This year had its equal share of veteran filmmakers and breakout visionaries who proved their worth in breaking ground with their unique movies. Whether independent or mainstream, such filmmakers made a mark this 2019 that will surely be a calling card for bigger projects.
For this time, to continue highlighting the trend of independent filmmakers suddenly breaking out with big-budgeted projects, here are the ten 2019 must-see directors who must direct Hollywood’s next blockbusters for the coming years. This list will encompass directors, either first-time or experienced filmmakers, who made a significant turning point this year with their successful films.
10 David Yarovesky of Brightburn
Brightburn took the Clark Kent origin story template and reimagined it as a supernatural horror film. While the final product had misses on its unique scale, it impressed with its performances from Elizabeth Banks and newcomer Jackson Dunn and legitimate scares.
David Yarovesky did his best in executive producing James Gunn’s vision of a reverse superhero film. And it will sure solidify his future projects in the genre in the same way Josh Trank did with Chronicle.
9 Sarah Daggar in Nickson of A Vigilante
A Vigilante falls in the same ballpark of You Were Never Really Here, in that a rogue figure rescues victims of domestic abuse from their captors. Olivia Wilde makes a strong impression as the titular vigilante that places her in inescapable obstacles.
And first-time director Sarah Daggar-Nickson made the best use of Wilde’s abilities and white knuckle thrills to create a unique film on the rogue assassin genre. For that, Daggar-Nickson is in great potential to direct female-empowerment tentpole movies.
8 Riley Stearns in The Art of Self-Defense
Jesse Eisenberg stars in The Art of Self-Defense, a black comedy where he plays a paranoid accountant who takes up martial arts lessons from a local dojo, only to get involved in combat.
Its subtle context about modern-day masculinity elevates this above its peers. And its seamless balance makes it look like a Quentin Tarantino/Eli Roth picture. With the insertion of humor to blockbusters, it will not be surprising if director Riley Stearns is tapped for a big-budget movie.
7 Stephen Merchant of Fighting with My Family
Having his start in comedy, Stephen Merchant had a long way before he took on directing, co-producing and writing the biopic about Paige Bevis for the WWE. His transition to directing is so seamless that he elevated a by-the-numbers story above expectations and helped solidify Florence Pugh as a talent to be reckoned with.
With the way he staged the wrestling scenes and balancing it with heart, Merchant could be eyed for a Marvel movie, given he played Caliban in Logan.
6 Mati Diop in Atlantics
Atlantics is the official Senegalese entry for Best International Film Award for next year’s Oscars. While the fantasy film may be under everyone’s radar, it is worth checking out on Netflix for being a compelling drama with social subtext and magic realism that stamps its own identity.
Give it to Mati Diop for her bold vision to prioritize a story often overlooked and painted with political urgency. The immersive atmosphere and bizarre nature make Diop reliable for future fantasy-related projects.
5 Melina Matsoukas in Queen & Slim
Queen & Slim may be the urban audience’s answer to Bonnie & Clyde, but it aligns as the movie of the moment in a period of racial divide, online politics, and authority abuse. But at the center of it is the relationship between Daniel Kaluuya’s Slim and Jodie Turner-Smith’s Queen.
From the tense wild goose chase to its heart-wrenching ending, director Melina Matsoukas honed her experience from her music videos to bring the raw energy and enforce its timely themes.
4 Tom Harper in The Aeronauts and Wild Rose
Tom Harper directed two movies this year. The first one, Wild Rose, is about a Glaswegian woman who takes the unusual path on being a country singer. The other, The Aeronauts, is a loose interpretation of James Glaisher’s hot air balloon expedition.
Both are extreme contrasts, but it (including his work in Peaky Blinders) proves Harper’s confidence behind the camera. Place him in an IMAX-worthy blockbuster, and he will give out the best of a heartfelt story with grand visuals.
3 Olivia Wilde in Booksmart
Olivia Wilde had a blast of a year with roles in Richard Jewell and the aforementioned A Vigilante. But her most talked-about (and most important) work is directing Booksmart, arguably the most overlooked film from last summer. The coming-of-age comedy is a hit with audiences and critics but failed to make a mark on the box office.
Nevertheless, Wilde’s effort to bring this gender-swapped Superbad to life is a strong one that will guarantee big-budgeted projects (maybe period dramas) for her.
2 Trey Edward Shults in Waves
Last 2017, Trey Edward Shults made a good impression with the A24 horror It Comes at Night. He returned this year with another drama about family dynamics in Waves, which reaped accolades for Sterling K. Brown’s performance.
Given his ability to transition from genre to genre, Shults could be next to helm grander film projects centering on families. If there is to be learned from David Lowery, it is that indie directors can fight for their visions on mainstream movies.
1 Lorene Scafaria in Hustlers
Lorene Scafaria made a confident mark this year with the surprise hit Hustlers. Her courageous vision of a real-life story of female strippers outwitting conniving Wall Street personnel rings well to her community of female directors.
It is worth seeing her take on grander projects, mainly female-led blockbusters in the superhero and science-fiction genre. For the latter, she proved her strength in the doomsday dramedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.)Marvel, here is the next visionary!
