| Directors are ranked according to overall movie critic score |
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| 1 |  | Alfred Hitchcock |  3.4839
| 52 |
- 1920s - 10
- 1930s - 13
- 1940s - 11
- 1950s - 11
- 1960s - 5
- 1970s - 2
|
- 1. Rear Window (1954)
- 2. Psycho (1960)
- 3. Vertigo (1958)
- 4. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
|
| 2 |  | Steven Spielberg |  3.4762
| 29 |
- 1950s - 1
- 1960s - 3
- 1970s - 3
- 1980s - 7
- 1990s - 6
- 2000s - 9
|
- 1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- 2. Jaws (1975)
- 3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- 4. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
|
| 3 |  | Woody Allen |  3.4290
| 37 |
- 1960s - 1
- 1970s - 6
- 1980s - 8
- 1990s - 10
- 2000s - 12
|
- 1. Annie Hall (1977)
- 2. Manhattan (1979)
- 3. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
- 4. Radio Days (1987)
|
| 4 |  | Peter Jackson |  3.3824
| 11 |
- 1970s - 1
- 1980s - 2
- 1990s - 3
- 2000s - 5
|
- 1. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)
- 2. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)
- 3. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002)
- 4. King Kong (2005)
|
| 5 |  | Martin Scorsese |  3.3813
| 30 |
- 1950s - 1
- 1960s - 1
- 1970s - 8
- 1980s - 5
- 1990s - 7
- 2000s - 8
|
- 1. Taxi Driver (1976)
- 2. Goodfellas (1990)
- 3. Raging Bull (1980)
- 4. Departed, The (2006)
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| 6 |  | Stanley Kubrick |  3.3436
| 14 |
- 1950s - 6
- 1960s - 4
- 1970s - 1
- 1980s - 2
- 1990s - 1
|
- 1. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
- 2. Paths of Glory (1958)
- 3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
- 4. Spartacus (1960)
|
| 7 |  | Francis Ford Coppola |  3.2737
| 14 |
- 1960s - 2
- 1970s - 4
- 1980s - 4
- 1990s - 2
- 2000s - 2
|
- 1. Godfather, The (1972)
- 2. Godfather: Part II, The (1974)
- 3. Conversation, The (1974)
- 4. Apocalypse Now (1979)
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| 8 |  | John Lounsbery |  3.2706
| 46 |
- 1930s - 4
- 1940s - 22
- 1950s - 7
- 1960s - 7
- 1970s - 6
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- 1. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
- 2. Mary Poppins (1964)
- 3. Dumbo (1941)
- 4. Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The (1977)
|
| 9 |  | Clint Eastwood |  3.1707
| 28 |
- 1970s - 7
- 1980s - 7
- 1990s - 8
- 2000s - 6
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- 1. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
- 2. Unforgiven (1992)
- 3. Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
- 4. Mystic River (2003)
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| 10 |  | John Ford |  3.1669
| 73 |
- 1910s - 4
- 1920s - 12
- 1930s - 23
- 1940s - 14
- 1950s - 14
- 1960s - 4
- 1970s - 2
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- 1. Searchers, The (1956)
- 2. Grapes of Wrath, The (1940)
- 3. Quiet Man, The (1952)
- 4. 3 Godfathers (1948)
|
| 11 |  | Michael Curtiz |  3.1639
| 101 |
- 1910s - 2
- 1920s - 15
- 1930s - 40
- 1940s - 21
- 1950s - 19
- 1960s - 4
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- 1. Casablanca (1942)
- 2. Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938)
- 3. White Christmas (1954)
- 4. Captain Blood (1935)
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| 12 |  | Quentin Tarantino |  3.1605
| 6 |
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- 1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
- 2. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
- 3. Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
- 4. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
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| 13 |  | Joel Coen |  3.1479
| 12 |
- 1980s - 2
- 1990s - 4
- 2000s - 6
|
- 1. No Country for Old Men (2007)
- 2. Blood Simple. (1984)
- 3. Barton Fink (1991)
- 4. Fargo (1996)
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| 14 |  | John Carpenter |  3.1302
| 21 |
- 1960s - 5
- 1970s - 3
- 1980s - 7
- 1990s - 4
- 2000s - 2
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- 1. Halloween (1978)
- 2. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
- 3. Dark Star (1974)
- 4. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
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| 15 |  | Ridley Scott |  3.1228
| 21 |
- 1960s - 1
- 1970s - 2
- 1980s - 4
- 1990s - 4
- 2000s - 10
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- 1. Alien (1979)
- 2. Gladiator (2000)
- 3. Thelma & Louise (1991)
- 4. Legend (1985)
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| 16 |  | William Wyler |  3.1083
| 59 |
- 1920s - 30
- 1930s - 11
- 1940s - 7
- 1950s - 7
- 1960s - 3
- 1970s - 1
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- 1. Ben-Hur (1959)
- 2. Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946)
- 3. Funny Girl (1968)
- 4. Roman Holiday (1953)
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| 17 |  | Billy Wilder |  3.0897
| 25 |
- 1940s - 7
- 1950s - 8
- 1960s - 5
- 1970s - 4
- 1980s - 1
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- 1. Double Indemnity (1944)
- 2. Some Like It Hot (1959)
- 3. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
- 4. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
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| 18 |  | Orson Welles |  3.0883
| 17 |
- 1930s - 2
- 1940s - 5
- 1950s - 3
- 1960s - 2
- 1970s - 4
- 1980s - 1
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- 1. Citizen Kane (1941)
- 2. Touch of Evil (1958)
- 3. F for Fake (1974)
- 4. Magnificent Ambersons, The (1942)
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| 19 |  | George Lucas |  3.0745
| 15 |
- 1960s - 8
- 1970s - 3
- 1990s - 1
- 2000s - 3
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- 1. Star Wars (1977)
- 2. American Graffiti (1973)
- 3. THX 1138 (1971)
- 4. Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
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| 20 |  | Howard Hawks |  3.0640
| 37 |
- 1920s - 7
- 1930s - 12
- 1940s - 10
- 1950s - 4
- 1960s - 3
- 1970s - 1
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- 1. Scarface (1932)
- 2. Red River (1948)
- 3. Big Sleep, The (1946)
- 4. His Girl Friday (1940)
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| 21 |  | Ron Howard |  3.0534
| 24 |
- 1960s - 3
- 1970s - 1
- 1980s - 6
- 1990s - 6
- 2000s - 8
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- 1. Apollo 13 (1995)
- 2. Beautiful Mind, A (2001)
- 3. Cinderella Man (2005)
- 4. Willow (1988)
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| 22 |  | Tim Burton |  3.0490
| 19 |
- 1970s - 2
- 1980s - 5
- 1990s - 5
- 2000s - 7
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- 1. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
- 2. Ed Wood (1994)
- 3. Beetlejuice (1988)
- 4. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
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| 23 |  | David Lynch |  3.0441
| 16 |
- 1960s - 2
- 1970s - 3
- 1980s - 3
- 1990s - 4
- 2000s - 4
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- 1. Eraserhead (1977)
- 2. Straight Story, The (1999)
- 3. Mulholland Drive (2001)
- 4. Dune (1984)
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| 24 |  | Ang Lee |  3.0316
| 9 |
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- 1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
- 2. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
- 3. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
- 4. Ice Storm, The (1997)
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| 25 |  | Michael Mann |  3.0032
| 15 |
- 1970s - 2
- 1980s - 3
- 1990s - 3
- 2000s - 7
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- 1. Manhunter (1986)
- 2. Collateral (2004)
- 3. Insider, The (1999)
- 4. Heat (1995)
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| 26 |  | George A. Romero |  2.9955
| 12 |
- 1960s - 1
- 1970s - 4
- 1980s - 4
- 1990s - 1
- 2000s - 2
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- 1. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
- 2. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
- 3. Martin (1977)
- 4. Day of the Dead (1985)
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| 27 |  | James Cameron |  2.9954
| 13 |
- 1970s - 1
- 1980s - 4
- 1990s - 4
- 2000s - 4
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- 1. Titanic (1997)
- 2. Aliens (1986)
- 3. Terminator, The (1984)
- 4. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
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| 28 |  | Richard Linklater |  2.9929
| 10 |
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- 1. Before Sunset (2004)
- 2. Before Sunrise (1995)
- 3. Dazed and Confused (1993)
- 4. Waking Life (2001)
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| 29 |  | David Mamet |  2.9908
| 13 |
- 1980s - 2
- 1990s - 5
- 2000s - 6
|
- 1. House of Games (1987)
- 2. Spanish Prisoner, The (1997)
- 3. Winslow Boy, The (1999)
- 4. State and Main (2000)
|
| 30 |  | Sam Raimi |  2.9878
| 14 |
- 1970s - 2
- 1980s - 2
- 1990s - 5
- 2000s - 5
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- 1. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- 2. Spider-Man (2002)
- 3. Evil Dead, The (1981)
- 4. Simple Plan, A (1998)
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| 31 |  | Wilfred Jackson |  2.9835
| 37 |
- 1930s - 28
- 1940s - 4
- 1950s - 5
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- 1. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
- 2. Cinderella (1950)
- 3. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
- 4. Peter Pan (1953)
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| 32 |  | George Cukor |  2.9809
| 46 |
- 1930s - 19
- 1940s - 9
- 1950s - 11
- 1960s - 4
- 1970s - 2
- 1980s - 1
|
- 1. Philadelphia Story, The (1940)
- 2. David Copperfield (1935)
- 3. Star Is Born, A (1954)
- 4. Holiday (1938)
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| 33 |  | Rob Reiner |  2.9779
| 15 |
- 1980s - 5
- 1990s - 7
- 2000s - 3
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- 1. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
- 2. Princess Bride, The (1987)
- 3. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
- 4. Stand by Me (1986)
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| 34 |  | Peter Weir |  2.9662
| 14 |
- 1970s - 3
- 1980s - 5
- 1990s - 3
- 2000s - 3
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- 1. Truman Show, The (1998)
- 2. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
- 3. Dead Poets Society (1989)
- 4. Witness (1985)
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| 35 |  | Steven Soderbergh |  2.9658
| 17 |
- 1980s - 2
- 1990s - 5
- 2000s - 10
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- 1. Traffic (2000)
- 2. Out of Sight (1998)
- 3. sex, lies, and videotape (1989)
- 4. Erin Brockovich (2000)
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| 36 |  | Terry Gilliam |  2.9644
| 13 |
- 1960s - 1
- 1970s - 3
- 1980s - 4
- 1990s - 3
- 2000s - 2
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- 1. Time Bandits (1981)
- 2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
- 3. Brazil (1985)
- 4. Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The (1988)
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| 37 |  | Christopher Nolan |  2.9492
| 7 |
|
- 1. Dark Knight, The (2008)
- 2. Memento (2000)
- 3. Insomnia (2002)
- 4. Prestige, The (2006)
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| 38 |  | Frank Oz |  2.9482
| 13 |
- 1980s - 4
- 1990s - 6
- 2000s - 3
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- 1. Dark Crystal, The (1982)
- 2. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
- 3. Bowfinger (1999)
- 4. Score, The (2001)
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| 39 |  | Fritz Lang |  2.9444
| 35 |
- 1910s - 5
- 1920s - 7
- 1930s - 5
- 1940s - 8
- 1950s - 10
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- 1. Metropolis (1927)
- 2. Nibelungen: Siegfried, Die (1924)
- 3. M (1931)
- 4. Big Heat, The (1953)
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| 40 |  | Spike Lee |  2.9394
| 24 |
- 1970s - 1
- 1980s - 4
- 1990s - 9
- 2000s - 10
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- 1. Do The Right Thing (1989)
- 2. Malcolm X (1992)
- 3. Inside Man (2006)
- 4. 25th Hour (2002)
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| 41 |  | Wes Craven |  2.9365
| 18 |
- 1970s - 3
- 1980s - 6
- 1990s - 6
- 2000s - 3
|
- 1. Nightmare On Elm Street, A (1984)
- 2. Scream (1996)
- 3. Hills Have Eyes, The (1977)
- 4. Last House on the Left, The (1972)
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| 42 |  | Sidney Lumet |  2.9354
| 40 |
- 1950s - 4
- 1960s - 8
- 1970s - 10
- 1980s - 10
- 1990s - 5
- 2000s - 3
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- 1. 12 Angry Men (1957)
- 2. Serpico (1973)
- 3. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
- 4. Network (1976)
|
| 43 |  | Kevin Smith |  2.9332
| 8 |
|
- 1. Clerks. (1994)
- 2. Chasing Amy (1997)
- 3. Clerks II (2006)
- 4. Dogma (1999)
|
| 44 |  | Robert Zemeckis |  2.9268
| 6 |
- 1980s - 2
- 1990s - 1
- 2000s - 3
|
- 1. Back to the Future (1985)
- 2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
- 3. Cast Away (2000)
- 4. Contact (1997)
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| 45 |  | John Lasseter |  2.9263
| 7 |
- 1970s - 1
- 1980s - 2
- 1990s - 3
- 2000s - 1
|
- 1. Toy Story (1995)
- 2. Bug's Life, A (1998)
- 3. Toy Story 2 (1999)
- 4. Cars (2006)
|
| 46 |  | Emile Chautard |  2.9257
| 52 |
|
- 1. Mains, Les (1911)
- 2. Paid in Full (1919)
- 3. Man Who Forgot, The (1917)
- 4. All Man (1916)
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| 47 |  | F.W. Murnau |  2.9124
| 16 |
- 1910s - 1
- 1920s - 13
- 1930s - 2
|
- 1. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
- 2. Letzte Mann, Der (1924)
- 3. Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror (1922)
- 4. Faust (1926)
|
| 48 |  | John Huston |  2.9116
| 37 |
- 1940s - 7
- 1950s - 9
- 1960s - 10
- 1970s - 6
- 1980s - 5
|
- 1. Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
- 2. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)
- 3. Asphalt Jungle, The (1950)
- 4. African Queen, The (1951)
|
| 49 |  | Joe Dante |  2.9044
| 13 |
- 1960s - 1
- 1970s - 2
- 1980s - 5
- 1990s - 3
- 2000s - 2
|
- 1. Gremlins (1984)
- 2. Howling, The (1981)
- 3. Innerspace (1987)
- 4. Matinee (1993)
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| 50 |  | Stephen Frears |  2.9032
| 6 |
- 1980s - 1
- 1990s - 1
- 2000s - 4
|
- 1. Queen, The (2006)
- 2. Dirty Pretty Things (2003)
- 3. Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
- 4. Grifters, The (1990)
|