Incredible Directors

1. Quentin Tarantino

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...

Kill Bill (2003-2004): 10/10 Django Unchained (2012): 10/10 Inglourious Basterds (2009): 10/10 Pulp Fiction (1994): 10/10 The Hateful Eight (2015): 9/10 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019): 8/10 Reservoir Dogs (1992): 8/10 Jackie Brown (1997): 7/10 Death Proof (2007): 6/10

Other:

True Romance (1993): 10/10 Four Rooms (1995) [Segment - "The Man from Hollywood"]: 8/10 Sin City (2005) [Segment]: 7/10 My Best Friend's Birthday (1987) [Short]: 2/10

2. 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 ...

Parasite (2019): 10/10 Snowpiercer (2013): 10/10 Memories of Murder (2003): 10/10 Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000): 9/10 Mother (2009): 9/10 Okja (2017): 9/10 The Host (2006): 9/10

3. 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 ...

Spirited Away (2001): 10/10 Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984): 10/10 Princess Mononoke (1997): 10/10 The Boy and the Heron (2023): 9/10 The Castle of Cagliostro (1979): 9/10 My Neighbor Totoro (1988): 9/10 Castle in the Sky (1986): 8/10 The Wind Rises (2013): 8/10 Howl's Moving Castle (2004): 8/10 Porco Rosso (1992): 8/10 Kiki's Delivery Service (1989): 7/10 On Your Mark (1995) [Short]: 7/10 Ponyo (2008): 6/10 Yuki no Taiyou (1972) [Short]: 4/10

4. 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 ...

Coen Brothers - Joel & Ethan Coen

The Big Lebowski (1998): 10/10 Inside Llewyn Davis (2013): 10/10 No Country for Old Men (2007): 10/10 O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000): 9/10 Raising Arizona (1987): 9/10 Blood Simple (1984): 9/10 Fargo (1996): 9/10 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018): 8/10 Miller's Crossing (1990): 8/10 A Serious Man (2009): 8/10 Barton Fink (1991): 8/10 The Man Who Wasn't There (2001): 7/10 True Grit (2010): 7/10 The Hudsucker Proxy (1994): 7/10 Burn After Reading (2008): 6/10 The Ladykillers (2004): 6/10 Hail, Caesar! (2016): 5/10 Intolerable Cruelty (2003): 5/10 The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021): 3/10

5. 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.

Oldboy (2003): 10/10 Lady Vengeance (2005): 10/10 The Handmaiden (2016): 9/10 Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002): 9/10 Decision to Leave (2022): 8/10 J.S.A.: Joint Security Area (2000): 8/10 I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (2006): 7/10 Thirst (2009): 7/10 Judgement (1999) [Short]: 7/10 Three... Extremes (2004) [Segment - "Cut"]: 7/10 If You Were Me (2003) [Segment - "Never Ending Peace and Love"]:6/10 Stoker (2013): 6/10 Night Fishing (2011) [Short]: 6/10 A Rose Reborn (2014) [Short]: 4/10

6. 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 ...

The Prestige (2006): 10/10 Memento (2000): 9/10 The Dark Knight (2009): 9/10 Inception (2010): 9/10 Oppenheimer (2023): 9/10 Interstellar (2014): 9/10 Batman Begins (2005): 9/10 The Dark Knight Rises (2012): 8/10 Following (1998): 7/10 Tenet (2020): 6/10 Dunkirk (2017): 6/10

7. Takeshi Kitano

Actor | Zatôichi

Takeshi Kitano originally studied to become an engineer, but was thrown out of school for rebellious behavior. He learned comedy, singing and dancing from famed comedian Senzaburô Fukami. Working as a lift boy on a nightclub with such features as comic sketches and striptease dancing, Kitano saw ...

Sonatine (1993): 10/10 Fireworks/Hana-bi (1997): 10/10 Zatôichi (2003): 9/10 Kikujiro (1999): 9/10 Violent Cop (1989): 8/10 Kids Return (1996): 8/10 A Scene at the Sea (1991): 8/10 Brother (2000): 7/10 Dolls (2002): 7/10 Ryuzo and His Seven Henchmen (2015): 7/10 Achilles and the Tortoise (2008): 7/10 Outrage (2010): 7/10 Beyond Outrage (2012): 7/10 Getting Any? (1994): 6/10 Boiling Point (1990): 5/10 Glory to the Filmmaker! (2007): 4/10 Takeshis' (2005): 3/10

8. Jee-woon Kim

Director | Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom

Kim Ji-woon was born in Seoul, South Korea. He began his career as an actor before becoming a stage director with productions such as "Hot Sea" in 1994 and "Movie, Movie" in 1995. He then began scripting for films, his first work, 97's "Wonderful Seasons" won Best Screenplay award at Korea's ...

A Bittersweet Life (2005): 10/10 The Quiet Family (1998): 9/10 I Saw the Devil (2010): 9/10 A Tale of Two Sisters (2003): 9/10 The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008): 8/10 The Age of Shadows (2016): 7/10 The Foul King (2000): 6/10

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 ...

Goodfellas (1990): 10/10 Shutter Island (2010): 9/10 The Wolf of Wall Street (2013): 9/10 The Departed (2006): 9/10 Taxi Driver (1976): 9/10 The King of Comedy (1982): 8/10 After Hours (1985): 8/10 Casino (1995): 8/10 Silence (2016): 7/10 Mean Streets (1973): 7/10 Hugo (2011): 7/10 Killers of the Flower Moon (2023): 6/10 Raging Bull (1980): 6/10 The Irishman (2019): 6/10 The Audition (2015) [Short]: 4/10

10. 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), ...

Dune: Part Two (2024): 10/10 Dune (2021): 9/10 Blade Runner 2049 (2017): 9/10 Arrival (2016): 9/10 Enemy (2013): 9/10 Prisoners (2013): 9/10 Sicario (2015): 8/10 Polytechnique (2009): 7/10

11. 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 ...

Pan's Labyrinth (2006): 10/10 The Shape of Water (2017): 9/10 Crimson Peak (2015): 9/10 Pacific Rim (2013): 8/10 The Devil's Backbone (2001): 8/10 Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022): 7/10 Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): 7/10 Hellboy (2004): 7/10 Cronos (1993): 7/10 Blade II (2002): 6/10

12. Stanley Kubrick

Director | 2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick was born in Manhattan, New York City, to Sadie Gertrude (Perveler) and Jacob Leonard Kubrick, a physician. His family were Jewish immigrants (from Austria, Romania, and Russia). Stanley was considered intelligent, despite poor grades at school. Hoping that a change of scenery would ...

A Clockwork Orange (1971): 10/10 Dr. Strangelove (1964): 10/10 The Shining (1980): 9/10 Full Metal Jacket (1987): 9/10 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): 9/10 Paths of Glory (1957): 8/10

13. 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...

Fight Club (1999): 10/10 Zodiac (2007): 9/10 Gone Girl (2014): 9/10 Se7en (1995): 9/10 The Social Network (2010): 6/10 Panic Room (2002): 6/10

14. Taika Waititi

Producer | What We Do in the Shadows

Taika Waititi, also known as Taika Cohen, hails from the Raukokore region of the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand, and is the son of Robin (Cohen), a teacher, and Taika Waititi, an artist and farmer. His father is Maori (Te-Whanau-a-Apanui), and his mother is of Ashkenazi Jewish, Irish...

Thor: Ragnarok (2017): 10/10 What We Do in the Shadows (2014): 9/10 Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016): 9/10 Jojo Rabbit (2019): 9/10 Boy (2010): 7/10 Team Thor (2016) [Short]: 7/10 Team Darryl (2018) [Short]: 7/10 Team Thor: Part 2 (2017) [Short]: 7/10 Thor: Love and Thunder (2022): 6/10 Eagle vs Shark (2007): 5/10

15. Na Hong-jin

Writer | Chugyeokja

Na Hong-jin born in 1974 is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. His debut film The Chaser (2008) won Best Director at the 45th Grand Bell Awards in 2008. The film also won the award for Best Film. His follow up film, The Yellow Sea, was released in South Korea on December 15, 2010. It is...

The Wailing (2016): 10/10 The Chaser (2008): 10/10 The Yellow Sea (2010): 8/10

16. Tim Burton

Producer | Edward Scissorhands

Timothy Walter Burton was born in Burbank, California, to Jean Rae (Erickson), who owned a cat-themed gift shop, and William Reed Burton, who worked for the Burbank Park and Recreation Department. He spent most of his childhood as a recluse, drawing cartoons, and watching old movies (he was ...

Sweeney Todd (2007): 10/10 Ed Wood (1994): 10/10 Edward Scissorhands (1990): 9/10 Big Fish (2003): 8/10 Beetlejuice (1988): 7/10 Sleepy Hollow (1999): 7/10 Corpse Bride (2005): 6/10 Big Eyes (2014): 6/10 Mars Attacks! (1996): 6/10 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005): 5/10 Dark Shadows (2012): 3/10 Dumbo (2019): 3/10 Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985): 2/10

Bonus - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): 9/10

17. 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 ...

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014): 10/10 Isle of Dogs (2018): 10/10 Rushmore (1988): 8/10 The Royal Tenenbaums (2001): 8/10 Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): 8/10 Moonrise Kingdom (2012): 7/10 The French Dispatch (2021): 6/10 The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004): 6/10 Bottle Rocket (1996): 5/10

18. Yimou Zhang

Director | Ying xiong

Yimou Zhang was born on November 14, 1951 in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. He is a director and writer, known for Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). He has been married to Ting Chen since December 2011. They have three children. He was previously married to ...

Hero (2002): 10/10 House of Flying Daggers (2004): 9/10 Raise the Red Lantern (1991): 9/10 Keep Cool (1997): 8/10 Curse of the Golden Flower (2006): 7/10 The Great Wall (2016): 5/10

19. Steven Spielberg

Producer | Schindler's List

One of the most influential personalities in the history of cinema, Steven Spielberg is Hollywood's best known director and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world. He has an extraordinary number of commercially successful and critically acclaimed credits to his name, either as a director, ...

Schindler's List (1993): 10/10 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): 9/10 Minority Report (2002): 9/10 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989): 9/10 Jaws (1975): 9/10 Jurassic Park (1993): 9/10 Ready Player One (2018): 8/10 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984): 8/10 Catch Me If You Can (2002): 8/10 Duel (1971): 8/10 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982): 6/10 West Side Story (2021): 6/10 Hook (1991): 6/10 The BFG (2016): 5/10 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997): 4/10

20. Matthew Vaughn

Producer | Kick-Ass

Matthew Vaughn is an English film producer and director. He is known for producing such films as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000) and for directing the crime thriller, Layer Cake (2004), the fantasy epic, Stardust (2007), the superhero comedy, Kick-Ass (2010), and the ...

X-Men: First Class (2011): 9/10 Kick-Ass (2010): 9/10 Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014): 9/10 Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017): 8/10 Layer Cake (2004): 8/10 Stardust (2007): 7/10 The King's Man (2021): 7/10

21. Satoshi Kon

Writer | Tôkyô goddofâzâzu

Satoshi Kon was born in 1963. He studied at the Musashino College of the Arts. He began his career as a Manga artist. He then moved to animation and worked as a background artist on many films (including Roujin Z (1991) by 'Katsuhiro Otomo'). Then, in 1995, he wrote an episode of the anthology film ...

Millennium Actress (2001): 10/10 Perfect Blue (1997): 9/10 Tokyo Godfathers (2003): 9/10 Paprika (2006): 7/10 Ohayo (Good Morning) (2008) [Short]: 6/10

22. John Woo

Director | Ying hung boon sik

Born in southern China, John Woo grew up in Hong Kong, where he began his film career as an assistant director in 1969, working for Shaw Brothers Studios. He directed his first feature in 1973 and has been a prolific director ever since, working in a wide variety of genres before A Better Tomorrow ...

The Killer (1989): 10/10 Face/Off (1997): 9/10 Hard Boiled (1992): 9/10 A Better Tomorrow (1986): 8/10

23. 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...

Baby Driver (2017): 9/10 Shaun of the Dead (2004): 9/10 Last Night in Soho (2021): 8/10 Hot Fuzz (2007): 8/10 The World's End (2013): 7/10 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010): 7/10

24. Martin McDonagh

Writer | In Bruges

Martin McDonagh was born on March 26, 1970 in Camberwell, London, England, UK. He is a writer and director, known for In Bruges (2008), Seven Psychopaths (2012) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).

Seven Psychopaths (2012): 9/10 In Bruges (2008): 9/10 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017): 9/10 The Banshees of Inisherin (2022): 8/10

25. Kar-Wai Wong

Director | Yi dai zong shi

Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1956) is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylised, emotionally resonant work, including Ah fei zing zyun (1990), Dung che sai duk (1994), Chung Hing sam lam (1994), Do lok tin si (1995), Chun gwong ...

In the Mood for Love (2000): 10/10 Chungking Express (1994): 9/10 Fallen Angels (1995): 8/10

26. Akira Kurosawa

Writer | Kakushi-toride no san-akunin

After training as a painter (he storyboards his films as full-scale paintings), Kurosawa entered the film industry in 1936 as an assistant director, eventually making his directorial debut with Sanshiro Sugata (1943). Within a few years, Kurosawa had achieved sufficient stature to allow him greater...

Seven Samurai (1954): 10/10 Yojimbo (1961): 9/10 Rashomon (1950): 8/10

27. Ridley Scott

Producer | The Martian

Described by film producer Michael Deeley as "the very best eye in the business", director Ridley Scott was born on November 30, 1937 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear. His father was an officer in the Royal Engineers and the family followed him as his career posted him throughout the United Kingdom ...

Blade Runner (1982): 10/10 Alien (1979): 9/10 The Martian (2015): 9/10 Gladiator (2000): 8/10 Prometheus (2012): 6/10 Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014): 5/10

28. Guy Ritchie

Director | Sherlock Holmes

Guy Ritchie was born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK on September 10, 1968. After watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) as a child, Guy realized that what he wanted to do was make films. He never attended film school, saying that the work of film school graduates was boring and ...

Snatch. (2000): 10/10 The Gentlemen (2019): 9/10 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998): 8/10 RocknRolla (2008): 7/10 Aladdin (2019): 7/10 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015): 6/10 King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017): 5/10 Sherlock Holmes (2009): 5/10 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011): 5/10

29. Peter Jackson

Producer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Sir Peter Jackson made history with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King were nominated for and collected a slew of awards from around the globe, with The ...

The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) [Trilogy]: 10/10 The Hobbit (2012-2014) [Trilogy]: 7/10

30. Sion Sono

Director | Ai no mukidashi

Shion Sono is a Japanese director, writer and poet. Born in Aichi Perfecture in 1961 he started his career working as a poet before taking his first steps in film directing. As a student he shot a series of short films in Super 8 and managed to make his first feature films in the late 80s and early...

Love Exposure (2008): 9/10 Hazard (2005): 9/10 Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013): 8/10 Noriko's Dinner Table (2005): 7/10 Exte: Hair Extensions (2007): 7/10 Strange Circus (2005): 7/10 Tokyo Tribe (2014): 6/10 Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021): 4/10 The Whispering Star (2015): 3/10 Tag (2015): 2/10

31. 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 ...

Requiem for a Dream (2000): 9/10 Black Swan (2010): 8/10 Pi (1998): 8/10 The Wrestler (2008): 8/10 Mother! (2017): 7/10 Fortune Cookie (1991) [Short]: 5/10 No Time (1994) [Short]: 4/10

32. Stephen Chow

Actor | Kung fu

Stephen Chow was the only boy of his family, and has grown up as a Bruce Lee fan and a martial arts addict. His career started on TV, where he presented a children show ( "430 Space Shuttle" (1983)) and started becoming popular. He got some supporting roles, after that, and won the Taiwanese Golden...

Kung Fu Hustle (2004): 9/10 Shaolin Soccer (2001): 8/10 The God of Cookery (1996): 8/10 Love on Delivery (1994): 8/10 The Mermaid (2016): 7/10 Journey to the West (2013): 7/10 From Beijing with Love (1994): 6/10

33. Takashi Miike

Director | Jûsan-nin no shikaku

Takashi Miike was born in the small town of Yao on the outskirts of Osaka, Japan. His main interest growing up was motorbikes, and for a while he harbored ambitions to race professionally. At the age of 18 he went to study at the film school in Yokohama founded by renowned director Shôhei Imamura, ...

Audition (1999): 9/10 13 Assassins (2010): 9/10 Gozu (2003): 8/10 The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001): 8/10 Ichi the Killer (2001): 7/10 Like a Dragon (2007): 7/10 Fudoh: The New Generation (1996): 7/10 Masters of Horror: Imprint (2006): 7/10 Three... Extremes (2004) [Segment - "Box"]: 7/10 Blade of the Immortal (2017): 6/10 Graveyard of Honor (2002): 6/10 Crows Zero (2007): 6/10 Rainy Dog (1997): 6/10 Sukiyaki Western Django (2007): 4/10

34. M. Night Shyamalan

Producer | Lady in the Water

Born in Puducherry, India, and raised in the posh suburban Penn Valley area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, M. Night Shyamalan is a film director, screenwriter, producer, and occasional actor, known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots.

He is the son of Jayalakshmi, a Tamil ...

Unbreakable (2000): 9/10 The Sixth Sense (1999): 9/10 Split (2016): 8/10 Signs (2002): 8/10 Glass (2019): 6/10 The Village (2004): 6/10 The Visit (2015): 6/10 . . . The Last Airbender (2010): 1/10

35. Johnnie To

Director | Hak se wooi

With over thirty directing and producing credits to his name, Johnnie To enjoyed international breakthroughs with Election (2005), Election 2 (2006) (aka "Triad Election") and Exiled (2006); those films enjoyed multiple international film festival appearances and were separately sold to more than ...

Throw Down (2004): 9/10 Drug War (2012): 8/10 Exiled (2006): 8/10 Mad Detective (2007): 7/10 Running Out of Time (1999): 7/10 Triad Election (2006): 7/10 Election (2005): 7/10 The Big Heat (1988): 7/10 Sparrow (2008): 6/10 Fulltime Killer (2001): 6/10 PTU (2003): 5/10 Running on Karma (2003): 4/10 Three (2016): 4/10 Yesterday Once More (2004): 3/10

36. 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-...

American Beauty (1999): 10/10 Road to Perdition (2002): 8/10 1917 (2019): 8/10 Skyfall (2012): 8/10 Spectre (2015): 5/10

37. Mamoru Oshii

Director | Kôkaku kidôtai

Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director and screenwriter. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of popular anime, including Urusei Yatsura (1981-1984), Angel's Egg (1985), Patlabor: The Movie (1989), Ghost in the Shell (1995), and Ghost in ...

Ghost in the Shell (1995): 10/10 Angel's Egg (1985): 8/10 Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004): 7/10 Ghost in the Shell 2.0 (2008): 6/10

38. Mamoru Hosoda

Director | Samâ uôzu

Mamoru Hosoda is a Japanese film director and animator. Formerly employed at Toei Animation, he went to work at Madhouse from 2005 to 2011. Hosoda left Madhouse in 2011 to establish his own animation studio, Studio Chizu. He first came to public attention in the early 2000s with the first two films...

Wolf Children (2012): 9/10 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006): 9/10 The Boy and the Beast (2015): 8/10 Mirai (2018): 7/10

39. 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 ...

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004): 9/10 Children of Men (2006): 9/10 Roma (2018): 7/10 Gravity (2013): 6/10

40. John Carpenter

Writer | The Fog

John Howard Carpenter was born in Carthage, New York, to mother Milton Jean (Carter) and father Howard Ralph Carpenter. His family moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where his father, a professor, was head of the music department at Western Kentucky University. He attended Western Kentucky ...

The Thing (1982): 9/10 Big Trouble in Little China (1986): 9/10 Halloween (1978): 6/10

41. 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 ...

Knives Out (2019): 9/10 Looper (2012): 9/10 Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017): 7/10

42. Jûzô Itami

Writer | Osôshiki

A tragic end belies a life led with purpose. The son of a successful filmmaker, Juzo Itami made his name acting in television and films before making a late career shift into screenwriting and directing at age 50. Known to choose the subjects of his films through everyday observations, he often ...

Tampopo (1985): 10/10 Minbô no onna (1992): 8/10 A Taxing Woman (1987): 7/10 Sûpâ no onna (1996): 6/10 The Funeral (1984): 6/10

43. Yorgos Lanthimos

Director | The Lobster

Yorgos Lanthimos was born in Athens, Greece. He studied directing for Film and Television at the Stavrakos Film School in Athens. He has directed a number of dance videos in collaboration with Greek choreographers, in addition to TV commercials, music videos, short films and theater plays. Kinetta,...

Poor Things (2023): 9/10 The Lobster (2015): 9/10 The Favourite (2018): 8/10

44. Jordan Peele

Writer | Nope

Jordan Peele is an Oscar- and Emmy-winning director, writer, actor, producer, and founder of Monkeypaw Productions. Peele's first feature film, "Get Out," was a critically acclaimed blockbuster, recognized with four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. The film would earn Peele the ...

Get Out (2017): 9/10 Us (2019): 8/10 Nope (2022): 7/10

45. J.J. Abrams

Producer | Lost

Jeffrey Jacob Abrams was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, the son of TV producer parents. At 15, he wrote the music for Don Dohler's Nightbeast (1982). In his senior year of college, he and Jill Mazursky teamed up to write a feature film, which became Taking Care of Business (1990)....

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015): 8/10 Star Trek (2008): 8/10 Star Trek Into Darkness (2013): 7/10 Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019): 6/10

46. Alfred Hitchcock

Director | Psycho

Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born in Leytonstone, Essex, England. He was the son of Emma Jane (Whelan; 1863 - 1942) and East End greengrocer William Hitchcock (1862 - 1914). His parents were both of half English and half Irish ancestry. He had two older siblings, William Hitchcock (born 1890) and ...

47. Bryan Singer

Director | X-Men

Bryan Singer is an American film director and producer who got his start writing and co-directing the short film Lions Den with his classmates while he attended USC. He was hired by 20th Century Fox to direct X-Men, which helped kick-start the superhero renaissance. He later directed three sequels....

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014): 9/10 X-Men 2 (2003): 8/10 X-Men (2000): 7/10 The Usual Suspects (1995): 6/10 X-Men: Apocalypse (2016): 6/10 Superman Returns (2006): 4/10

48. Kim Ki-duk

Writer | Bin-jip

He studied fine arts in Paris in 1990-1992. In 1993 he won the award for Best Screenplay from the Educational Institute of Screenwriting with "A Painter and A Criminal Condemned to Death". After two more screenplay awards, he made his directorial debut with Crocodile (1996) ("Crocodile"). Then he ...

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003): 9/10 3-Iron (2004): 8/10 Pieta (2012): 8/10

49. Masaki Kobayashi

Director | Seppuku

Masaki Kobayashi was born on February 14, 1916 in Hokkaido, Japan. He was a director and writer, known for Harakiri (1962), Samurai Rebellion (1967) and The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961). He died on October 4, 1996 in Tokyo, Japan.

Harakiri (1962): 10/10

50. Shinobu Yaguchi

Director | Wood Job!: Kamusari nânâ nichijô

Shinobu Yaguchi was born on May 30, 1967 in Isehara, Japan. He is a director and writer, known for Wood Job! (2014), Swing Girls (2004) and Down the Drain (1993).

Wood Job! (2014): 9/10 Swing Girls (2004): 8/10 Waterboys (2001): 7/10 Survival Family (2016): 7/10 Robo Jî (2012): 7/10 Adorenarin doraibu (1999): 7/10

51. Francis Ford Coppola

Producer | Apocalypse Now

Francis Ford Coppola was born in 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in a New York suburb in a creative, supportive Italian-American family. His father, Carmine Coppola, was a composer and musician. His mother, Italia Coppola (née Pennino), had been an actress. Francis Ford Coppola graduated ...

The Godfather (1972): 10/10 The Godfather: Part II (1974): 10/10

52. Wilson Yip

Director | Ip Man

Wilson Yip is known for Ip Man (2008), Kill Zone (2005) and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019).

Ip Man (2008): 9/10 SPL: Kill Zone (2005): 9/10 Ip Man 2 (2010): 8/10 Ip Man 3 (2015): 7/10 Paradox (2017): 7/10

53. Lee Chang-dong

Writer | Beoning

Lee Chang-Dong was born in 1954 in Daegu, which some consider the most right-wing city in South Korea. Lee is a former high-school teacher and an acclaimed novelist. He turned to cinema when he was over 40 years old. His debut film "Green Fish" (1997) brought immediate success and critical acclaim....

Burning (2018): 9/10 Poetry (2010): 8/10 Oasis (2002): 8/10 Peppermint Candy (1999): 8/10

54. Shunji Iwai

Writer | Love Letter

Having received his education at Yokohama National University, Shunji Iwai started out in the entertainment industry by directing music videos and television dramas, including the likes of Maria, Lunatic Love and Fireworks, for which he received the award for Best Newcomer from the Japanese ...

Swallowtail Butterfly (1996): 10/10 April Story (1998): 4/10

55. Chad Stahelski

Producer | John Wick: Chapter 4

He came from a kick-boxing background; he entered the film field as a stunt performer at the age of 24. Before that, he worked as an instructor at the Inosanto Martial Arts Academy in California, teaching Jeet Kune Do/Jun Fan. After doing numerous roles in low budget martial art movies like Mission...

John Wick (2014): 9/10 John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019): 9/10 John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023): 9/10 John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017): 9/10

56. David Leitch

Producer | Bullet Train

David Leitch is a billion dollar film director, actor, stuntman, writer, producer, and stunt coordinator. He co-directed John Wick (2014) with Chad Stahelski, on which he also served as producer. David directed Atomic Blonde (2017) starring Charlize Theron. David also directed the box office smash ...

John Wick (2014): 9/10 Bullet Train (2022): 9/10 Deadpool 2 (2018): 8/10 The Fall Guy (2024): 8/10 Atomic Blonde (2017): 6/10 Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019): 5/10

57. David Cronenberg

Actor | The Fly

David Cronenberg, also known as the King of Venereal Horror or the Baron of Blood, was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1943. His father, Milton Cronenberg, was a journalist and editor, and his mother, Esther (Sumberg), was a piano player. After showing an inclination for literature at an early...

Eastern Promises (2007): 9/10 The Fly (1986): 8/10 A History of Violence (2005): 8/10 eXistenZ (1999): 5/10

58. Leigh Whannell

Actor | Saw

Leigh Whannell grew up in Melbourne, Australia, where, at the age of four, he developed an obsession with telling stories. Whether it be through acting, writing or filmmaking, his primary love was getting a reaction from an audience. In 1995, at the age of 18, he was accepted into the Royal ...

Upgrade (2018): 9/10 The Invisible Man (2020): 8/10

59. S. Craig Zahler

Writer | Bone Tomahawk

S. Craig Zahler was born on January 23, 1973 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Bone Tomahawk (2015), Dragged Across Concrete (2018) and Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017).

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017): 8/10 Bone Tomahawk (2015): 8/10

60. 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 ...

Birdman (2014): 9/10 The Revenant (2015): 8/10 21 Grams (2003): 7/10

61. Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Director | Omoide no Marnie

Hiromasa Yonebayashi was born on July 10, 1973 in Nonoichi, Japan. He is a director and writer, known for When Marnie Was There (2014), The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) and Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017).

When Marnie Was There (2014): 9/10 The Secret World of Arrietty (2010): 7/10 Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017): 5/10

62. 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 ...

Being John Malkovich (1999): 9/10 Her (2013):8/10 Adaptation. (2002): 8/10 Where the Wild Things Are (2009): 4/10

63. Chia-Liang Liu

Actor | Jui kuen II

Chia-Liang Liu was born on August 1, 1936 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. He was an actor and director, known for Drunken Master II (1994), Legendary Weapons of China (1982) and My Young Auntie (1981). He was married to Jing-Jing Yung and Hsiu-Hsia Ho. He died on June 25, 2013 in Hong Kong, China.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978): 9/10 The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1984): 8/10 The Legend of Drunken Master (1994): 8/10 Return to the 36th Chamber (1980): 7/10 Dirty Ho (1976): 5/10

64. Anthony Russo

Producer | Everything Everywhere All at Once

Anthony J. Russo is an American filmmaker and producer who works alongside his brother Joseph Russo. They have directed You, Me and Dupree, Cherry and the Marvel films Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Endgame is one of ...

Avengers: Endgame (2019): 10/10 Avengers: Infinity War (2018): 10/10 Captain America: Civil War (2016): 9/10 Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): 8/10

65. Joe Russo

Director | Avengers: Endgame

Joseph Vincent Russo is an American filmmaker and producer who works alongside his brother Anthony Russo. They have directed You, Me and Dupree, Cherry and the Marvel films Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Endgame is one ...

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66. Isao Takahata

Director | Hotaru no haka

Isao Takahata was born on October 29, 1935 in Ise, Japan. He was a director and writer, known for Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Pom Poko (1994) and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013). He died on April 5, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988): 9/10 The Tale of the Princess Kaguya: 8/10 Only Yesterday (1991): 7/10 Pom Poko (1994): 7/10 My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999): 6/10

67. George Miller

Producer | Mad Max: Fury Road

George Miller is an Australian film director, screenwriter, producer, and former medical doctor. He is best known for his Mad Max franchise, with Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) being hailed as amongst the greatest action films of all time. Aside from the Mad Max ...

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015): 9/10 Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981): 7/10 Mad Max (1979): 6/10

68. 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 ...

Black Panther (2018): 9/10 Creed (2015): 8/10 Fruitvale Station (2013): 7/10

69. Terry Gilliam

Writer | Brazil

Terry Gilliam was born near Medicine Lake, Minnesota. When he was 12 his family moved to Los Angeles where he became a fan of MAD magazine. In his early twenties he was often stopped by the police who suspected him of being a drug addict and Gilliam had to explain that he worked in advertising. In ...

Twelve Monkeys (1995): 9/10 Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): 9/10 The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009): 8/10 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998): 6/10

70. Neill Blomkamp

Director | District 9

Neill Blomkamp is a South African-Canadian film director and screenwriter who is known for the science fiction films District 9, Elysium and Chappie. He also directed the supernatural horror film Demonic and the 2007 short film Halo: Landfall, based on the Microsoft science fiction video game ...

District 9 (2009): 10/10 Chappie (2015): 6/10

71. 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...

Phantom Thread (2017): 9/10 Magnolia (1999): 8/10 There Will Be Blood (2007): 8/10 Boogie Nights (1997): 6/10 Punch-Drunk Love (2002): 6/10

72. Paul Verhoeven

Director | RoboCop

Paul Verhoeven graduated from the University of Leiden, with a degree in math and physics. He entered the Royal Netherlands Navy, where he began his film career by making documentaries for the Navy and later for TV. In 1969, he directed the popular Dutch TV series, Floris (1969), about a medieval ...

RoboCop (1987): 9/10 Total Recall (1990): 8/10 Starship Troopers (1997): 7/10

73. Duncan Jones

Director | Moon

Duncan Jones was born on May 30, 1971 in Bromley, Kent, England, UK. He is a director and writer, known for Moon (2009), Source Code (2011) and Mute (2018). He has been married to Rodene Ronquillo since November 6, 2012. They have two children.

Moon (2009): 9/10 Warcraft (2016): 4/10

74. JK Youn

Writer | Haeundae

JK Youn is known for Tidal Wave (2009), Ode to My Father (2014) and My Boss, My Hero (2001).

Ode to My Father (2014): 9/10

75. Park Hoon-jung

Writer | Sinsegye

Park Hoon-jung, born in 1975, is a South Korean film director. Park first attracted notice within the Korean film industry for writing the screenplays for I Saw the Devil (2010). He made his debut as a director in 2011 with the period film The Showdown (2011). With his second film, gangster epic ...

New World (2013): 9/10

76. Woo-Ping Yuen

Stunts | Wo hu cang long

Woo-Ping Yuen was born on January 1, 1945 in Guangzhou, China. He is a director and actor, known for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Fearless (2006) and The Grandmaster (2013).

Iron Monkey (1993): 9/10 Drunken Master (1978): 8/10 Tai-Chi Master (1993): 7/10 True Legend (2010): 6/10 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016): 5/10

77. Luc Besson

Writer | Le Cinquième Élément

Luc Besson spent the first years of his life following his parents, scuba diving instructors, around the world. His early life was entirely aquatic. He already showed amazing creativity as a youth, writing early drafts of The Big Blue (1988) and The Fifth Element (1997), as an adolescent bored in ...

Léon: The Professional (1994): 10/10 The Fifth Element (1997): 8/10 Lucy (2014): 6/10 The Family (2013): 3/10

78. Masahiro Shinoda

Director | Shinjû: Ten no Amijima

Masahiro Shinoda was born on March 9, 1931 in Gifu, Japan. He is a director and writer, known for Double Suicide (1969), Chinmoku (1971) and Ballad of Orin (1977). He has been married to Shima Iwashita since 1967. They have one child.

Pale Flower (1964): 9/10

79. Tetsuya Nakashima

Director | Kokuhaku

Tetsuya Nakashima was born on September 2, 1959 in Fukuoka, Japan. He is a director and writer, known for Confessions (2010), Kiraware Matsuko no isshô (2006) and Kamikaze Girls (2004).

Confessions (2010): 9/10 Memories of Matsuko (2006): 7/10

80. James Gunn

Writer | Guardians of the Galaxy

James Gunn was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, to Leota and James Francis Gunn. He is from a large Catholic family, with Irish and Czech ancestry. His father and his uncles were all lawyers. He has been writing and performing as long as he can remember. He began making 8mm films at the age ...

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): 9/10 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017): 7/10 Super (2010): 6/10

81. Robert Rodriguez

Producer | El mariachi

Robert Anthony Rodriguez was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, USA, to Rebecca (Villegas), a nurse, and Cecilio G. Rodríguez, a salesman. His family is of Mexican descent.

Of all the people to be amazed by the images of John Carpenter's 1981 sci-fi parable, Escape from New York (1981), none ...

El mariachi (1992): 8/10 Planet Terror (2007): 8/10 Sin City (2005): 7/10 From Dusk Till Dawn (1996): 7/10 Four Rooms (1995) [Segment - "The Misbehavers"]: 7/10 Desperado (1995): 6/10 Spy Kids (2001): 4/10 Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002): 3/10 Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003): 1/10 Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D (2011): 1/10 The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005): 1/10

82. Terry Zwigoff

Director | Ghost World

Born in Appleton, Wisconsin, Zwigoff held several jobs before making his breakthrough feature: the documentary Crumb (1994) in 1994. His previous jobs included musician, shipping clerk, printer and welfare office worker. In fact, Zwigoff traces his film career back to discovering a rare blues ...

Ghost World (2001): 9/10

83. 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 ...

American Hustle (2013): 8/10 Three Kings (1999): 7/10 Silver Linings Playbook (2012): 6/10

84. Shane Black

Actor | Predator

Considered one of the pioneer screenwriters of the action genre, Black made his mark with his Lethal Weapon (1987) screenplay. He also collaborated on the story of the sequel, Lethal Weapon 2 (1989). Each successive script he turned in had a higher price attached it, from The Last Boy Scout (1991) ...

The Nice Guys (2016): 9/10 Iron Man 3 (2013): 7/10 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005): 7/10

85. Ron Clements

Writer | Hercules

Ron Clements is an American animated film director who collaborates with John Musker. They directed various Disney animated films including The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, Treasure Planet, The Princess and the Frog and Moana. The Little Mermaid and Aladdin are ...

Aladdin (1992): 10/10 Moana (2016): 8/10 Hercules (1997): 7/10 The Little Mermaid (1989): 7/10 The Great Mouse Detective (1986): 6/10 Treasure Planet (2002): 5/10

86. John Musker

Writer | Hercules

John Musker is an American animated film director who collaborates with Ron Clements. They directed various Disney animated films including The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, Treasure Planet, The Princess and the Frog and Moana. The Little Mermaid and Aladdin are ...

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87. Masaaki Yuasa

Writer | Mind Game

Masaaki Yuasa was born on March 16, 1965 in Fukuoka, Japan. He is a writer and director, known for Mind Game (2004), Lu Over the Wall (2017) and Adventure Time (2010).

Potential Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017): 8/10 Mind Game (2004): 8/10 Lu over the Wall (2017): 6/10

88. 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 ...

Potential Ex Machina (2014): 9/10 Annihilation (2018): 5/10

89. Benny Safdie

Actor | Good Time

Born and raised in New York City: in both Queens & Manhattan. He attended the school of Communication at Boston University. He often collaborates with his brother Josh Safdie. He is a director, writer, editor and actor known for Daddy Longlegs(2009),Heaven Knows What(2014), Good Time (2017), Uncut ...

Safdie Brothers - Benny & Josh Safdie

Uncut Gems (2019): 9/10 Good Time (2017): 8/10