25 Best Film Directors of the 21st Century (So Far)
Which directors have received the best reviews from professional critics since 2000? Find out below, where we rank this century's top filmmakers by their average Metascores.
To be included, a director must have four or more eligible films. Such films have seven or more reviews from professional critics and were first released (in any country) on or after January 1, 2000, and must have been released (including as a straight-to-Netflix streaming release) at some point in the USA. Multi-director anthology films are excluded, as are theatrical re-releases of older films. Averages were calculated using Metascores from July 12, 2017, and include films released through July 7, 2017.
#23
Hirokazu Koreeda
The Japanese director makes carefully observed, languidly paced (but nevertheless spellbinding) dramas about family interactions, usually serving as his own writer and editor as well. Critics praise him for his master of craft and humanism, and you won't find many duds in his filmography.
Note that several Koreeda films (including Distance, and Hana) did not receive enough reviews to qualify for inclusion, as they were not given a proper release in the States. His next feature, the thriller The Third Murder, is currently in post-production.
| Films directed, 2000-2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| ▣ | Still Walking | 2008 |
| ▣ | Nobody Knows | 2004 |
| ▣ | After the Storm | 2016 |
| ▣ | I Wish | 2011 |
| ▣ | Our Little Sister | 2015 |
| ▣ | Like Father, Like Son | 2013 |
| ▣ | Air Doll | 2009 |