10 Best Up-And-Coming Directors With Four Movies Or Less

Breaking into the film industry can be a difficult thing, and getting the chance to direct your own film can be even harder. But while getting a foothold in Hollywood can be challenging, even the greats like Scorsese, Spielberg, and Coppola had to start somewhere. Every new director has a debut film, and every director goes through a period of uncertainty and obscurity.

Sometimes it can be hard to find the next great director among the hundreds and thousands that are just getting their start, but any director’s first few films are likely to be indicative of their overall talent. Even if they have been around a while, they may only have a handful of movies out at this point so they can be considered on the rise.

10 Jennifer Kent

Jennifer Kent exploded onto the arthouse-horror scene in 2014 with her debut picture The Babadook. The critically-acclaimed film tells the horrifying story of one mother’s resentment for her child after the death of her husband and the pair’s struggle to weather the sudden presence of a monster manifested out of the mother’s resentment.

The film is gorgeous, haunting, and immensely meaningful, and its success propelled Kent into the film industry. The director released her second film, The Nightingale, in 2018 to similar success and acclaim.

9 Charlie Kaufman

Charlie Kaufman is an unusual case in the film world. He is a screenwriter who regularly receives more credit for creating a film than the director does. When Charlie Kaufman writes a movie, it almost doesn’t matter who the director is, because everyone knows Kaufman’s vision is what will drive that film. But while Kaufman is an established and well-known screenwriter, he actually has very few directorial credits to his name.

After writing five films, Kaufman finally started directing his own screenplays in 2008 with his mind-bending drama Synecdoche, New York. He then went on to co-direct the gleefully bizarre Anomalisa, which was shot entirely using puppets, and only directed his third film, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, in 2020. The man had already developed a devoted following from his early days as a screenwriter, and it’s safe to say that following will only get bigger as he continues to write and direct his own brand of original work.

8 Jordan Peele

Many might know Peele from his various acting roles or for his comedy show Key and Peele. But while the man’s talent for comedy and acting has been established, Peele proved in 2017 that he could direct as well.

His brilliant debut Get Out was the talk of the nation when it was released, and it received almost universal praise for the way it tackled topics of racism with a fantastic twist of the classical horror genre. After the runaway success of Get Out, Peele went on in 2019 to direct Us, another horror-thriller with undertones of deep social commentary. Fans can’t wait to see what Jordan Peele creates next.

7 Ari Aster

The biggest new name in horror, Ari Aster shocked audiences and delighted critics in 2018 with the abjectly horrifying Hereditary. Aster’s debut film is notable for its stunning cinematography and use of lighting, as well as a no-holds-barred story that leaves a lasting impression on audiences. Hereditary doesn’t shy away from intense gore, and isn’t structured like most horror films.

Instead, it uses its unflinching camera and emotional weight provided by its first-rate actors and story to devastate viewers. After Aster’s adept debut, he went on to direct the 2019 film Midsommar, another fearlessly brutal horror film that made clever use of daylight to create a deeply unsettling environment.

6 Chloé Zhao

Chloé Zhao made a name for herself in 2020 with her stellar third film Nomadland. That movie, starring two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand, was extremely well received and widely considered to be among the best of the year. Nomadland tells the slow-moving, realistic story of a nomad who lives out of a van roaming from town to town and survives by working seasonal jobs.

The film is a deeply affecting picture of loneliness and a beautiful depiction of an unconventional lifestyle. Before directing Nomadland, Zhao helmed Songs My Brothers Taught Me in 2015 and The Rider in 2017. Next in line for her is the MCU’s Eternals.

5 Benny Safdie

The co-director of four feature films, Benny Safdie is known for his collaborations with his brother Josh, who himself has directed only one full-length film without Benny. The directorial duo has produced such works as the excellent and frantic Good Time, starring Robert Pattinson, 2009’s Daddy Long Legs, and 2014’s Heaven Knows What.

But the Safdie brother’s big break came in 2019 when they released the brilliant and well-received Uncut Gems. Starring Adam Sandler as a deplorable gambling addict, Uncut Gems offered audiences a wild ride as they followed Sandler’s character through the streets of New York and deeper into both debt and danger. Many claim their latest film was a masterpiece, and fans are eagerly awaiting what they do next.

4 Robert Eggers

Robert Eggers is a director with a distinct style. His films, which sit on the fringe of the psychological horror genre, are extremely bleak. Eggers has a strong eye for detail and uses that eye to create meticulous period-accurate sets that serve as immersive backdrops to his films. Eggers has two films to his name, 2015’s The Witch, and 2019’s The Lighthouse. Both are incredibly dark and atmospheric, and both excel at drawing terror and tension out of their well-developed characters.

The Lighthouse, which stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as two adversarial lighthouse keepers stranded with each other on a tiny island, is an experiential film that relies heavily on its stunning cinematography and sound design to engage and enthrall.

3 Brandon Cronenberg

Brandon Cronenberg is a new director with big shoes to fill. Son of David Cronenberg, prolific director and pioneer of the body horror genre, Brandon has stepped up to the plate and already proven he is ready to continue his father’s filmmaking legacy. With just two feature films under his belt, Brandon has already made quite the splash in the world of independent cinema. His debut picture, 2012’s Antiviral, was met with mixed reviews, yet still demanded attention for its somewhat shocking subject matter and style.

His second work, 2020’s Possessor, is nothing short of a masterpiece. Rife with gore and oddly subdued, close-up violence, Possessor follows a young corporate assassin as she uses technology to project her consciousness into the bodies of others to perform her assassinations. It is an extremely hard-hitting film, filled to the brim with extremely stylized images and extremely impactful themes. One of the best films of 2020, Possessor demonstrates Brandon Cronenberg’s considerable directorial talent.

2 Alex Garland

Alex Garland is a master of stylized high-concept sci-fi. His first film, Ex Machina, is a brilliant and haunting piece that asks ridiculously deep and fascinating questions through its complex characters and mysterious situations. It contains two magnificent performances from Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander and uses gradual twists and slow revelations to astound and perplex audiences.

Garland’s second film, Annihilation, isn’t quite as good as his first, but still portrays interesting characters and fascinating dilemmas through the use of gorgeous and creative visuals, sounds, and effects.

1 Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwig is a prolific actress who recently began directing. She has co-written and starred in many movies by her romantic partner, Noah Baumbach. But while she is a great actor and writer, her recent foray into directing has revealed her true talent. Gerwig made her solo directorial debut in 2017 when she wrote and directed Lady Bird. Universally adored by critics and audiences alike, Lady Bird was among the best films of 2017 and remains an unbelievably impressive first film.

Gerwig proved her abilities once again two years later with 2019’s Little Women, which she directed and adapted into a new screenplay. Greta Gerwig is a modern master of cinema. She can act, she can write, and she can definitely direct. Fans are beyond excited to see what she does next.

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