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The 11th Edition of this list
Defining the somewhat young careers of very good directors who have potential to be a formidable director among the greats of the industry...(Created by and in the opinion of Stephen H Koontz)
This list includes directors who...
-- Have at least one successful film finished and/or at least one promising film on the way
-- Have directed quality (rated 7/10) full-length features, that I've seen, for ten years or less.
The more promising films the director has on deck, the higher their rank.
But of course the quality in films they've completed is more important.
Where did some directors move to?
Those who MOVED UP to Future Directing Greats:
ANNE FONTAINE
CHARLIE KAUFMAN
Those who were KNOCKED OUT from the List and did move up to the 'Accomplished' list.
STEVE MCQUEEN - Too many active years, not good enough for next list.
JONATHAN LEVINE - Too many active years, not good enough for next list.
JEFF NICHOLS - Too many active years, not good enough for next list.
JOSHUA OPPENHEIMER - Not currently active, from what I know.
TOM McCARTHY - Nothing interesting recently and upcoming film doesn't look interesting.
NICOLE HOLEFCENER - Recent films weren't interesting, no upcoming projects.
ALFONSO GOMEZ-REJON - No interesting upcoming projects (Unless The Current War actually comes out...)
CLOSE CALLS:Those who were strongly considered but could not make the cut this year:
Baltasar Kormákur: 2 Guns, Everest, Adrift (2018)
Marielle Heller: Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
Jon S. Baird: Stan & Ollie (2018)
Hirokazu Koreeda: Shoplifters (2018)
Leigh Whannell: Upgrade (2018)
Joel Edgerton: The Gift, Boy Erased (2018)
Travis Knight: Kubo and the Two Strings, Bumblebee (2018)
Bo Burnham: Eighth Grade (2018)
Boots Riley: Sorry to Bother You (2018)
Panos Cosmatos: Beyond the Black Rainbow, Mandy (2018)
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Showing 50 items
Rating:
List Type:
2018 Rank: #49
2017 Rank: #54
2016 Rank: #54
The Kings of Summer (2013)
You're the Worst (TV: 2014, 2019)
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
2018 Rank: #50
Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013)
Pete's Dragon (2016)
A Ghost Story (2017)
Old Man and the Gun (2018)
Upcoming:
Peter Pan (2020)
Selma (2014)
The 13th (2016)
A Wrinkle in Time (2018)
Upcoming:
When They See Us (TV: 2019)
2018 Rank: #45
I Am Love (2010)
A Bigger Splash (2016)
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Suspiria (2018)
Upcoming:
Salvatore Ferragamo: The Shoemaker of Dreams (2019)
Blood on the Tracks (2020)
The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
The Good Place (2016 - 2017)
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
2018 Rank: #40
2017 Rank: #48
2016 Rank: #47
2017 Rank: #48
2016 Rank: #47
The Imitation Game (2014)
Passengers (2016)
Jack Ryan (TV: 2018)
Upcoming:
Pattern Recognition (2020)
2018 Rank: #43
Hello, My Name is Doris (2016)
Love (TV: 2016, 2018)
The Big Sick (2017)
Upcoming:
In the Dark (TV: 2019)
The Lovebirds (2020)
2018 Rank: #48
Moonlight (2016)
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
Upcoming:
The Underground Railroad (2020)
Jack Reacher (2012)
Rogue Nation (2015)
Fallout (2018)
Upcoming:
Mission: Impossible 7 (2021)
Mission: Impossible 8 (2024)
2018 Rank: #42
2017 Rank: #51
2016 Rank: #52
2017 Rank: #51
2016 Rank: #52
Tron: Legacy (2010)
Oblivion (2013)
Only the Brave: Granite Mountain Hot Shots (2017)
Upcoming:
Top Gun: Maverick (2019)
2018 Rank: #39
30 for 30: June 17th, 1994 (2010)
Cobain: Montage of Heck (2015)
Jane (2017)
2018 Rank: #34
2017 Rank: #43
2016 Rank: #43
2015 Rank: #47
Rubber (2010)
Wrong (2013)
Wrong Cops (2013)
Reality (2015)
Keep an Eye Out (Au Poste!) (2018)
Upcoming:
La Daim (2019)
2018 Rank: #29
2017 Rank: #41
2016 Rank: #44
2017 Rank: #41
2016 Rank: #44
Frank (2014)
Room (2015)
Chance (TV: 2016)
2018 Rank: #36
2017 Rank: #46
2016 Rank: #45
2017 Rank: #46
2016 Rank: #45
Un prophète (2010)
Rust and Bone (2012)
Dheepan (2016)
The Sisters' Brothers (2018)
2018 Rank: #35
2017 Rank: #49
2016 Rank: #51
2017 Rank: #49
2016 Rank: #51
Bad Words (2014)
The Family Fang (2016)
Ozark (TV: 2017 - 2019)
Upcoming:
The Outsider (TV: 2020)
2018 Rank: #32
2017 Rank: #42
Perfect Sense (2011)
Starred Up (2014)
Hell or High Water (2016)
Outlaw King (2018)
Upcoming:
Gemstone (TV: 2020)
In the Loop (2009)
Veep (TV: 2015 - 2019)
The Death of Stalin (2018)
Upcoming:
The Personal History of David Copperfield
2018 Rank: #30
2017 Rank: #39
2016 Rank: #41
2015 Rank: #42
2017 Rank: #39
2016 Rank: #41
2015 Rank: #42
Waste Land (2010)
The Crash Reel (2013)
Buena Vista Social Club: Adios (2017)
2018 Rank: #31
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Wonder (2017)
Upcoming:
Prince Charming (2021)
Troubadours (2011)
20 Feet from Stardom (2013)
Best of Enemies (2015)
Keith Richards: Under the Influence (2015)
Abstract: The Art of Design (2017)
Won't You Be My Neighbor (2018)
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018)
2018 Rank: #38
2017 Rank: #45
2016 Rank: #44
2017 Rank: #45
2016 Rank: #44
The Misfortunates (2010)
The Broken Circle Breakdown (2013)
Beautiful Boy (2018)
2018 Rank: #33
2017 Rank: #44
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
You Were Never Really Here (2018)
2018 Rank: #28
John Wick (Co-Director) (2014)
Atomic Blonde (2017)
Deadpool 2 (2018)
Upcoming:
Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
2018 Rank: #22
2017 Rank: #36
2016 Rank: #33
2017 Rank: #36
2016 Rank: #33
Senna (2011)
Amy (2015)
Ali & Nino (2017)
Mindhunter (TV: 2017)
Upcoming:
Maradona (2019)
2018 Rank: #27
2017 Rank: #40
No (2013)
The Club (2015)
Neruda (2016)
Jackie (2016)
Upcoming:
Ema (2019)
The True American (2020)
2018 Rank: #26
Wind River (2017)
Yellowstone (TV: 2018)
Upcoming:
Those Who Wish Me Dead (2020)
2018 Rank: #19
2017 Rank: #34
28 Hotel Rooms (2012)
Captain Fantastic (2016)
Upcoming:
Tomorrow and Tomorrow (2020)
2018 Rank: #21
2017 Rank: #31
2016 Rank: #35
2015 Rank: #37
2014 Rank: #33
2013 Rank: #34
2012 Rank: #38
2011 Rank: #26
2010 Rank: #29
2017 Rank: #31
2016 Rank: #35
2015 Rank: #37
2014 Rank: #33
2013 Rank: #34
2012 Rank: #38
2011 Rank: #26
2010 Rank: #29
An Education (2009)
One Day (2011)
Their Finest (2017)
Upcoming:
The Kindness of Strangers (2019)
2018 Rank: #14
2017 Rank: #22
2016 Rank: #24
2015 Rank: #25
2014 Rank: #37
2017 Rank: #22
2016 Rank: #24
2015 Rank: #25
2014 Rank: #37
Animal Kingdom (2010)
The Rover (2014)
Flesh and Bone (TV: 2015)
War Machine (2017)
Upcoming:
The King (2019)
2018 Rank: #20
2017 Rank: #37
2016 Rank: #34
2017 Rank: #37
2016 Rank: #34
Fruitvale Station (2013)
Creed (2015)
Black Panther (2018)
Upcoming:
Wrong Answer (2020)
2018 Rank: #11
2017 Rank: #18
2016 Rank: #29
2015 Rank: #16
2014 Rank: #10
2013 Rank: #15
2012 Rank: #22
2011 Rank: #34
2010 Rank: #41
2009 Rank: #35
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Limitless (TV: 2015)
Gifted (2017)
Instinct (TV: 2018)
Upcoming:
The Code (2019)
2018 Rank: #3
2017 Rank: #2
2016 Rank: #2
2015 Rank: #2
2014 Rank: #4
2013 Rank: #3
2012 Rank: #1
2011 Rank: #13
2010 Rank: #28
2009 Rank: #15
2017 Rank: #2
2016 Rank: #2
2015 Rank: #2
2014 Rank: #4
2013 Rank: #3
2012 Rank: #1
2011 Rank: #13
2010 Rank: #28
2009 Rank: #15
Moon (2009)
Source Code (2011)
Warcraft (2016) and Mute (2018) were released, but I haven't seen them and I haven't heard enough good things about them.
Upcoming:
Rogue Trooper (2020)
2018 Rank: #10
2017 Rank: #17
2016 Rank: #22
2015 Rank: #44
2014 Rank: #49
2017 Rank: #17
2016 Rank: #22
2015 Rank: #44
2014 Rank: #49
Smashed (2012)
The Spectacular Now (2013)
The End of the Tour (2015)
Sorry for Your Loss (TV: 2018)
Upcoming:
Wild City (2020)
2018 Rank: #24
2017 Rank: #38
2016 Rank: #53
2017 Rank: #38
2016 Rank: #53
Dogtooth (2010)
Alps (2012)
The Lobster (2016)
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
The Favourite (2018)
and Chris Miller
2018 Rank: #1
2017 Rank: #1
2016 Rank: #5
2015 Rank: #14
2014 Rank: #34
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
21 Jump Street (2012)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV: 2013)
The Lego Movie (2014)
22 Jump Street (2014)
The Last Man on Earth (TV: 2015)
2018 Rank: #6
2017 Rank: #8
2016 Rank: #15
2015 Rank: #35
2017 Rank: #8
2016 Rank: #15
2015 Rank: #35
Il Divo (2009)
This Must Be the Place (2011)
The Great Beauty (2014)
Youth (2015)
The Young Pope (TV: 2017)
Upcoming:
The New Pope (2019)
2018 Rank: #4
2017 Rank: #5
2016 Rank: #11
2015 Rank: #31
2014 Rank: #44
2017 Rank: #5
2016 Rank: #11
2015 Rank: #31
2014 Rank: #44
Margin Call (2011)
All is Lost (2013)
A Most Violent Year (2014)
Upcoming:
Triple Frontier (2019)
2018 Rank: #15
2017 Rank: #24
2016 Rank: #27
2017 Rank: #24
2016 Rank: #27
About Elly (2009)
A Separation (2011)
The Past (2013)
The Salesman (2016)
Upcoming:
Everybody Knows (2019)
2018 Rank: #5
2017 Rank: #6
2016 Rank: #13
2015 Rank: #15
2014 Rank: OUT
2013 Rank: OUT
2012 Rank: #44
2011 Rank: #47
2010 Rank: #36
2009 Rank: #29
2017 Rank: #6
2016 Rank: #13
2015 Rank: #15
2014 Rank: OUT
2013 Rank: OUT
2012 Rank: #44
2011 Rank: #47
2010 Rank: #36
2009 Rank: #29
Sin Nombre (2009)
Jane Eyre (2011)
True Detective (TV: 2014)
Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Maniac could have been awesome; but they poorly cast Jonah Hill and it was too much of a mess. Surprising, since Fukunaga is not a messy director.
Upcoming:
Bond 25 (2020)
2018 Rank: #18
2017 Rank: #32
2016 Rank: #40
Ex-Machina (2015)
Annihilation (2018)
Upcoming:
Devs (2019)
2018 Rank: #2
2017 Rank: #7
2016 Rank: #14
2015 Rank: #19
2014 Rank: #20
2013 Rank: #28
2012 Rank: #37
2017 Rank: #7
2016 Rank: #14
2015 Rank: #19
2014 Rank: #20
2013 Rank: #28
2012 Rank: #37
Crazy Heart (2009)
Out of the Furnace (2013)
Black Mass (2015)
Hostiles (2017)
Upcoming:
Antlers (2019)
2018 Rank: #9
2017 Rank: #13
2016 Rank: #37
2017 Rank: #13
2016 Rank: #37
Whiplash (2014)
La La Land (2016)
First Man (2018)
Upcoming:
The Eddy (TV: 2020)
Added to
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Yearly Best Active Directors List Collection
(36 lists)list by Stehako
Published 3 years, 3 months ago 
1 comment
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