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Most Accomplished Active Directors (2019 Edition)

Person list created by Stehako Avatar

The 11th Edition of this list

Defining the careers of the most successful directors, creatively and commercially, who are still working today...
(Created by and in the opinion of Stephen H Koontz)

This list includes directors who...
-- Have at least five successful films completed (ones I would rate 7/10 or higher or have been influential in our society)
-- Have directed full-length features for at least ten years.
-- Released a quality film in the last 5 years (Nothing older than 2014) or has at least one promising film on the way.

Typically the more high-quality completed films combined with promising films the director has on deck, the higher their rank.


Those who are OUT of the list:
DAVID CRONENBERG:
- One of the greatest directors of the horror genre hasn't created a horror film in quite some time. That's fine considering he has still made some quality films since the departure from the genre. Sadly he hasn't made a really good film now for the better part of a decade and nothing interesting is on his horizon.
PAUL VERHOEVEN: The Dutch provocateur had a great career of challenging his audiences as much as entertaining. His last couple of films have shown weakness and aren't bringing that unpredictability for which he is known. Plus, nothing interesting coming as of now.



Enjoy!

Sort by: Showing 50 items
Rating: List Type:

2018 Rank: #49

2017 Rank: #49
2016 Rank: #48
2015 Rank: #50
2014 Rank: #24 in Top Future Directing Greats
2013 Rank: #26 in Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: #39 in Top Future Directing Greats (Debut)
2011 Rank: --
2010 Rank: --
2009 Rank: --


Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989)

Talk to Her (2002)

Volver (2006)

The Skin I Live In (2011)

Julieta (2016)


Upcoming:

Pain & Glory (2019)


2018 Rank: #50

2017 Rank: #48

2016 Rank: #45
2015 Rank: #43
2014 Rank: #46
2013 Rank: #47
2012 Rank: #13 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'
2011 Rank: #19 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'
2010 Rank: #30 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'
2009 Rank: #24 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'


My Own Private Idaho (1991)

To Die For (1995)

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Finding Forrester (2000)

Elephant (2003)

Milk (2008)

Promised Land (2012)

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)




2018 Rank: #48

2017 Rank: #45

2016 Rank: #42
2015 Rank: #47
2014 Rank: #48
2013 Rank: #14 in Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: #17 in Top Future Directing Greats
2011 Rank: #14 in Top Future Directing Greats
2010 Rank: #15 in Top Future Directing Greats
2009 Rank: #12 in Top Future Directing Greats


Reality Bites (1994)

The Cable Guy (1996)

Zoolander (2001)

Tropic Thunder (2008)

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Escape at Dannemora (TV: 2018)




Let's try to forget about "Zoolander No. 2" (2016)


2018 Rank: #44

2017 Rank: #42

2016 Rank: #38
2015 Rank: #38
2014 Rank: #37
2013 Rank: #38
2012 Rank: #40
2011 Rank: #43
2010 Rank: #2 on Future Directing Greats
2009 Rank: #23 on Future Directing Greats


Delicatessen (1992)

The City of Lost Children (1995)

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Amelie (2001)

A Very Long Engagement (2004)

Micmacs (2010)

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2014)

Casanova (2016)


2018 Rank: #42

2017 Rank: #44

2016 Rank: #46
2015 Rank: #48
2014 Rank: OUT
2013 Rank: OUT
2012 Rank: OUT
2011 Rank: OUT
2010 Rank: #46
2009 Rank: #36


The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Aladdin (1992)

Hercules (1997)

Treasure Planet (2002)

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Moana (2016)


2018 Rank: #40

2017 Rank: #43

2016 Rank: #43
2015 Rank: #46
2014 Rank: #17 on Top Future Directing Greats
2013 Rank: #19 on Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: #24 on Top Future Directing Greats
2011 Rank: #46 on Top Future Directing Greats
2010 Rank: OUT
2009 Rank: OUT


The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Fast, Cheap and Out of Control (1997)

Mr. Death (1999)

The Fog of War (2003)

Standard Operating Procedure (2008)

Tabloid (2011)

The Unknown Known (2014)

Wormwood (TV: 2017)



2018 Rank: OUT
2017 Rank: OUT
2016 Rank: OUT
2015 Rank: OUT
2014 Rank: #39

2013 Rank: #35
2012 Rank: #35
2011 Rank: #20
2010 Rank: #14
2009 Rank: #17


Do the Right Thing (1989)

Malcolm X (1992)

Clockers (1995)

He Got Game (1998)

25th Hour (2002)

Inside Man (2006)

Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016)

BlacKkKlansman (2018)


2018 Rank: #47

2017 Rank: #8 in Top Future Directing Greats

2016 Rank: #14 in Top Future Directing Greats
2015 Rank: #15 in Top Future Directing Greats
2014 Rank: #18 in Top Future Directing Greats
2013 Rank: #18 in Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: #21 in Top Future Directing Greats
2011 Rank: #35 in Top Future Directing Greats
2010 Rank: #4 on Up & Coming Directors List (Debut)
2009 Rank: --


Spaced (TV: 1999 - 01)

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

The World's End (2013)

Baby Driver (2017)


Upcoming:

Last Night in SoHo(2020)


2018 Rank: #45

2017 Rank: #50

2016 Rank: #44
2015 Rank: #42
2014 Rank: #42
2013 Rank: #42
2012 Rank: #41
2011 Rank: #28
2010 Rank: #31
2009 Rank: #23


Diner (1982)

The Natural (1984)

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

Rain Man (1988)

Avalon (1990)

Bugsy (1991)

Toys (1992)

Sleepers (1996)

Wag the Dog (1997)

Bandits (2001)

Man of the Year (2006)

You Don't Know Jack (2010)

Rock the Kasbah (2015)

The Wizard of Lies (2017)

Paterno (2018)


Upcoming:

The Jury Room (TV: 2020)




Levinson is becoming the master of HBO movies, with three of his last four movies being so.


2018 Rank: #41

2017 Rank: #46

2016 Rank: #47
2015 Rank: #8 in Top Future Directing Greats
2014 Rank: #9 in Top Future Directing Greats
2013 Rank: #11 in Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: #12 in Top Future Directing Greats
2011 Rank: #9 in Top Future Directing Greats
2010 Rank: #20 in Top Future Directing Greats
2009 Rank: #43 in Top Future Directing Greats


The Virgin Suicides (1999)

Lost in Translation (2003)

Marie Antionette (2006)

Somewhere (2010)

The Bling Ring (2013)

The Beguiled (2017)


Upcoming:

On the Rocks (2020)

2018 Rank: #39
2017 Rank: #41

2016 Rank: #41
2015 Rank: #39
2014 Rank: #44
2013 Rank: #46
2012 Rank: #49
2011 Rank: #49
2010 Rank: #50
2009 Rank: #48


The Hit (1984)

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

The Grifters (1990)

Hero (1992)

High Fidelity (2000)

Dirty Pretty Things (2002)

Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005)

The Queen (2006)

Tamera Drewe (2010)

Philomena (2013)

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)

Victoria and Abdul (2017)

A Very English Sandal (2018)


Upcoming:

State of the Union (TV: 2019)


2018 Rank: #43

2017 Rank: #47

2016 Rank: #50
2015 Rank: #4 in Top Future Directing Greats
2014 Rank: #5 in Top Future Directing Greats
2013 Rank: #3 in Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: #5 in Top Future Directing Greats
2011 Rank: #5 in Top Future Directing Greats
2010 Rank: #7 in Top Future Directing Greats
2009 Rank: #30 in Top Future Directing Greats


Thank You For Smoking (2005)

Juno (2007)

Up in the Air (2009)

Young Adult (2011)

Labor Day (2013)

Men, Women & Children (2014)

Casual (TV: 2015-2017)

Tully (2018)

The Frontrunner (2018)


Upcoming:

Untitled Ghostbusters Movie (2020)


2018 Rank: #38

2017 Rank: #37

2016 Rank: #39
2015 Rank: #40
2014 Rank: #7 on Top Future Directing Greats
2013 Rank: #9 on Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: #22 on Top Future Directing Greats
2011 Rank: #36 on Top Future Directing Greats
2010 Rank: #39 on Top Future Directing Greats
2009 Rank: #26 on Top Future Directing Greats


Sense and Sensibility (1995)

The Ice Storm (1997)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Taking Woodstock (2009)

Life of Pi (2012)

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016)


Upcoming:

Gemini Man (2019)

Thrilla in Manilla (2020)

2018 Rank: #35
2017 Rank: #38

2016 Rank: #40
2015 Rank: #1 in Top Future Directing Greats
2014 Rank: #1 in Top Future Directing Greats
2013 Rank: #4 in Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: #6 in Top Future Directing Greats
2011 Rank: #7 in Top Future Directing Greats
2010 Rank: #11 in Top Future Directing Greats
2009 Rank: #14 in Top Future Directing Greats


Being John Malkovich (1999)

Adaptation. (2002)

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

Pretty Sweet (2012)

Her (2013)


Upcoming:

Untitled Project (2020)

2018 Rank: #26
2017 Rank: #23

2016 Rank: #21
2015 Rank: #20
2014 Rank: #22
2013 Rank: #21
2012 Rank: #22
2011 Rank: #31
2010 Rank: #37
2009 Rank: #37


Repulsion (1965)

Cul-de-Sac (1966)

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Chinatown (1974)

Frantic (1988)

Death and the Maiden (1994)

The Pianist (2002)

The Ghost Writer (2010)

Carnage (2011)

Venus in Fur (2014)

D'après une histoire vraie (2018)


Upcoming:

J'accuse (2020)

2018 Rank: #34
2017 Rank: #35

2016 Rank: #33
2015 Rank: #35
2014 Rank: #33
2013 Rank: #31
2012 Rank: #30
2011 Rank: #30
2010 Rank: #30
2009 Rank: #46


About Last Night… (1986)

Glory (1989)

Legends of the Fall (1994)

Courage Under Fire (1996)

The Siege (1998)

The Last Samurai (2003)

Blood Diamond (2006)

Defiance (2008)

Love and Other Drugs (2010)

Pawn Sacrifice (2015)


Upcoming:

Trial by Fire (2019)

Away (TV: 2020)


2018 Rank: #36
2017 Rank: #39

2016 Rank: #1 in Top Future Directing Greats
2015 Rank: #8 in Top Future Directing Greats
2014 Rank: #19 in Top Future Directing Greats
2013 Rank: #32 in Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: --
2011 Rank: --
2010 Rank: --
2009 Rank: --


Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)

Casino Jack and the United States of Money (2010)

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer (2010)

Magic Trip: Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place (2011)

Catching Hell (2011)

The Last Gladiators (2012)

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012)

We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks (2013)

The Armstrong Lie (2014)

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015)

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (2015)

Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (2015)

Zero Days (2016)

Rolling Stone: Stories from the Edge (2017)

The Looming Tower (TV: 2018)


Upcoming:

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019)

The House of Saud (2020)

2018 Rank: #33
2017 Rank: #31

2016 Rank: #30
2015 Rank: #32
2014 Rank: #34
2013 Rank: #37
2012 Rank: #1 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'
2011 Rank: #2 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'
2010 rank: #1 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'
2009 Rank: #7 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'


American Beauty (1999)

Road to Perdition (2002)

Jarhead (2005)

Revolutionary Road (2008)

Away We Go (2009)

Skyfall (2012)

Spectre (2015)


Upcoming:

1917 (2019)

2018 Rank: #31
2017 Rank: #34

2016 Rank: #37
2015 Rank: #37
2014 Rank: #43
2013 Rank: #1 in Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: #2 in Top Future Directing Greats
2011 Rank: #25 in Top Future Directing Greats
2010 Rank: #34 in Top Future Directing Greats
2009 Rank: #42 in Top Future Directing Greats


Election (1999)

About Schmidt (2002)

Sideways (2004)

The Descendants (2011)

Nebraska (2013)

Downsizing (2017)


Upcoming:

The Burial (2020)

2018 Rank: #28
2017 Rank: #28

2016 Rank: #31
2015 Rank: #34
2014 Rank: #38
2013 Rank: #39
2012 Rank: #45
2011 Rank: #50
2010 Rank: #29 on Future Directing Greats
2009 Rank: #48 on Future Directing Greats


Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)

Fitzcarraldo (1982)

Lessons of Darkness (1992)

My Best Friend (1999)

Grizzly Man (2005)

The Wild Blue Yonder (2006)

Rescue Dawn (2007)

Encounters at the End of the World (2008)

The Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2011)

Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (2012)

Into the Abyss (2012)

Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (2016)

Into the Inferno (2016)


Upcoming:

Fireball (2019)

2018 Rank: #29
2017 Rank: #29

2016 Rank: #29
2015 Rank: #29
2014 Rank: #32
2013 Rank: #40
2012 Rank: #4 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'
2011 Rank: #8 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'
2010 Rank: #26 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'
2009 Rank: #31 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'


Flirting with Disaster (1996)

Three Kings (1999)

I Heart Huckabees (2004)

The Fighter (2010)

The Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

American Hustle (2013)

Joy (2015)


Upcoming:

Untitled Russell/De Niro Project (TV: 2020)

2017 Rank: #17
2016 Rank: #18

2015 Rank: #18
2014 rank: #21
2013 Rank: #20
2012 Rank: #20
2011 Rank: #16
2010 Rank: #13
2009 Rank: #20


What's Up, Tiger Lilly? (1966)

Take the Money and Run (1969)

Bananas (1971)

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (1972)

Sleeper (1973)

Annie Hall (1977)

Manhattan (1979)

Zelig (1983)

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

Husbands and Wives (1992)

Mighty Aphrodite (1995)

Match Point (2005)

Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008)

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Blue Jasmine (2013)

Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

Café Society (2016)

Wonder Wheel (2017)


Upcoming:

A Rainy Day in New York (2019)

2018 Rank #32
2017 Rank: #30

2016 Rank: #27
2015 Rank: #28
2014 Rank: #28
2013 Rank: #28
2012 Rank: #27
2011 Rank: #39
2010 Rank: #3 (Future Directing Greats)
2009 Rank: #18 (Future Directing Greats)


Road Trip (2000)

Old School (2003)

Starsky & Hutch (2004)

The Hangover (2009)

Due Date (2010)

The Hangover Part II (2011)

War Dogs (2016)


Upcoming:

Joker (2019)

2018 Rank: #27
2017 Rank: #26

2016 Rank: #19
2015 Rank: #19
2014 Rank: #18
2013 Rank: #17
2012 Rank: #18
2011 Rank: #25
2010 Rank: #28
2009 Rank: #22


Meet the Feebles (1989)

Heavenly Creatures (1994)

The Frighteners (1996)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

King Kong (2005)

The Lovely Bones (2009)

The Hobbit: Part I: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

The Hobbit: Part II: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

The Hobbit: Part III: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)


Upcoming:

The Adventures of Tintin: Prisoners of the Sun (2021)

2018 Rank: #25
2017 Rank: #27

2016 Rank: #28
2015 Rank: #30
2014 Rank: #30
2013 Rank: #29
2012 Rank: #31
2011 Rank: #41
2010 Rank: #45
2009 Rank: #17 on Future Directing Greats


Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Snatch (2000)

Revolver (2005)

RocknRolla (2008)

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

The Man from UNCLE (2015)

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)


Upcoming:

Aladdin (2019)

Toff Guys (2020)


2018 Rank: #30

2017 Rank: #32

2016 Rank: #35
2015 Rank: #13 in Top Future Directing Greats
2014 Rank: #14 in Top Future Directing Greats
2013 Rank: #17 in Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: #19 in Top Future Directing Greats
2011 Rank: #30 in Top Future Directing Greats
2010 Rank: #44 in Top Future Directing Greats
2009 Rank: #32 in Top Future Directing Greats


Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Step Brothers (2008)

The Other Guys (2010)

Anchorman: The Legend Continues (2013)

The Big Short (2015)

Succession (TV: 2018)

Vice (2018)


Upcoming:

Bad Blood (2020)


2018 Rank: #24

2017 Rank: #24

2016 Rank: #24
2015 Rank: #26
2014 Rank: #26
2013 Rank: #24
2012 Rank: #25
2011 Rank: #26
2010 Rank: #5 on Future Directing Greats List
2009 Rank: #13 on Future Directing Greats List


Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Mystery, Alaska (1999)

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

Meet the Parents (2000)

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

Meet the Fockers (2004)

Recount (2008)

Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

The Campaign (2012)

Game Change (2012)

The Brink (TV: 2015)

Trumbo (2015)

All the Way (2016)


Upcoming:

Untitled Roger Ailes Biopic (2019)


2018 Rank: #23

2017 Rank: #21

2016 Rank: #22
2015 Rank: #22
2014 Rank: #25
2013 Rank: #27
2012 Rank: #28
2011 Rank: #6 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'
2010 Rank: #10 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'
2009 Rank: #44 on 'Top Future Directing Greats'


Badlands (1973)

Days of Heaven (1978)

The Thin Red Line (1998)

The New World (2005)

The Tree of Life (2011)

To the Wonder (2013)

Knight of Cups (2016)

Voyage of Time: Life's Journey (2016)

Song to Song (2017)


Upcoming:

Radegund (2019)

2018 Rank: #19
2017 Rank: #19

2016 Rank: #20
2015 Rank: #21
2014 Rank: #23
2013 Rank: #25
2012 Rank: #21
2011 Rank: OUT
2010 Rank: #25
2009 Rank: #19


Platoon (1986)

Salvador (1986)

Wall Street (1987)

Talk Radio (1988)

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

The Doors (1991)

JFK (1991)

Natural Born Killers (1994)

Nixon (1995)

Any Given Sunday (1999)

W. (2008)

South of the Border (2010)

Savages (2012)

The Untold History of the United States (TV: 2012 - 2013)

Snowden (2016)

The Putin Interviews (2017)


Upcoming:

White Lies (2020)



Stone's recent projects aren't at all bad, but I do miss the innovative, risky filmmaking of his earlier days.

2018 Rank: #21
2017 Rank: #22

2016 Rank: #25
2015 Rank: #44
2014 Rank: #10 on Top Future Directing Greats
2013 Rank: #10 on Top Future Directing Greats
2012 Rank: #11 on Top Future Directing Greats
2011 Rank: #4 on Top Future Directing Greats
2010 Rank: #9 on Top Future Directing Greats
2009 Rank: #3 on Top Future Directing Greats


Amores Perros (2000)

21 Grams (2003)

Babel (2006)

Biutiful (2010)

Birdman or: The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (2014)

The Revenant (2015)



Upcoming:

Untitled Project (2020)

2018 Rank: #20
2017 Rank: #25
2016 Rank: #26
2015 Rank: #24
2014 Rank: #29
2013 Rank: #30
2012 Rank: #32
2011 Rank: #1 on Top Future Directing Greats
2010 Rank: #8 on Top Future Directing Greats
2009 Rank: #6 on Top Future Directing Greats

"Mother!" has, once again, proven Aranofsky is one of the most creative directors active today, and one taking worthy risks. Something Oliver Stone used to do.


Pi (1998)


Requiem for a Dream (2000)


The Fountain (2006)


The Wrestler (2008)


Black Swan (2010)


Noah (2014)


Mother! (2017)



No Upcoming Films




2018 Rank: #18
2017 Rank: #16

2016 Rank: #16
2015 Rank: #15
2014 Rank: #16
2013 Rank: #15
2012 Rank: #16
2011 Rank: #21
2010 Rank: #23
2009 Rank: #30


Play Misty for Me (1971)


High Plains Drifter (1973)


Breezy (1973)


The Eiger Sanction (1975)


The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)


Sudden Impact (1983)


Pale Rider (1985)


Bird (1988)


Unforgiven (1992)


A Perfect World (1993)


The Bridges of Madison County (1995)


Absolute Power (1997)


Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)


Mystic River (2003)


Million Dollar Baby (2004)


Flags of our Fathers (2006)


Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)


Changeling (2008)


Gran Torino (2008)


Invictus (2009)


The Hereafter (2010)


J. Edgar (2011)


American Sniper (2014)


Sully (2016)


The Mule (2018)



No Upcoming Films




2018 Rank: #18
2017 Rank: #21

2016 Rank: #22
2015 Rank: #23
2014 Rank: #24
2013 Rank: #26
2012 Rank: #26
2011 Rank: #24
2010 Rank: #27
2009 Rank: #1 on Top Future Directing Greats

"Logan Lucky" was quite possibly the most underwatched movie of 2017. Soderbergh continues to have such a wide range of genres and he is still experimenting, something you rarely see with a director so far into their career. They fail half the time, but that's okay.


Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)


King of the Hill (1993)


Schizopolis (1997)


Out of Sight (1998)


The Limey (1999)


Erin Brockovich (2000)


Traffic (2000)


Ocean’s Eleven (2001)


Solaris (2002)


Ocean's Twelve (2004)


The Good German (2006)


Ocean's Thirteen (2007)


Che: Parts One and Two (2008)


The Informant! (2009)


Contagion (2011)


Side Effects (2013)


Behind the Candelabra (2013)


The Knick (TV : 2014 - 2015)


Logan Lucky (2017)


Mosaic (TV: 2018)



Upcoming Films:



High-Flying Bird (2019)

The Laundromat (2019)


2018 Rank: #14
2017 Rank: #15

2016 Rank: #15
2015 Rank: #17
2014 Rank: #13
2013 Rank: #11
2012 Rank: #3
2011 Rank: #6
2010 Rank: #4
2009 Rank: #6


Alien (1979)


Blade Runner (1982)


Thelma & Louise (1991)


White Squal (1996)


G.I. Jane (1997)


Gladiator (2000)


Black Hawk Down (2001)


Matchstick Men (2003)


Kingdom of Heaven (2005)


American Gangster (2007)


Body of Lies (2008)


Prometheus (2012)


The Martian (2015)


All the Money in the World (2017)



Upcoming Films:



Raised by Wolves (TV: 2020)




2018 Rank: OUT
2017 Rank: OUT
2016 Rank: OUT
2015 Rank: #25
2014 Rank: #20
2013 Rank: #19
2012 Rank: #17
2011 Rank: #11
2010 Rank: #9
2009 Rank: #5


Dumb & Dumber (1994)

with brother, Bobby Farrelly


Kingpin (1996)

with brother, Bobby Farrelly


There’s Something About Mary (1998)

with brother, Bobby Farrelly


Me, Myself and Irene (2000)

with brother, Bobby Farrelly


Shallow Hal (2001)

with brother, Bobby Farrelly


Stuck On You (2003)

with brother, Bobby Farrelly


Fever Pitch (2005)

with brother, Bobby Farrelly


The Heartbreak Kid (2007)

with brother, Bobby Farrelly


Loudermilk (TV: 2017 - 2019)


Greenbook (2018)



No Upcoming Films




2018 Rank: #17
2017 Rank: #18
2016 Rank: #17
2015 Rank: #16
2014 Rank: #14
2013 Rank: #14
2012 Rank: #14
2011 Rank: #17
2010 Rank: #19
2009 Rank: #7


Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)


Beetle Juice (1988)


Batman (1989)


Edward Scissorhands (1990)


Batman Returns (1992)


Ed Wood (1994)


Mars Attacks! (1996)


Sleepy Hollow (1999)


Big Fish (2003)


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)


The Corpse Bride (2005)


Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)


Alice in Wonderland (2010)


Frankenweenie (2012)


Big Eyes (2014)


Ms Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)



Upcoming Films:


Dumbo (2019)

2018 Rank: #15
2017 Rank: #14

2016 Rank: #12
2015 Rank: #12
2014 Rank: #11
2013 Rank: #10
2012 Rank: #6
2011 Rank: #7
2010 Rank: #6
2009 Rank: #11

I really hope so much time and talent isn't wasted on these upcoming "Avatar" sequels.


The Terminator (1984)


Aliens (1986)


The Abyss (1989)


Terminator II: Judgment Day (1991)


True Lies (1994)


Titanic (1997)


Dark Angel (TV: 2002)


Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)


Avatar (2009)



Upcoming Films:



Avatar Two (2020)

Avatar Three (2021)

Avatar Four (2023)

Avatar Five (2024)

2018 Rank: #13
2017 Rank: #13

2016 Rank: #14
2015 Rank: #13
2014 Rank: #15
2013 Rank: #18
2012 Rank: #19
2011 Rank: #10
2010 Rank: #10
2009 Rank: #4


Night Shift (1982)


Splash (1984)


Cocoon (1985)


Willow


Parenthood (1989)


Backdraft (1991)


Far and Away (1992)


The Paper (1994)


Apollo 13 (1995)


Ransom (1996)


How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)


A Beautiful Mind (2001)


Cinderella Man (2005)


The Da Vinci Code (2006)


Frost/Nixon (2008)


Angels & Demons (2009)


Rush (2013)


In the Heart of the Sea (2015)


The Beatles: Eight Days a Week (2016)


Genius (TV: 2017)


Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)



Upcoming Films:



Pavarotti (2019)

Hillbilly Elegy (TV: 2021)

2018 Rank: #12
2017 Rank: #12

2016 Rank: #11
2015 Rank: #11
2014 Rank: #12
2013 Rank: #13
2012 Rank: #12
2011 Rank: #18
2010 Rank: #20
2009 Rank: #24

This is the year "Quixote" could possibly finally be released!!


Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)


Time Bandits (1981)


The Meaning of Life (1983)


Brazil (1985)


The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)


The Fisher King (1991)


Twelve Monkeys (1995)


Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)


Tideland (2006)


The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)


The Zero Theorem (2014)



Upcoming Films:



The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2019)

2018 Rank: #8
2017 Rank: #7

2016 Rank: #7
2015 Rank: #8
2014 Rank: #7
2013 Rank: #6
2012 Rank: #7
2011 Rank: #7
2010 Rank: #5
2009 Rank: #3



I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978)


Romancing the Stone (1984)


Back to the Future (1985)


Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)


Back to the Future II (1989)


Back to the Future III (1990)


Forrest Gump (1994)


Contact (1997)


Cast Away (2000)


The Polar Express (2004)


Flight (2012)


The Walk (2015)


Allied (2016)


Welcome to Marwen (2018)



Upcoming Films:



The Witches (2020)

2018 Rank: #11
2017 Rank: #11

2016 Rank: #13
2015 Rank: #14
2014 Rank: #19
2013 Rank: #23
2012 Rank: #29
2011 Rank: #40
2010 Rank: #42
2009 Rank: #32




Slacker (1991)


Dazed and Confused (1993)


Before Sunrise (1995)


Suburbia (1996)


Waking Life (2001)


Tape (2001)


The School of Rock (2003)


Before Sunset (2004)


A Scanner Darkly (2006)


Bernie (2012)


Before Midnight (2013)


Boyhood (2014)


Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)


Last Flag Flying (2017)



Upcoming Films:



Where'd You Go, Bernadette (2019)

Brinkley (2020)

2018 Rank: #10
2017 Rank: #10

2016 Rank: #9
2015 Rank: #9
2014 Rank: #9
2013 Rank: #9
2012 Rank: #10
2011 Rank: #15
2010 Rank: #18
2009 Rank: #19


Reservoir Dogs (1992)


Pulp Fiction (1994)


Jackie Brown (1997)


Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)


Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)


Inglourious Basterds (2009)


Django Unchained (2012)


The Hateful Eight (2015)



Upcoming Films



Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

2018 Rank: #7
2017 Rank: #9

2015 Rank: #7
2014 Rank: #8
2013 Rank: #8
2012 Rank: #8
2011 Rank: #14
2010 Rank: #24
2009 Rank: #18



Seven (1995)


The Game (1997)


Fight Club (1999)


Zodiac (2007)


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)


The Social Network (2010)


The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)


House of Cards (TV : 2013)


Gone Girl (2014)


Mindhunter (TV : 2017 - 2019)



No Upcoming Films







2018 Rank: #9

2017 Rank: #8

2016 Rank: #8
2015 Rank: #10
2014 Rank: #10
2013 Rank: #12
2012 Rank: #13
2011 Rank: #19
2010 Rank: #26
2009 Rank: #21



Shallow Grave (1994)


Trainspotting (1996)


A Life Less Ordinary (1997)


The Beach (2000)


28 Days Later (2002)


Millions (2004)


Sunshine (2007)


Slumdog Millionaire (2008)


127 Hours (2010)


Trance (2013)


Steve Jobs (2015)


T2: Trainspotting (2017)


Trust (TV: 2018)



Upcoming Films:



Yesterday (2019)

2018 Rank: #5
2017 Rank: #5

2016 Rank: #5
2015 Rank: #5
2014 Rank: #6
2013 Rank: #7
2012 Rank: #5
2011 Rank: #9
2010 Rank: #22
2009 Rank: #15


Nolan finally got his Oscar nomination with "Dunkirk". Maybe the next film will get him a statue...


Following (1998)


Memento (2000)


Insomnia (2002)


Batman Begins (2005)


The Prestige (2006)


The Dark Knight (2008)


Inception (2010)


The Dark Knight Rises (2012)


Interstellar (2014)


Dunkirk (2017)



Upcoming Films:



Untitled Project (2020)




2018 Rank: #6
2017 Rank: #6

2016 Rank: #4
2015 Rank: #4
2014 Rank: #4
2013 Rank: #4
2012 Rank: #9
2011 Rank: #12
2010 Rank: #17
2009 Rank: #39

Wes gave us another great stop-animation film and he is kind to his finds by swiftly revealing a title and details on his next film...


Bottle Rocket (1996)


Rushmore (1998)


The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)


The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)


The Darjeeling Limited (2007)


Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)


Moonrise Kingdom (2012)


The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)


Isle of Dogs (2018)



Upcoming Films:



The French Dispatch (2020)





2018 Rank: #4
2017 Rank: #4

2016 Rank: #6
2015 Rank: #6
2014 Rank: #5
2013 Rank: #5
2012 Rank: #11
2011 Rank: #13
2010 Rank: #12
2009 Rank: #33

"Phantom Thread" was another intoxicating film from the auteur. Pretentious? Sure, but I can't help love his attention to detail and layered storytelling and also being able to direct tremendous performances. He is the closest thing to Kubrick we have when it comes to perfectionism.


Hard Eight (1996)


Boogie Nights (1997)


Magnolia (1999)


Punch-Drunk Love (2002)


There Will Be Blood (2007)


The Master (2012)


Inherent Vice (2014)


Phantom Thread (2017)



No Upcoming Films









and Ethan Coen



2018 Rank: #3
2017 Rank: #2

2016 Rank: #3
2015 Rank: #3
2014 Rank: #3
2013 Rank: #3
2012 Rank: #4
2011 Rank: #3
2010 Rank: #3
2009 Rank: #8


Blood Simple (1984)


Raising Arizona (1987)


Miller’s Crossing (1990)


Barton Fink (1991)


The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)


Fargo (1996)


The Big Lebowski (1998)


O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)


The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)


Intolerable Cruelty (2003)


The Lady Killers (2004)


No Country for Old Men (2007)


Burn After Reading (2008)


A Serious Man (2009)


True Grit (2010)


Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)


Hail, Caesar! (2016)


The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)



No Upcoming Films:








2018 Rank: #2
2017 Rank: #3

2016 Rank: #2
2015 Rank: #2
2014 Rank: #2
2013 Rank: #2
2012 Rank: #2
2011 Rank: #2
2010 Rank: #2
2009 Rank: #2

It's kind of ridiculous how much Spielberg has done and has going on.



Duel (1971)


The Sugarland Express (1974)


Jaws (1975)


Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)


1941 (1979)


Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)


E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)


Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)


The Color Purple (1985)


Empire of the Sun (1987)


Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)


Hook (1991)


Jurassic Park (1993)


Schindler’s List (1993)


Amistad (1997)


Saving Private Ryan (1998)


Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)


Minority Report (2002)


Catch Me if You Can (2002)


The Terminal (2004)


Munich (2005)


The Adventures of Tintin (2011)


War Horse (2011)


Lincoln (2012)


Bridge of Spies (2015)


The Post (2017)


Ready Player One (2018)


Upcoming Films



The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara (2019)

West Side Story (2020)

Indiana Jones 5 (2021)

2018 Rank: #1
2017 Rank: #1

2016 Rank: #1
2015 Rank: #1
2014 Rank: #1
2013 Rank: #1
2012 Rank: #1
2011 Rank: #1
2010 Rank: #1
2009 Rank: #1

The greatest of all time has a film coming out at the end of this year that boasts an insane cast and is possibly one of my most anticipated movies of all time.


Mean Streets (1973)


Taxi Driver (1976)


New York, New York (1977)


The Last Waltz (1978)


Raging Bull (1980)


The King of Comedy (1982)


After Hours (1985)


The Color of Money (1986)


The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)


Goodfellas (1990)


Cape Fear (1991)


The Age of Innocence (1993)


Casino (1995)


Kundun (1997)


Gangs of New York (2002)


The Aviator (2004)


The Departed (2006)


Shine a Light (2008)


Shutter Island (2010)


Boardwalk Empire (TV : 2010)


Hugo (2011)


George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011)


The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)


Vinyl (TV : 2016)


Silence (2016)



Upcoming Films



The Irishman (2019)

Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story (2019)

Killers of the Flower Moon (2020)

Untitled Project (2020)




Added to

4 votes
Yearly Best Active Directors List Collection (36 lists)
list by Stehako
Published 4 years ago 1 comment



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