Top 10 Favorite Directors
- scarejonathan98
- Jan 24, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Aug 2, 2023
As I have gotten more into movies, I have started exploring different directors and their filmographies as well as observing some of their unique styles. I have checked out the filmographies of directors such as Michael Bay, Tim Burton, Brad Bird, Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, John Hughes, Paul Feig, Christopher Nolan, and many others. As I have watched through various directors, I have found those that have a style I really enjoy and consistently put out movies that I like. With that, I thought it would be fun to share my top favorite directors.
10. Rian Johnson
Rian Johnson is definitely the most divisive director on this list. He has been known for subverting expectations which is something that doesn't always sit well with audiences, especially for movies like Star Wars. To a lot of people, he is known as the guy that "ruined Star Wars" by directing The Last Jedi. However, he has directed so many good movies beyond that such as Knives, The Brothers Bloom, and Looper. In my opinion, he has not made a bad movie with even The Last Jedi having a lot of moments that I really like. Overall, I really like all of the twists and turns his movies deliver, and always look forward to when his next film comes out. Currently, he has gone into the murder mystery direction with his films by directing two Knives Out films with a third coming soon along with a new TV show called Pokerface. Overall, he is just a really fun director that delivers very interesting movies. See the link below for my blog post on all of Rian Johnson's films.
9. Tim Burton
Tim Burton is a director that probably has one of the most unique styles. He can balance a darker aesthetic with a lighter tone in most of his movies. He has delivered a lot of iconic movies such as Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, brought Batman to blockbuster status with Batman and Batman Returns, and managed to keep the art of stop-motion animation alive with Frankenweenie and Corpse Bride. He does a great job creating entertaining stories with very unique characters and settings. I really like his unique style of storytelling and the way he has the plot move throughout his films. In more recent years, he has delivered on some decent films such as Big Fish, Big Eyes, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children as well as the new show on Netflix, Wednesday. Overall, Tim Burton can create very entertaining movies with interesting characters. Not only is he one of my favorites, but he is probably my wife's favorite director as well. See the link below for his complete list of films as well as my ranking of them.
8. James Gunn
James Gunn is a director that definitely has a dark sense of humor. He started off directing two smaller films, Slither and Superbad both of which really showcase his dark sense of humor. He came into the limelight when he directed Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. These films didn't have as much of his humor as they are under the Disney umbrella but really showed how good he is at working with ensembles and creating stories about family. What made James Gunn crack this list for me was his work on The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. Both of these projects allow him to show off his dark humor while still giving him the chance to create an ensemble story. I really like both aspects of his directing as I tend to have a darker sense of humor and always enjoy a good ensemble film. I also think he does a really good job at creating likable compelling characters. It is also just fun to see James Gunn jumping back and forth between Marvel and DC. For his future work, he is doing one last Guardians of the Galaxy film with Marvel before moving back over to DC to become the head of their studio. Overall, he is just a really fun director and I can't wait for what he plans to do over at DC. See the below link for his complete list of films.
7. Edgar Wright
Edgar Wright is one of the most underrated directors out there. All of his films are consistently well-rated and received but unfortunately don't usually make a lot of money. I like them because of the witty dialogue he delivers in his films, the colorful sequences as well as the music-driven action sequences. He has directed six films with each one paying homage to a certain genre of film. Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The Worlds End are all spoof-like movies that each make fun of a different genre, Zombie films, Action movies, and Sci-Fi respectively. All of these three are super funny and just really entertaining to watch. He has also directed films Scott Pilgrim Vs the World, Baby Driver, and Last Night In Soho. All of them are very different from one another but still have his signature style and still pay tribute to a unique genre, Video Games, Heist films, and Horror respectively. All of these films have compelling characters that can deliver witty dialogue. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any upcoming films planned but I still love his movies and can't wait for when another comes out. See the link below for his complete list of films as well as my ranking of them.
6. David Fincher
David Fincher is one of the most precise filmmakers out there. Everything is perfectly placed and well-timed in his films. His films are also extremely thrilling with so many twists and turns along the way. He has directed two films in the IMDB top 20, Fight Club and Se7en. He has also delivered many other high-stakes thrillers that many people would say are the best in the genre such as Gone Girl, Zodiac, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He is very good at making character-driven dramas such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Social Network. He does a great job of allowing the audience to be connected with his characters and always manages to draw you into the story whether it is due to the suspense or just the overall interest in the characters. David Fincher always manages to deliver consistently good films. Upcoming is a film called The Killer that is supposed to come out this year. Overall David Fincher is an amazing director always delivering highly-rated, very exciting films. See the link below for his complete list of films as well as my ranking of them.
5. Taika Waititi
Taika Waititi started off as an unknown Indie filmmaker before Disney got a hold of him. However, even before Thor, Taika Waititi created some very fun films. Taika Waititi always manages to deliver films that are very funny yet still manage to balance with having emotional moments. Most of his humor is very witty and subtle but occasionally he will deliver some laugh-out-loud slapstick moments. Before Thor, he directed films such as Eagle Vs. Shark, Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do in the Shadows. All of these films are very funny but also really relationship driven and manage to deliver some emotional connections. In between Thor: Ragnarök and Thor: Love and Thunder, Taika Waititi also directed Jojo Rabbit which is a very funny film about a child in the Hitler Youth program that is a prime example of balancing humor with emotion and is one of my all-time favorite movies. His upcoming release is a movie called Next Goal Wins which should be coming out this year. Overall, Taika Waititi is a very entertaining director that delivers fun movies with a lot of energy. See the link below for his complete list of films as well as my ranking of them.
4. Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino is one of the filmmakers that really changed the idea of how movies could be told. His films are always very dialogue heavy and are more character-driven instead of plot-driven. His dialogue is always really well written with a hint of wit and irony in the conversations. (ie. A group of people who are planning to rob a jewelry store are having an argument at a restaurant about why it is important to tip.). He also manages to deliver very exciting and graphic action sequences with every film having at least one really violent action sequence. The characters are the main highlight of his films, they are all very well written, likable when they need to be likable, and despicable when they need to be hated. I really like his style of filmmaking and have enjoyed every film he has and all the fun conversations he has written in these films. He has also managed to create a range of films across a large range of genres and times such as Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, Inglorious Basterds, and Kill Bill. Overall, Quentin Tarantino's films are always great movies with very well-written dialogue and a unique style of storytelling. See the link below for his complete list of films as well as my ranking of them.
3. James Cameron
James Cameron is one of the biggest filmmakers working today. Every one of his films is a visual masterpiece. James Cameron is also very good at delivering exciting stories, building worlds, and including compelling characters. Two of the sequels he has made, Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Aliens are regarded as two of the greatest sequels of all time while his most recent three films, Titanic, Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water are three of the top six highest grossing films of all time with the two former films being the highest grossing movie ever at one point. Every movie he makes is exciting and fun and always just feels so huge in scope. The visual effect of Avatar changed the way movies were made and set a standard for CGI that still can't be matched today. The only reason, he isn't the number-one spot is because we lost him to Avatar movies for the past 30 years. See the link below for my blog post on all of James Cameron's films. Currently, Cameron has 3 more Avatar films planned through 2028.
2. Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is the grandfather of the blockbuster movie and the concept of movie magic. He has made so many iconic films such as ET, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan. The list goes on and on. Spielberg also revolutionized the concept of movie magic as he strived to use practical effects instead of CGI, especially in his earlier films. With his release of Jaws, he caused the beginning of blockbuster films and paved the way for movies and theaters to be where they are today. So many of his films are just so much fun to watch. Steven Spielberg is very good at creating these easy-to-watch films that are very entertaining and have a captivating stories. He is also good at creating more serious dramas that aren't as fun to watch but are still enticing and must-sees from beginning to end. I love just so many of Spielberg's films with many of his earlier films ones I consider all-time classics. Furthermore, 3 of his films are among my 10 all-time favorite movies (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Jurassic Park). Overall, Steven Spielberg is just a fantastic director who not only makes fantastic films but was instrumental in the film industry and helped change the way films were made.
I. Christopher Nolan
Ultimately, Christopher Nolan comes in as my all-time favorite film director. Christopher Nolan has never made a bad film and all of his films are just such high-concept films that still manage to be entertaining. With so many of his films, Christopher Nolan likes to play with the concept of time, whether it be telling a story in reverse, telling stories at three different times that ultimately converge, or telling stories where time is more of an object to be controlled than a concept that can run our lives. Every film he makes has a fascinating concept that ultimately ends up shaping the world from a new perspective. Even in his more mainstream films such as the Dark Knight Trilogy or Insomnia, he manages to do something special that makes the film unique. So many of his films are also so grand in scale such as Tenet, Interstellar, and Inception with such huge set pieces and practical effects. Like Spielberg, Christopher Nolan also has 3 films that are in my top 15 favorite movies (The Dark Knight, Interstellar, and Inception). As for new releases, Nolan has a new film called Oppenheimer set to release this year. Overall, Christopher Nolan creates such amazing films that have fascinating concepts and is such a great director that his new releases are always some of my most anticipated of the year.
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