Five Filmmakers Shaping the Industry
Originally, this was supposed to be some coronavirus inspired post, maybe series recommendations, but you’re getting enough COVID-19 information daily as is — you don’t need us to pile on. So here are five filmmakers we admire.
Alex Garland
Films to watch: Ex Machina, Annihilation, Devs (TV)
We wrote about Alex Garland very recently — and his absolute genius. Ex Machina and Annihilation are two of the best films of the past decade, at least in our opinion, and Devs is truly a storytelling masterpiece in the television medium. Garland’s style — science, philosophy, ethics — is specific to him; and he rules over it better than most.
Ari Aster
Films to watch: Hereditary, Midsommar
Ari Aster is proving himself as one of the best horror filmmakers in recent (or even all) years. His debut Hereditary was met with critical praise and his second feature, Midsommar, broke all horror storytelling rules and remained one of the few quality picks of last year. And while both films have problems (we’ve talked about Midsommar before), they are certainly revolutionary — both of the horror genre and of experimental use of usual filmmaking narratives.
Robert Eggers
Films to watch: The VVitch, The Lighthouse
Robbert Eggers has said a huge passion of his is history, myths, and folk tales — and he puts that passion to use beautifully through his films. While we think The VVitch is a tad overrated, we definitely do understand the genius behind it and appreciate the originality. And The Lighthouse? That’s the best film of 2019 — which says enough.
Gaspar Noe
Films to watch: Irreversible, Love, Climax
A personal favorite. We’ve talked before about Gaspar Noe’s use of cinematography and how that shapes his films. But love him or hate him — this man is a revolutionary. He doesn’t care about being liked, in fact, he wants exactly the opposite. He wants his films to be his own and does not cave to commercial appeal — which is rare, almost non-existent, and exactly the reason why his style is inspiring so many.
Lars von Trier
Films to watch: Dogville, Antichrist, The House That Jack Built
Yet another controversial pick, but we stand behind this one as well. Lars von Trier created quite the spark back in 2011 by getting banned from Cannes — a fair decision, considering. But his art speaks for itself; Lars von Trier’s films are highly intellectual, perhaps most of the whole bunch, and require most mental focus. But it’s worth it — because almost no other filmmaker manages to explore such heavy and untouched themes so well — and make them so personal.
And there you have it. Go and binge these filmmakers’ work while stuck at home. We promise, you’ll absolutely love (probably) all of it. And if not, at least you’ll watch some more quality cinema — there’s always a lack of abundance in that.
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We try to stay as objective and unbiased as possible on OurMovieLife; we analyse and discuss and share our opinion on cinema and television, but only after forming said opinion based on facts and analysis. But we feel we need to say something now that is completely disconnected from the entertainment industry.
These are weird times. For all of us; everyone differently, but we’re all thrown out of our comfort zone right now. So we feel we need to say — it will be fine. Don’t know how, don’t know when, but it will be. In 10-20-30 years, this will be just a good story for the grandkids. So please, do not worry. Take advantage of this time. Make it yours and achieve something. Make smart decisions — practice social distancing. We are what this virus attacks — and we are those who can stop it. Go home, achieve something, and watch some movies.
Art is salvation, per usual.
— Pouty Boy, OurMovieLife Editor-in-chief
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— Pouty Boy