Great films by directors under 25 are hard to come by. In fact, it was nearly impossible to find ten titles. But after some heavy research, I managed to concoct this list (originally conceived for IndieWire way back in my freelance days).
I edited, subtracted, and added some films. It made me realize what an impossible task it was to be a very young filmmaker and hit one out of the ballpark. No wonder then that listed below are filmmakers who would end up being some of the most important of the 20th and 21st century.
FULL LIST:
“Jeanne Dielman” (Chantal Akerman, 24)
“Mommy” (Xavier Dolan, 23)
“Citizen Kane” (Orson Welles, 25)
“Duel” (Steven Spielberg, 24)
“Hard Eight” (Paul Thomas Anderson, 24)
“Evil Dead” (Sam Raimi, 22)
“El Mariachi” (Robert Rodriguez, 23)
“Boyz n the Hood” (John Singleton, 24)
“Clerks” (Kevin Smith, 24)
“George Washington” (David Gordon Green, 24)
Additions (courtesy of our readers):
Boy Meets Girl (Leos Carax)
Gummo (Harmony Korine)
Tiny Furniture (Lena Dunham)
Thesis (Alejandro Amenábar)
Before the Revolution (Bernardo Bertolucci)
You can read my full thoughts on each of the ten films here.
Of course, towering above all is Welles’ masterpiece, “Citizen Kane”. The fact that he was just 25 years old when the film premiered at the Palace theater in 1941 is staggering and almost unheard of for a film this revolutionary and important to the medium.
Have I missed any important films/filmmakers?