People talk about how the good days are behind us, and all the good things that happened before our generation. They say this without knowing what they are talking about. This is usually said of music, but is occasionally said of film. With such giants as Lawrence of Arabia, Taxi Driver, The Godfather, and North by Northwest having been made before 1980, and directors like Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, and Stanley Kubrick gone, it seems as if real cinema is dead. Au contraire, mon ami. We have new auteurs to carry the torch and bring us fresh and exciting films. Don’t believe me yet? Fret not, for I have provided a list of 10 filmmakers who have consistently put out amazing films year after year. The only criteria for my list was that the feature length debut had to be released either in 1990 or later. Let’s get to it.

Number One: Ana Lily Amirpour My first entry on this list only released her first film back in 2014, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t already captivated audiences. Born in England and raised mostly in Bakersfield, Calif., this Iranian-American took cinema by storm with her debut A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Described by Amirpour as the “first Iranian vampire spaghetti western”, it is apparent she took influence from a range of sources, from David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive to Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy, Roman Polanski’s Repulsion to Lars von Trier’s Antichrist. Focusing on character as well as style, like any good director, she does not care for conventional filmmaking, even choosing music that some might say would be out of place, but ends up working in the end. Currently Available: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) Coming Soon: The Bad Batch (TBA)

Number Two: Guillermo del Toro The first of two Mexican directors, del Toro burst onto the scene with his gothic debut Cronos in 1993, which became the first of many films to follow starring Argentinian veteran actor Federico Luppi and American Ron Perlman. Since this staggering first feature, del Toro has immersed himself in the world of monsters and fairy tales, celebrating the imperfect and infusing themes of Catholicism. He even brought one of the most underrated comic book characters, Hellboy, to life in two films. With a wonderful eye for visuals and the brilliant imagination to go along with it, I will leave you with this quote said by Hellboy actor John Hurt: “The only insult you could probably throw his way is that he is fat. But I think he needs to be that big so it can hold his heart, because it is so massive.” CA: Cronos (1993), Mimic (1997), The Devil’s Backbone (2001), Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), Pacific Rim (2013), Crimson Peak (2015) CS: Hellboy III (TBA), Pacific Rim II (TBA), Pinocchio (TBA)

Number Three: Danny Boyle An award winning director from Britain, Danny Boyle has been releasing movie magic since 1994 with the release of his debut, the black comedy crime film Shallow Grave. After the success of that picture, he was given the go-ahead to adapt Irvine Welsh’s novel Trainspotting, which is by some critics considered the quintessential film of the 1990s. This, along with the Academy Award-winning Slumdog Millionaire and 28 Days Later, cemented his status as one of the leading British directors of our time. With his insight into the difficult decisions made by people everyday, Boyle brings the average person to the limelight. Whether it be on a spacecraft, during the zombie apocalypse, or in the flat of drug users, he brings out feelings that some viewers didn’t know they had. CA: Shallow Grave (1994), Trainspotting (1996), A Life Less Ordinary (1997), 28 Days Later (2002), Millions (2004), Sunshine (2007), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), 127 Hours (2010), Trance (2013), Steve Jobs (2015) CS: TBA

Number Four:  Nicolas Winding Refn This Danish filmmaker started back in the early 1990s with the first entry in his Pusher trilogy. Boy, has he come a long way since those days. With indie hits like Bronson and Drive and surrealist pieces like Valhalla Rising and Only God Forgives now under his belt, there really is no stopping him. Speaking on characterization, Refn has stated that he likes characters who because of their circumstances, must transform themselves, to become something they were meant to be. This logic paired with his distinctive contrasting visual style (due to his color blindness) makes for some of the most beautiful features ever put to camera. CA: Pusher (1996), Bleeder (1999), Pusher II (2004), Pusher III (2005), Bronson (2008), Valhalla Rising (2009), Drive (2011), Only God Forgives (2013) CS: The Neon Demon (2016)

Number Five: Christopher Nolan No matter who you are, you have most likely seen at least one of his films. With his career starting in 1998, he wasted no time getting recognition with his first two independent pictures Following and Memento. Just five years later he brought us Batman Begins, the first film in The Dark Knight trilogy. Along with The Prestige, Inception, and Interstellar, Nolan knows no boundaries when it comes to what films are able to accomplish. Using practical special effects and nonlinear storytelling to bring to life his concepts on exploration of human morality, the construction of time, and the malleable nature of memory and personal identity, it is a no brainer for him to appear on this list. CA: Following (1998), Memento (2000), Insomnia (2002), Batman Begins (2005), The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008), Inception (2010), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Interstellar (2014) CS: Dunkirk (2017)

Number Six: Alejandro G. Iñárritu The second Mexican here, Iñárritu brought his first feature Amores perros to audiences back in 2000, and he has had us all captivated since then. The aforementioned picture, along with subsequent releases 21 Grams and Babel, make up his Death trilogy, films that shared similar themes and nonlinear, interconnected storylines. Those were his first three films, by the way. Following these up with Biutiful and the Academy Award-winning films Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and The Revenant, Iñárritu showed just how wonderful stories of sacrifice, triumph, and death can be so beautiful. CA: Amores perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006), Biutiful (2010), Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), The Revenant (2015) CS: TBA

Number Seven: Richard Linklater Like Nolan, you have most likely seen one of his films at some point in your life. Bringing us the minimalist Slacker in 1991, he has consistently brought forth amazing material made on small budgets. Gaining fame from his second film Dazed and Confused, he has played with genres such as comedy (School of Rock, Bernie, Bad News Bears), drama (the Before trilogy, Waking Life, Boyhood), and even science fiction (A Scanner Darkly). Films described as being humanist that revolve around personal relationships, suburban culture, and the effects of the passage of time, Linklater consistently raises the bar on what can be done with a shoe-string budget. CA: Slacker (1991), Dazed and Confused (1993), Before Sunrise (1995), The Newton Boys (1998), Waking Life (2001), School of Rock (2003), Before Sunset (2004), Bad News Bears (2005), A Scanner Darkly (2006), Me and Orson Welles (2008), Bernie (2011), Before Midnight (2013), Boyhood (2014) CS: Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

Number Eight: Céline Sciamma Known for minimalist films, this French beauty released her first film Water Lilies in 2007 to widespread acclaim. This was then followed up by the equally successful Tomboy in 2011 and Girlhood in 2014, all dealing with adolescents or pre-adolescents as they are trying to figure out who they are and what their place is in the world. Notable for her lack of dialogue, very stylized mise-en-scene, casting of non-actors, fashion and style of the outfits, and the formalist and idiosyncratic style of storytelling, it’s a wonder more people don’t watch her films. CA: Water Lilies (2007), Tomboy (2011), Girlhood (2014) CS: TBA

Number Nine:  Quentin Tarantino Was there any doubt? Tarantino has been on the scene since 1992, with the release of the brutal and at times hilarious Reservoir Dogs. Following this up with Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, it is necessary to realize that no one plays with genre like Tarantino, whether it be horror (Death Proof), dark comedy (True Romance), or spaghetti western (Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight). The hood-and-trunk shot, Big Kahuna Burger, Red Apple cigarettes, excessive cursing, stylized violence, and pop culture references are just some of the things Tarantino does that cinema lovers have come to expect and love. The way he takes genres, rethinks them, and litters them with small details is absolutely magical. CA: Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill (2003), Death Proof (2007), Inglourious Bast*rds (2009), Django Unchained (2012), The Hateful Eight (2015) CS: TBA

Number 10: David Fincher What should I say? I have no idea. After the disaster known as Alien 3 (wasn’t his fault, trust me), he bounced back in perfect fashion with the psychological thriller Seven in 1995. His follow-ups Fight Club, Zodiac, The Social Network, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo have all been critically acclaimed, and for good reason: no one else has the guts to push boundaries like Fincher (with the notable exception of Tarantino). The writing is spot on, the cinematography is dark and beautiful, the editing is methodical, the production design perfect, and the casting is always a dream. If you try and name a director who has done more for modern cinema than he has, come tell me, because I don’t know anyone else who can do what he has done. CA: Seven (1995), The Game (1997), Fight Club (1999), Panic Room (2002), Zodiac (2007), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), The Social Network (2010), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Gone Girl (2014) CS: TBA

Honorable Mentions: -Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) -Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel) -Todd Haynes (Poison, Safe, Velvet Goldmine, Far From Heaven, I’m Not There, Carol) -Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation., Where the Wild Things Are, Her) -Paul Thomas Anderson (Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, The Master, Inherent Vice)

Warning: Some of these films are R-Rated.