Top 5 – Directors with Five or Less Features
This Friday, director Ryan Coogler is releasing his latest film, Marvel’s Black Panther. Since his debut film Fruitvale Station in 2013, Coogler has quickly risen the ranks as one of the best, most exciting directors in Hollywood today, continuing to challenge himself and make great movies. So in honor Coogler an all the other great, young talent in Hollywood today, I am going to look at the best director’s with five or less features. Here are those five.
5 -JC CHANDOR
MAJOR FILMS – Margin Call (2011), All is Lost (2013), A Most Violent Year (2014)
When you see a JC Chandor film, you would think he’s been doing it for decades. Launching his career at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival with Margin Call, it was apparent right there, that Chandor was going to be a name to remember. Chandor followed this up with All is Lost, which gave us a career resurrecting performance from Robert Redford as a man trying to survive in the sea after his boat hits a shipping container. This is one of the most impressive feats for a young director, as it all depended on the performance of Redford and the direction of Chandor. His last film, 2014’s criminally underseen A Most Violent Year is a throwback, slow-burn gangster film that fits perfectly in the 70’s with The French Connection (1971). Chandor hasn’t had a movie in awhile, so hopefully his next film is a labor of love and mastery.
4 – STEVE MCQUEEN
MAJOR FILMS – Hunger (2008), Shame (2011), 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Steve McQueen makes films that are as brutal as they are beautiful. His films are impeccably made and emotionally powerful. Hunger took us deep into an Irish prison hunger strike, Shame showed us the darkest parts of sex addiction, and his Oscar winning 12 Years a Slave is the most realistic slave movie I have ever seen. And this year, McQueen has Widows, a film with another all-star cast that is sure to make some noise later this year. The one thing about McQueen is that he never pulls his punches, making raw, honest movies that make them tough on rewatches. Still, he is one of the best directors today and any project he does, I will be seeing.
3 – BENNETT MILLER
MAJOR FILMS – Capote (2005), Moneyball (2011), Foxcatcher (2014)
When the Oscar total for your films include two Best Picture nominations, two Best Director nominations, three Best Actor nominees, with one win, a best supporting actor nominee, and a best supporting actress nominee, you know you’re one of the elites. Bennett Miller takes his time when it comes to movies, but it is all worth it, as all three of his features are meticulous masterpieces focusing on flawed men. He’s gotten career best performances from his leading men Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), Brad Pitt (Moneyball), and Steve Carrell (Foxcatcher) and made legitimate actors out of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Miller is a true actors director and a true master.
2 – RYAN COOGLER
MAJOR FILMS – Fruitvale Station (2013), Creed (2015), Black Panther (2018)
I could have made a case for Coogler to be number one in my list. Both of his films, Fruitvale Station and Creed, were my number one movies of their respective years. Fruitvale Station is a socially relevant, emotional powerhouse that will both anger you and break your heart. In Creed, Coogler pulled off a feat only few directors could pull off. He took a franchise that was barely on life support and gave it new life while also launching a new series. I’m ecstatic for Black Panther and see what Coogler can do on the biggest scale possible. It’ll be interesting to see what he does after Black Panther, but whatever it is, sign me up.
1 – DAMIEN CHAZELLE
MAJOR FILMS – Whiplash (2014), La La Land (2016)
Yes, Chazelle only has two feature films under his belt, but what he accomplished with Whiplash and La La Land is a true feat. Whiplash blasted into the cinematic universe like a cannon, establishing Chazelle as a force in the cinematic world. But La La Land really cemented Chazelle as one of the best in Hollywood. Becoming the youngest Best Director Oscar winner in history, Chazelle made a beautiful love note to 1950’s musicals. La La Land is a film that easily could have failed, but instead soared at the box office and the Oscars. Chazelle showed he isn’t a one-note director, giving us an intense musical war film and following that up with a whimsical love story. Chazelle’s next flick is a Neil Armstrong biopic titled First Man, starring Ryan Gosling. Slated to come out this year, this has to be an Oscar front-runner and one of the year’s hottest titles. It was a close battle between Coogler and Chazelle for this number one spot and maybe Black Panther will shoot Coogler to number one. But until then, it’s hard to argue against Chazelle as the best and most exciting young director today.
Who are your favorite directors with five or less features? Comment below or follow Kevflix on Twitter @kevflix. And don’t forget to like Kevflix on Facebook by clicking here.