Film Rankings

For all the incredible parts of Chinese history—laden with dynasties and Emperors who sought to rule the known world—the Asian country’s artistic expression is not to be ignored. When it comes to cinema, the Chinese have long played their own game, ignoring the allure of Hollywood blockbusters in favor of driving stories of their own people and culture. As in many places throughout the world, the cinematic output of China has achieved great things, with many movies that transcend their origins and deserve to be considered global classics....

Founded by Daniel Katz in 2012, the studio is an infant compared to big players like Universal Pictures, a world-renowned company that’s been around since 1912. Even so, A24 has already made its mark such that audiences will check out a film simply for being A24. The independent American company is known for its cutting-edge and gorgeously-shot works of art that combine avant-garde elements with Hollywood foundations. Movies by A24 tend to be darker, more daring, and even neon-lit, while being approachable....

There are many reasons for that, but one in particular sticks out for the Canadian filmmaker: whereas many great directors have a favored style and genre—like Martin Scorsese with gangster epics or Christopher Nolan with time-warped stories—Denis Villeneuve is a chameleon whose skills and vision can fit to any film genre. Among all that, Villeneuve is always consistent in one thing: the ability to tell human stories that are grounded and emotional yet epic in scale....

With clever scripts, dynamic camerawork, fast pacing, frisky editing, fun soundtracks, recurring gags, and lots of visual comedy, Edgar Wright sees every frame as his cinematic playground. Need examples of his playful sensibilities? See his roots in the sitcom Spaced, where he first collaborated with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. As of this writing, Edgar Wright has another movie on the way: Last Night in Soho, starring Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy, which will be his stab at a straight-up horror movie....

The acclaimed director is known for his offbeat style of storytelling and his insanely precise visuals. He loves symmetry, coordinated color palettes, and working with the same group of actors—including household names like Owen Wilson and Bill Murray. The French Dispatch is set to premier on July 6 and stars Timothée Chalamet, Bill Murray (of course), Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Adrian Brody, and a whole bunch of other famous faces. But before we dive into the inevitable greatness of The French Dispatch, we’d do well to familiarize ourselves with the director’s past cinematic work....