Top 5 Promising Directors

A list of relatively new promising directors who have made only up to three internationally known films.

Nr. 5: Tomas Alfredson

Films directed:
1999: Torsk på Tallinn - En liten film om ensamhet (Screwed in Tallinn)
2004: Fyra nyanser av brunt (Four Shades of Brown)

2008: Låt den rätte komma in (Let the Right One In)

2011: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Upcoming:
2013: Larklight (Not confirmed, but possible)

Tomas Alfredson may not be new to directing movies, but after the success with Låt den rätte komma in 2008 he seems to have become a internationally respected director and got the oppurtunity to direct Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy released last year. I have noticed that his movies tend to have great cinematography, which is something I value.

Nr. 4: Steve McQueen

Films directed:

2008: Hunger
2011: Shame

Upcoming:
2013: Twelve Years a Slave

Something I respect very much is directors who manages to make drama movies intriguing and unique at the same time. There's not a lot of them nowadays but Steve McQueen seems to be one. I think he could be one of the 21st century's most respected directors in the future. His next film Twelve Years a Slave sounds very promising and stars both Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt.

Nr. 3: Duncan Jones

Films directed:

2009: Moon

2011: Source Code

Upcoming:
xxxx: Mute (A Sci-fi film with no release year yet)

Moon is one of my favorite movies, a really unique Sci-fi that promises a lot for the future. I didn't like Source Code as much even if it was an OK movie, but it wasn't written by Jones and he has said that Source Code was a way for him to try to work on a bigger budget while he still prefers to work on his own movies: 

"Source Code was a toe in the water of working with a slightly bigger budget and working with bigger name actors, because I do want to try and do that. Hopefully I'll be able to get that balance right and keep making movies based on my own work."  

You can read the rest of the interview HERE.

Nr. 2: Martin McDonagh

Films directed:
2008: In Bruges

Upcoming:
2012: Seven Psychopaths

I don't think it's possible for McDonagh to top In Bruges, but I hope he makes more great movies. What makes me a bit worried is that I didn't like the short Six Shooter, although that was mostly because of the young actor. The cast in his next movie Seven Psychopaths is great though, so I'm not having any doubts on that part. I won't make the mistake of watching it with too high hopes though, cause that almost never ends well.

Nr. 1: Jeff Nichols

Films directed:
2008: Shotgun Stories
2011: Take Shelter
Upcoming:
2012: Mud

A really promising young director that seems to make unique drama movies. Take Shelter became one of my favorite movies of 2011 and I hope Mud will be one of my favorites of 2012. A bonus is that he has collaborated with the incredibly good actor Michael Shannon in all his movies so far, and will also do in Mud. I hope this guy will make many good movies in the future.