The 16 Greatest Film Directors of the 21st Century

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. 1
   Christopher Nolan

   The blockbuster auteur behind Inception, The Dark Knight, Interstellar, and Oppenheimer.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Martin Scorsese

   The living legend who kept redefining cinema this century with The Departed and The Irishman.
   861pts
3. 3
   Wes Anderson

   The unmistakable stylist behind The Grand Budapest Hotel and Asteroid City.
   778pts
4. 4
   Paul Thomas Anderson

   The revered director of There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Phantom Thread.
   708pts
5. 5
   Greta Gerwig

   The acclaimed director of Lady Bird, Little Women, and the billion-dollar Barbie.
   658pts
6. 6
   Damien Chazelle

   The youngest Best Director Oscar winner, behind Whiplash and La La Land.
   610pts
7. 7
   Chloé Zhao

   The Oscar-winning director of Nomadland and Marvel's Eternals.
   466pts
8. 8
   Quentin Tarantino

   The stylistic maverick behind Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
   466pts
9. 9
   Barry Jenkins

   The director of the Best Picture winner Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk.
   466pts
10. 10
    Denis Villeneuve

    The visionary behind Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and the Dune saga.
    384pts
11. 11
    Jordan Peele

    The genre-redefining director of Get Out, Us, and Nope.
    290pts
12. 12
    Bong Joon-ho

    The South Korean master whose Parasite made Oscar history.
    290pts
13. 13
    Guillermo del Toro

    The imaginative craftsman behind Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water.
    290pts
14. 14
    Sofia Coppola

    The distinctive director of Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, and Priscilla.
    290pts
15. 15
    Alfonso Cuarón

    The Oscar-winning director of Children of Men, Gravity, and Roma.
    179pts
16. 16
    David Fincher

    The meticulous director of Zodiac, The Social Network, and Gone Girl.
    179pts