The 15 Best Directorial Debuts of the 2020s So Far, from 'Barbarian' to 'Past Lives'

While big tentpole movies spearheaded by iconic filmmakers are beginning to repopulate Hollywood’s release schedule following the COVID pandemic, the shutdown still provided a chance for many new faces to make a splash on the scene and announce themselves. Many are already on to their next projects determined to prove that their debuts weren’t a fluke. Some have even landed big studio projects as a testament to their successes so early on.

Regardless, there have been dozens of debut movies in the 2020s that have become some of my favorites from the decade. The pandemic helped instill an already burgeoning new crop of filmmakers into the industry that are ready to carry the medium into a new era. While we’re keeping the list concise at 15 today, there are so many more that stand out as detailed and creative launching points for their respective auteurs. To name just a few, here are the directorial debuts from the 2020s that just barely missed the cut: His House (Remi Weekes), The Humans (Stephen Karam), Rye Lane (Raine Allen-Miller), We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (Jane Schoenbrun), Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (Ariane Louis-Seize), and The People’s Joker (Vera Drew).

15. The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal, 2021)

Few debut movies have the level of care and precision that Maggie Gyllenhaal‘s The Lost Daughter has. An intimate film about fragile bonds between mother and daughter, The Lost Daughter relies on powerful performances from Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, and Jessie Buckley – all of whom exceed with flying colors.

Read Cinephile Corner’s review of The Lost Daughter (2021)

14. Pig (Michael Sarnoski, 2021)

13. Aftersun (Charlotte Wells, 2022)

Charlotte Wells’ debut movie Aftersun is a juggernaut. Few films demand the time and attention this A24 property does and also delivers on the promise of a deeply resonating ending that will surely endure the test of time and re-watchability. In many ways, Aftersun feels timeless – the rare use of technology or dated material is actually of 20 years past (around the timeframe for our lead character Sophie, played by the wonderful and peppy Frankie Corio, to reminisce the time she spent with her father), and the structural architecture and design of the Turkish resort they stay at is nearly absent. Every frame stays with people, not their surroundings.

Read Cinephile Corner’s review of Aftersun (2022)

12. Turning Red (Domee Shi, 2022)

Despite feeling a bit like Pixar is borrowing heavily from their contemporaries, Domee Shi‘s Turning Red is the first movie from the studio to actually move the needle in a while. It’s a story for generations to enjoy, and I always prefer when Pixar aims to appeal to older audiences in conjunction with the usual kids demographic.

Read Cinephile Corner’s review of Turning Red (2022)

11. Sound of Metal (Darius Marder, 2020)

10. The Mitchells vs. The Machines (Mike Rianda, 2021)

9. Boys State (Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, 2020)

8. The Empty Man (David Prior, 2020)

7. Scrapper (Charlotte Regan, 2023)

6. Barbarian (Zach Cregger, 2022)

Zach Cregger‘s Barbarian is still refreshing and thrilling, and it’s easily one of my favorite theater experiences of 2022. Films try over and over again to use the schlocky marketing bit of audiences screaming in theaters only to be disappointing in actual terror when places in front of you – but Barbarian is genuinely jaw-dropping.

Read Cinephile Corner’s review of Barbarian (2022)

5. Saint Maud (Rose Glass, 2020)

Saint Maud certainly has a few of the motifs and themes you’d expect from an A24 horror movie – a real sense of dread and Christian guilt lingers throughout much of its brisk runtime – but the debut from Rose Glass feels like an expansive, reinvigorating mold of those ideals. A few years since its release, Saint Maud remains one of the best horror films from the studio in the 2020s.

Read Cinephile Corner’s review of Saint Maud (2020)

4. Falcon Lake (Charlotte Le Bon, 2022)

Charlotte Le Bon‘s Falcon Lake feels singular in a way that is so difficult to accomplish in the 2020s. Teenage romance movies are circulated by the dozens in the era of streaming services (Netflix churns out a remarkable number of horrendous attempts at this every year), but they never feel as cared for or honest as this movie does.

Read Cinephile Corner’s review of Falcon Lake (2023)

3. The Vast of Night (Andrew Patterson, 2020)

Simple but precise, The Vast of Night proves that low budgets and COVID times aren’t real excuses for making lackluster movies. What is essentially three to four long sequences transforms into a story that continues to build and build the stakes until it’s explosive finale. It is an invigorating debut film from Andrew Patterson.

Read Cinephile Corner’s review of The Vast of Night (2020)

2. Shithouse (Cooper Raiff, 2020)

1. Past Lives (Celine Song, 2023)

Celine Song‘s Past Lives is a revelation, despite a growing skepticism that romance movies are dead in the current streaming era. Every bit of emotion and rekindling romance is only strengthened by a nuanced approach to script and perfect casting. A real highlight of 2023.

Read Cinephile Corner’s review of Past Lives (2023)

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