Hereditary (2018)
Of the many incredible horror debuts in the 2010s, Ari Aster stands above the rest, with a debut that transcended genre and made him an instant legend.
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We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
Lynne Ramsay continues her needed work of shining a spotlight on dark human traumas.
Moonlight (2016)
Barry Jenkins's coming-of-age drama is a landmark for both African-American and LGBTQ+ cinema.
Honeymoon (2014)
Genre newcomer Leigh Janiak shows compelling potential in her subtle, slow-burning debut.
The Florida Project (2017)
Sean Baker continues to be one of the most important independent filmmakers in contemporary American cinema.
Submarine (2010)
Television star Richard Ayoade's directorial film debut is one of the smartest, most playful comedies of the 2010s.
Pitfall (1962)
The existential horror of the marginalized takes root in Japanese surrealist Hiroshi Teshigahara's feature debut.
Breathe (2014)
Actress/director Mélanie Laurent sensitively explores the ways abuse is passed down through generations.
Ida (2013)
Released when he was 56, Pawlikowski's patient but dense drama proved it's never too late for talented arthouse filmmakers to launch their career into international acclaim.
Sorry to Bother You (2018)
Boots Riley of The Coup takes his talents from the music world to the film world in his fresh, provocative, and outlandishly funny directorial debut.
Eighth Grade (2018)
Bo Burnham's leap into the film world is a shockingly understanding coming-of-age story.
Don't Look Now (1973)
An innovative psychological horror masterpiece that exemplifies the notion that the genre works best when humanity is at its core.
The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrick chills our spines with his ice cold interpretation of Stephen King's venerated novel.
Nightcrawler (2014)
Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a show-stopping performance in this creepy neo-noir debut from screenwriter Dan Gilroy.