If you just love movies enough, you can make a good one

— Quentin Tarantino

Favourite film directors

Our favorite film directors involve different types of auteurs: from B-movie kings and social justice warriors to horror afficionados and action maestros, the following individuals have crafted some of the most memorable films of all time. It makes you wonder how interesting a discussion with these directors would be under a nice hot cup of coffee!

  • B-movie and videogame adaptation king Paul WS Anderson

    Paul WS Anderson

    Best work

    Event Horizon (1997)

    Other notable work

    Mortal Kombat (1995)

    Resident Evil (2002)

    Alien VS Predator (2004)

    Death Race (2008)

    Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

    Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

    Weakest work

    Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)

  • Ultra American and king of bombastic action and car chase Michael Bay

    Michael Bay

    Best work

    The Rock (1996)

    Other notable work

    Armageddon (1998)

    Bad Boys II (2003)

    Transformers (2007)

    Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

    13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)

    6 Underground (2019)

    Ambulance (2022)

    Weakest work

    Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

  • Korean auteur and champion of the underdog Bong Joon-ho

    Bong Joon-ho

    Best work

    Snowpiercer (2013)

    Other notable work

    Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)

    Memories of Murder (2003)

    The Host (2006)

    Mother (2009)

    Parasite (2019) (Oscar win)

    Weakest work

    Okja (2017)

  • One of the most influential horror filmmakers of all time John-Carpenter

    John Carpenter

    Best work

    The Thing (1982)

    Other notable work

    Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

    Halloween (1978)

    The Fog (1980)

    Escape from NY (1981)

    Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

    They Live (1988)

    In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

    Escape from L.A. (1996)

    Ghost of Mars (2001)

    Weakest work

    The Ward (2010)

  • The king of combining heroic kung fu with action Jackie Chan

    Jackie Chan

    Best work

    Police Story (1985)

    Other notable work

    Project A (1983)

    Armour of God (1986)

    Project A Part II (1987)

    Police Story 2 (1988)

    Miracles (1989)

    Armor of God II: Operation Condor (1991)

    Who Am I? (1998)

    Weakest work

    CZ12 (2012)

  • The king of comedy and director of Kung Fu Hustle (2004) Stephen Chow

    Stephen Chow

    Best work

    Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

    Other notable work

    From Beijing with Love (1996)

    Forbidden City Cop (1996)

    Shaolin Soccer (2001)

    Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013)

    Weakest work

    The Mermaid (2016)

  • One of best directors of all time Francis Ford Coppola

    Francis Ford Coppola

    Best work

    Apocalypse Now (1978) (Nominated)

    Other notable work

    The Godfather (1972) (Nominated)

    The Godfather Part II (1974) (Oscar win)

    The Conversation (1974)

    The Godfather Part III (1990) (Nominated)

    Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

    Weakest work

    Jack (1996)

  • Creator of the Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Hills Have Eyes franchises, Wes Craven

    Wes Craven

    Best work

    Scream (1996)

    Other notable work

    Last House on the Left (1972)

    The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

    Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

    New Nightmare (1994)

    Scream 2 (1997)

    Scream 4 (2011)

    Weakest work

    My Soul To Take (2010)

  • Actor turned director Mel Gibson

    Mel Gibson

    Best work

    The Passion of the Christ (2004)

    Other notable work

    Braveheart (1995) (Oscar win)

    Apocalypto (2006)

    Hacksaw Ridge (2016) (Nominated)

    Weakest work

    The Man Without a Face (1993)

  • Director of Biutiful, Birdman and The Revenant Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu

    Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu

    Best work

    Amores Perros (2000)

    Other notable work

    Babel (2006) (Nominated)

    Biutiful (2010)

    Birdman (2014) (Oscar win)

    The Revenant (2015) (Oscar win)

    Weakest work

    21 Grams (2003)

  • Lyrical director Wong Kar Wai

    Wong Kar-wai

    Best work

    Chungking Express (1994)

    Other notable work

    As Tears Go By (1988)

    Days of Being Wild (1990)

    Fallen Angels (1995)

    Happy Together (1997)

    In the Mood for Love (2000)

    2046 (2004)

    The Grandmaster (2013)

    Weakest work

    My Blueberry Nights (2007)

  • Genre chameleon South Korean director Kim Jee-woon

    Kim Jee-woon

    Best work

    I Saw the Devil (2010)

    Other notable work

    A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

    A Bittersweet Life (2005)

    The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008)

    The Age of Shadows (2016)

    Weakest work

    The Last Stand (2013)

  • The inventor of close up shots director Sergio Leone

    Sergio Leone

    Best work

    Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

    Other notable work

    A Fistful of Dollars (1962)

    For a Few Dollars More (1964)

    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

    Once Upon as Time in America (1983)

    Weakest work

    Duck, You Sucker! (1971)

  • Creator of Star Wars George Lucas

    George Lucas

    Best Work

    Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

    Other notable work

    THX 1138 (1971)

    American Graffiti (1973) (Nominated)

    Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) (Nominated)

    Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

    Weakest Work

    Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

  • Director of the Last of the Mohicans, Heat and The Insider Michael Mann

    Michael Mann

    Best work

    Last of the Mohicans (1992)

    Other notable work

    Thief (1981)

    Manhunter (1986)

    Heat (1995)

    The Insider (1999) (Nominated)

    Collateral (2004)

    Blackhat (2015)

    Weakest work

    Ferrari (2023)

  • Genre chameleon British director and father of the Alien franchise, Ridley Scott

    Ridley Scott

    Best work

    Blade Runner (1982)

    Other notable work

    Alien (1979)

    Legend (1985)

    Black Rain (1989)

    1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)

    Gladiator (2000) (Nominated)

    Black Hawk Down (2001) (Nominated)

    Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

    Weakest work

    A Good Year (2006)

  • Chad Stehelski stuntman turned director

    Chad Stahelski

    Best work

    John Wick Chapter 4 (2023)

    Other notable work

    John Wick (2014)

    John Wick Chapter 2 (2017)

    John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (2019)

    Weakest work

    -

  • The most influential filmmakers of the last 30 years, Quentin Tarantino

    Quentin Tarantino

    Best work

    Kill Bill (2003-2004)

    Other notable work

    Reservoir Dogs (1992)

    Pulp Fiction (1994) (Nominated)

    Death Proof (2007)

    Inglourious Basterds (2009) (Nominated)

    Django Unchained (2012) (Nominated)

    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) (Nominated)

    Weakest work

    Jackie Brown (1997)

  • Dark fantasy auteur and director of Pan's Labyrinth Guillermo del Toro

    Guillermo del Toro

    Best work

    Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

    Other notable work

    Mimic (1997)

    The Devil’s Backbone (2001)

    Blade II (2002)

    Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

    Crimson Peak (2015)

    The Shape of Water (2017) (Oscar win)

    Weakest work

    Nightmare Alley (2021)

  • Director and creator of The Saw Franchise and The Conjuring cinematic universe James Wan

    James Wan

    Best work

    The Conjuring (2003)

    Other notable work

    Saw (2004)

    Insidious (2011)

    Furious 7 (2015)

    The Conjuring 2 (2016)

    Aquaman (2018)

    Weakest work

    Malignant (2021)

  • The godfather of heroic bloodshed John Woo

    John Woo

    Best work

    Hard Boiled (1992)

    Other notable work

    A Better Tomorrow (1986)

    The Killer (1989)

    Bullet in the Head (1990)

    Hard Target (1993)

    Broken Arrow (1995)

    Face/Off (1997)

    Weakest work

    Paycheck (2003)

  • Fan of hyper-realistic violence and style over substance musician turned director Rob Zombie

    Rob Zombie

    Best work

    Halloween (2007)

    Other notable work

    The House of 1000 Corpses (2002)

    The Devil’s Rejects (2005)

    Halloween II (2009)

    Lords of Salem (2012)

    Weakest work

    31 (2016)

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