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The 16 Greatest Film Directors of the 21st Century

By YPB Team5 votes

From blockbuster visionaries who fill multiplexes to arthouse auteurs beloved by critics, this lineup gathers the filmmakers who have shaped modern cinema. Which one tops your list?

  1. Christopher Nolan — ranked #11
    Christopher Nolan
    The blockbuster auteur behind Inception, The Dark Knight, Interstellar, and Oppenheimer.
    1000pts
  2. Paul Thomas Anderson — ranked #22
    Paul Thomas Anderson
    The revered director of There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Phantom Thread.
    873pts
    DI
  3. Wes Anderson — ranked #33
    Wes Anderson
    The unmistakable stylist behind The Grand Budapest Hotel and Asteroid City.
    799pts
  4. Damien Chazelle — ranked #44
    Damien Chazelle
    The youngest Best Director Oscar winner, behind Whiplash and La La Land.
    756pts
  5. Martin Scorsese — ranked #55
    Martin Scorsese
    The living legend who kept redefining cinema this century with The Departed and The Irishman.
    585pts
  6. Quentin Tarantino — ranked #66
    Quentin Tarantino
    The stylistic maverick behind Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
    524pts
  7. Greta Gerwig — ranked #77
    Greta Gerwig
    The acclaimed director of Lady Bird, Little Women, and the billion-dollar Barbie.
    454pts
  8. Chloé Zhao — ranked #88
    Chloé Zhao
    The Oscar-winning director of Nomadland and Marvel's Eternals.
    454pts
  9. Alfonso Cuarón — ranked #99
    Alfonso Cuarón
    The Oscar-winning director of Children of Men, Gravity, and Roma.
    374pts
  10. Barry Jenkins — ranked #1010
    Barry Jenkins
    The director of the Best Picture winner Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk.
    374pts
  11. Jordan Peele — ranked #1111
    Jordan Peele
    The genre-redefining director of Get Out, Us, and Nope.
    282pts
  12. Bong Joon-ho — ranked #1212
    Bong Joon-ho
    The South Korean master whose Parasite made Oscar history.
    282pts
  13. Guillermo del Toro — ranked #1313
    Guillermo del Toro
    The imaginative craftsman behind Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water.
    282pts
  14. Denis Villeneuve — ranked #1414
    Denis Villeneuve
    The visionary behind Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and the Dune saga.
    175pts
  15. David Fincher — ranked #1515
    David Fincher
    The meticulous director of Zodiac, The Social Network, and Gone Girl.
    175pts
  16. Sofia Coppola — ranked #1616
    Sofia Coppola
    The distinctive director of Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, and Priscilla.
    175pts
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