David Lowery’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked By IMDb

In recent years, there have been many directors such as Colin Trevorrow Jurassic World‘s Colin Trevorrow, Godzilla vs. Kong‘s Adam Wingard and Blade Runner: 2049‘s Denis Villeneuve who have achieved major mainstream success after getting their start in indie films. Sometimes, these directors choose to stay in studio filmmaking, while others find themselves returning to their roots.

One of the most prominent directors from this bunch has been David Lowery. Having directed quiet indie films as well as big budget studio films, constantly shifting the scale of his stories, Lowery has shown a wide range of talent behind the camera.

10 St. Nick – 5.4 (Available To Stream On Fandor)

St. Nick is Lowery’s solo feature directorial debut, and it is a drama that tells the tale of a brother and sister as they flee home and seek shelter wherever they can find it. When they come across an abandoned country home, they manage to briefly escape the demons from their past that they are running from.

An Official Selection for the 2009 SXSW Film Festival, the film premiered to glowing reviews from outlets such as The New York Times and Slant Magazine, with praise being directed at the film’s gloomy atmosphere. While the raves wouldn’t reach that the acclaim that Lowery’s later films would receive, the film showed that he was a burgeoning talent behind the camera.

9 My Daily Routine – 6.2 (Available To Stream On Fandor)

This short animated documentary shows viewers a normal day in the life for Lowery. Existing as a visual diary not only for his daily activities, the short also reveals Lowery’s constant battles with creativity.

While slight, this animated short packs a real punch, and it is is one of Lowery’s most unique works. Viewers appreciated Lowery’s use of creative visuals to showcase his psyche, as well as the short’s thought-provoking subject matter.

8 Deadroom – 6.3

Deadroom is David Lowery’s first feature film credit, and this anthology film tells four different stories about conversations that take place in one single room, with each story being told by a different director. As each of these stories play out, these conversations are flipped on their head.

While some parts are stronger than others on the whole, viewers really appreciated how dark and emotionally involving each segment of the film was. All dealt with some form of loss, as the film showed how people cope with mortality and the death of loved ones.

7 Ain’t Them Bodies Saints – 6.4 (Available To Stream On AMC+)

Starring Manchester by the Sea‘s Casey Affleck and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo‘s Rooney Mara as two star-crossed lovers/criminals, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints deals with Affleck’s Bob escaping from jail after being caught, only to find out that Mara’s Ruth has been raising their child.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where critics immediately praised it for its somber storytelling, poetic visuals, and strong performances. After screening at other film festivals such as Cannes, the film was given a limited theatrical release.

6 The Old Man And The Gun – 6.7 (Available To Rent On Amazon Prime)

Robert Redford’s final lead role came in Lowery’s film The Old Man & the Gun, which tells the true story of charismatic criminal Forrest Tucker as he completes his final crime spree before retiring from life as a criminal. As he continues with the crime spree, he reflects on the life that he’s had.

Hyped up due to Redford’s final onscreen performance before his retirmement, The Old Man & the Gun was adored by critics and viewers alike, who found this amiable and gentle film to be a poignant send off for an iconic legend of the silver screen. In addition to Redford’s performance, critics also sparked the supporting performances from Casey Affleck and Sissy Spacek.

5 Pete’s Dragon – 6.7 (Available To Stream On Disney+)

Lowery’s lone foray into major studio filmmaking was Disney’s live-action adaptation of their 1977 live-action/animated film Pete’s Dragon. Lowery’s version deals with the relationship between the titular Pete and the dragon he discovers as his small town deals with the repercussions of this reveal.

A match made in heaven, Lowery’s sweet and earnest filmmaking fit perfectly within the Disney brand, with the film becoming one of Disney’s most critically acclaimed live-action adaptations. Praise had been shown for the film’s sweet atmosphere, endearing performances, and beautiful visuals.

4 Pioneer – 6.9 (Available To Stream On The Criterion Channel)

In the short film Pioneer, a father recounts the epic story to a son of how he met his mother. Set in one room without using visuals to describe the story, the father’s story reaches some dark and mysterious depths, carrying an air of mystery with it throughout.

Written while suffering from writer’s block while working on Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, audiences were enthralled by Lowery’s ability to sustain so much tension mostly through one man’s voice. Additionally, critics remarked on the powerful acting and visuals.

3 A Ghost Story – 6.9 (Available To Stream On Netflix)

Lowery’s most recent film is 2017’s A Ghost Story, a surreal drama about a man who passes away only to haunt his house as his grieving wife processes the death. Depicted with as wearing just a single white sheet, the ghost begins to question mortality and the idea of time as his wife copes.

One of the most critically-acclaimed films of 2017, A Ghost Story proved itself to be memorable to audiences due to its emotional storytelling and interesting reversal of the typical portrayal of ghosts.

2 Until We Could – 7.0

Co-directed by Lowery and Yen Tan, the visual poem Until We Could was written by presidential inaugural poet Richard Blanco and released by the nonprofit Freedom to Marry, showcasing the love between various same-sex married couples. Narrated by Ben Foster and Robin Wright, the film focuses on the fight to legalize same-sex marriage.

One of Lowery’s most political works, this is a visually arresting and emotionally potent film. With praise directed at the film’s poetic visual style as well as its important messages, many viewers have found it to be one one of Lowery’s best films.

1 The Outlaw Son – 7.5

In the 2007 short film The Outlaw Son, a young man is picked up by an old friend from the airport. Instead of driving to his destination, they spend the night trying to relive their younger selves and doing their best not to face the harsh realities of growing up.

While it didn’t make as huge of a splash on the festival circuit as some of Lowery’s other films, many viewers were spellbound by the mood created by Lowery in the dialogue-free short. In particular, many felt that the lack of dialogue added to the films somber visuals, creating a singularly moving experience.

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