), Mann ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Ali (6/10)
- Collateral (8/10)*
- Miami Vice (8.5/10)*
- Public Enemies (6/10)
- Blackhat (6.5/10)
- Ferrari (6.5/10)
20. Ang Lee
Director | Wo hu cang long
Born in 1954 in Pingtung, Taiwan, Ang Lee has become one of today's greatest contemporary filmmakers. Ang graduated from the National Taiwan College of Arts in 1975 and then came to the U.S. to receive a B.F.A. Degree in Theatre/Theater Direction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Life of Pi (7/10)
- Brokeback Mountain (8/10)*
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (8/10)*
- Hulk (5/10)
- Lust, Caution (6/10)
21. Spike Jonze
Producer | Her
Spike Jonze made up one-third (along with Andy Jenkins and Mark Lewman) of the triumvirate of genius minds behind Dirt Magazine, the brother publication of the much lamented ground-breaking Sassy Magazine. These three uncommon characters were all editors for Grand Royal Magazine as well, under the ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Adaptation. (8/10)*
- Her (8/10)*
- Where the Wild Things Are (6.5/10)
- I'm Here (6.5/10) [short film]
22. Bong Joon Ho
Writer | Snowpiercer
Bong Joon-ho is a South Korean filmmaker. The recipient of three Academy Awards, his filmography is characterized by emphasis on social themes, genre-mixing, black humor, and sudden tone shifts. He first became known to audiences and achieved a cult following with his directorial debut film, the ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Parasite (7.5/10)
- Snowpiercer (7/10)
- Memories of Murder (8/10)*
- The Host (7/10)
- Okja (6/10)
- Mother (7/10)
23. 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 ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Memento (6.5/10)
- Insomnia (7/10)
- Batman Begins (7.5/10)
- The Prestige (7/10)
- The Dark Knight (7.5/10)
- Inception (7.5/10)
- The Dark Knight Rises (6.5/10)
- Interstellar (6.5/10)
- Dunkirk (6.5/10)
- Tenet (4.5/10)
- Oppenheimer (8/10)*
24. Todd Haynes
Director | Far from Heaven
Todd Haynes was always interested in art, and made amateur movies and painted while he was still a child. He attended Brown university and majored in art and semiotics. After he graduated he moved to New York City and made the controversial short film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987). ...
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Carol (8/10)*
- Dark Waters (7/10)
- I'm Not There (6.5/10)
- Far from Heaven (7/10)
- May December (7.5/10)
25. Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Director | Tokyo Sonata
Kiyoshi Kurosawa was born on July 19, 1955 in Kobe, Japan. He is a director and writer, known for Tokyo Sonata (2008), Pulse (2001) and Cure (1997).
Films seen (my rating for the film/out of 10):
- Pulse (7.5/10)
- Bright Future (7/10)
- Tokyo Sonata (8/10)*
- To the Ends of the Earth (6.5/10)
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