11 Incredibly Talented Breakout Directors of the Last Decade

Here are eleven amazing directors that we all know and love, which have left an impression on me throughout the last decade. Some of these directors have been around for quite some time, but it's taken them a lot of hard work throughout the years to become as popular as they have. There are also some lesser known directors on the list that have only made one or two films recently, but from what they have done, I feel these directors will have a great career ahead of them.

Here is the list of the decades best Breakout directors in no particular order. 

Christopher Nolan

Breakout Film: Memento – 2000

Ten years ago Nolan made a film that blew everyone away called Memento. Since that film he has continued to blow people's minds with what he is capable of. Since his first film he’s made Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, and his latest creation, Inception, which looks incredible. Nolan has definitely done a lot over the last decade and has come a long way. There’s no doubt he will continue to make films that not only challenges him as a filmmaker, but also challenges the audiences that are watching his films.

Peter Jackson

Breakout Film: The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings – 2001

Before Lord of the Rings came along Jackson was directing some great low budget horror films, but he was only known to a few select groups of horror movie fans. The two most notable films that he made that people would recognize before he hit it big time are Dead Alive and The Frighteners. He has since been changing the way movies are being made in terms of story telling and special effects. There’s no doubt he will continue to wow us with his epic filmmaking style and techniques and continue to change the way we see movies. Peter Jackson has made quite a name for himself, now let’s see if he can keep it up.

Guillermo del Toro

Breakout Film: Hellboy - 2004

Here is a man that has a brilliant imagination. Of course del Toro made some great films before Hellboy, but it wasn’t until after Hellboy that his career took off. After that he made some more great films like Pans Labyrinth and Hellboy 2, he then went and got himself involved with a ton of other film projects such as The Hobbit, Pinocchio, Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde just to name a few. He’s got his hands in around 15 other film projects right now. Del Toro has a great creative mind and long career ahead of him.

Jon Favreau

Breakout Film: ELF – 2003

Before Elf, Favreau created a couple classic films such as Swingers (writer/producer) and Made, but it wasn’t until Elf came along that he broke out into the main stream. Elf took him to his next gig Zathura which led him to directI ron Man, putting him on every film-geek's radar. Favreau is now a household name. When Jon Favreau is attached to direct a film the fan boy community rejoices. There’s no doubt he is going to continue making some incredibly fun and exciting movies throughout his career.

Edgar Wright

Breakout Film: Shaun of the Dead - 2004

Now here's a director that knows how to party! This guy has made some incredibly funny films and I have immensely enjoyed the movies that he's made. He's worked with both Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. He is currently in post production on his next film, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, which I've heard is going to be unlike anything we've seen before, so I'm definitely looking forward to that and what ever else he has planned down the road. Wright will never make a dull film.

Jason Reitman

Breakout Film – Thank You for Smoking – 2005

Here is a guy that has become quite the wonderful storyteller. He dives into the characters of the stories he wants to tell, and brings them to life in his films in the most creative, fun, and memorable ways. Not since John Hughes have we seen such a vast variety of rich stand out characters up on the screen. Juno was great and Up in the Air was fantastic. I love what Reitman has done in film, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he will do next. Reitman is only going to get better and better as he perfects his craft.

Rian Johnson

Breakout Film: Brick - 2005

This guy has only made two films so far but both of them have been incredibly impressive. His first movie is an indie film called Brick and his most recent is his second film called The Brothers Bloom. Johnson has a talent for coming up with original story ideas with very colorful characters. My favorite thing about his movies is the smart snappy dialogue. He also has a great vision when it comes to setting up his shot. Johnson takes you places you never thought you would go.

Neil Blomkamp

Breakout Film: District 9 - 2009

He had only directed some commercials and a couple short films, but Peter Jackson took him under his wing to direct the Halo movie that ended up falling off the face of the earth. Instead he ended up directing another film called District 9 which is based on one of his short films called Alive in Joburg.  He has this documentary gritty film style is awesome to watch. It makes these sci-fi elements come to life even more. The movie was incredible and I think he is going to be a big hit among the sci-fi fantasy film geeks. He’s going to blow up.

Duncan Jones

Breakout Film: Moon - 2009

Not only is he the son of David Bowie but it seems he has a natural talent for directing movies. He’s only made one main movie so far, Moon, starring Sam Rockwell. But that one films is a perfect example that shows off his ability to tell a solid story. The movie takes place in a small isolated location yet it keeps your full undivided attention the whole time. The film also proves he knows how to direct his actors and get great performances from them. His directing style reminds me of the great directors of the 70’s like Stanly Kubrick. He’s got a couple films in the pipeline which I’m looking forward to seeing such as Source Code, Escape from the Deep, and Mute.

Marc Webb

Breakout Film: 500 Days of Summer - 2009

He started out directing music videos in his career, and has only made one film. That film is called 500 Days of Summer which is such a wonderful love story without being a love story. It is more about the pain of being in love. Webb is a wonderful and imaginative story teller. There are these little details that he puts in this film that make it stand out above everything else. He’s made a classic film and I think he’s going to end up making a lot more. He just has a unique eye for certain little details that I’ve never seen before until his first movie came along.

Judd Apatow

Breakout Film: The 40 Year Old Virgin – 2005

Here’s a guy that came along and brought comedy to a whole new level in film. It all started with a simple TV show early in the decade called Freaks and Geeks. Apatow is able to bring a ton of different emotions to the comedies he makes. Not only are they funny but they also show a very human side of life, they are really funny dramady’s that I think a lot of people can connect with. Not only has he directed some great comedies like Knocked Up and Funny People, but he’s produced a ton of films that people seem to love like Talladega Nights, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Pineapple Express. Apatow has definitely changed comedy in film for the better.

Oh man! I totally forgot J.J. Abrams! So I have added a #12 to the list.

J.J. Abrams

Breakout Film - Mission Impossible III - 2006

For years Abrams has wowed us with his awesome TV shows such as Alias, LOST and Falicity... oh wait. Thats Okay, he had to start somewhere! Then Mission Impossible III came along and made a freakin awesome film out of it. It was great to see that this guy could not only make great TV but make great movies as well. Star Trek is definitely his crowning moment, in my opinion Star Trek was the best movie of 2009. He took a film that was loved by fanboys and fangirls all around the world, and he successfully revamped the franchise and made almost everyone happy. He's started on the road to becoming one of the best director in Hollywood.

Are there any directors that you would add to the list?