The beauty of Hollywood is its capacity for international talent to find work in its industry. British-born directors are only one example of filmmakers who have found success at home and in Hollywood. Indeed, the argument could be made that much of American popular cinema’s growth can be attributed to the work or involvement of British directors. Filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock, Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott, and David Lean (who is one of the most Oscar-nominated directors ever) have all crossed the pond and established themselves as some of the best directors Hollywood has had to offer.

Indeed, British talents have carved out spaces for themselves in the industry, both nationally and on a global scale, tackling diverse stories across a range of genres. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the best British filmmakers working today, from Amma Asante to Danny Boyle.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

8 Danny Boyle

     Celador Films

Born in Radcliffe, Lancashire to Irish parents, Danny Boyle deepened his love for directing while studying English and Drama at the University College of North Wales, where he directed some productions for the drama society. At first, he worked as a producer for TV films, specifically for BBC Northern Ireland. When the 90s came around, Boyle decided he wanted to direct his own films. His first feature film, the black comedy Shallow Grave, was the most commercially successful British film of 1995. This led to the creation of one of the most critically acclaimed and iconic British movies of all time: Trainspotting. Boyle is also responsible for the most successful British film of the 2000s: Slumdog Millionaire. As for the future projects, Boyle is set to adapt The Matrix into a dance stage show.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

7 Amma Asante

     TSG Entertainment

Born in London to parents from Ghana, Amma Asante’s career began when she attended a performing arts school, during which she drafted her first script. She then continued work as a young actress in various productions, such as the TV series Grange Hill. Working as a screenwriter for some time, Asante wanted to branch out, and in 2004, she released her first feature film, a drama called A Way Of Life, which established her as an emerging director full of exciting prospects. Belle, a historical romance film based on Dido Elizabeth Belle, was her next successful spectacle. Asante continued her trajectory of telling the forgotten untold stories with A United Kingdom, which is about Seretse Khama, heir to the throne of the Bangwato Tribe in Serowe. As reported by Collider in 2020, she is set to direct the upcoming Cold War thriller The Billion Dollar Spy starring Mads Mikkelsen.

6 Christopher Nolan

     Warner Bros.

Christopher Nolan demonstrated an interest in filmmaking from a very young age, which further deepened after he studied at University College London. Not too long after graduating, he made his first feature film in 2000 called Memento. He soon moved from independent filmmaking to studio productions with his psychological thriller Insomnia. He’s most known for his commercially successful movies, such as The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet. When we say commercially successful, we mean that his movies have grossed over $ 5.7 billion worldwide. The typical characteristics of his movies include existential specificity, metaphysical aesthetic, the exploration of time, memory, and human ethics.

5 Steve McQueen

     Regency Enterprises

Born in London to a Grenadian mother and a Trinidadian father, Steve McQueen first became interested in film while studying in college. Through his early work in short films and visual art, he developed his own experimental style. It would ultimately a few years until McQueen released his first feature length film Hunger in 2008, about the 1981 Irish hunger strike. Since then, he has become known and acclaimed for his socially-conscious films, such as Shame, about an executive struggling with sex addiction, Widows, about female criminals, Small Axe, about the lives and history of West Indian community in London, and his most critically acclaimed piece 12 Years a Slave, which tells the true story of Solomon Northup.

4 Andrea Arnold

     A24

Andrea Arnold started her career as a dancer, TV presenter, and actress. Eventually, she realized she wanted to do more, which inspired her to direct and write her own short films. This would later earn her an Academy Award for the masterpiece short film The Wasp in 2003. Arnold then branched out into feature films, the most well-known being the psychological thriller Red Road, the drama Fish Tank, about a 15-year-old volatile girl, and the epic road film American Honey. Arnold is known for giving her actors total controls of their characters, as she purely reflects them on the screen.

3 Guy Ritchie

     Warner Bros. Pictures

Leaving school at 15 years old, Guy Ritchie was eager to get into the film industry by working entry-level jobs. His first personal success came when he had the chance to direct TV commercials. He then moved to short films and, soon after, released his first feature-length film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). It wasn’t until his second movie — the crime comedy Snatch — that he found critical recognition. The biggest recognition and critical success Ritchie has received was for his Sherlock Holmes films, starring Robert Downey Jr., and the latest live-action adaptation of Aladdin. Ritchie is re-teaming with Disney for yet another live action adaptation, per Variety, this time of Hercules.

2 Sarah Gavron

Sarah Gavron decided to get into filmmaking to make a difference in the industry, whose lack of women directors is still prevalent. This is why she has dedicated her career to making women’s voices be heard and represented. Her most known short films and feature films include This Little Life , about a young couple whose son gets born prematurely, Brick Lane, Village at the End of the World , and the most well-known so far Suffragette, starring Carey Mulligan, which is based on real historical events of the suffragette movement in 1912 in London. Her most recent film Rocks tells a story about a young Black girl who gets abandoned by her own mother.

1 Ridley Scott

     Pathé

Sir Ridley Scott started his career in television as a designer and a director. Of course, it wasn’t long before he became one of the most appraised directors of science fiction films. Scott made his directorial debut with the historical drama The Duellists (1977). What gained him worldwide recognition was the science fiction film Alien. Known for his atmospheric style, urban environments, and strong women characters, Scott has become one of the most influential people in British cinema. His most well-known films include Blade Runner, Gladiator, Robin Hood, The Martian, and Thelma & Louise. We can’t wait for his upcoming movie Napoleon starring Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role.