Hollywood is full of amazing female directors, though you may not know it due to the lack of recognition they receive after producing some quality cinema. Granted, the last couple of years have seen a big surge in female directors (and writers) getting some worthy recognition during awards season, though there is still a backlog of female directors that have paid their dues but have yet to be awarded any shiny statues or even heard of outside of the film-buff circuit.
The list below of the 10 best female directors that deserve more recognition in Hollywood is here to help spread the word so that our readers can go back and catch some of their great films, and keep an eye out on any new work they may have coming up. While highly regarded in the industry, the directors below are still not well known amongst mainstream cinema fans, though it’s only a matter of time.
Andrea Arnold - American Honey (2016)
Andrea Arnold’s four feature films have all been outstanding, with 2009’s grounded urban drama Fish Tank starring Michael Fassbender and 2016’s coming-of-age film American Honey starring Sasha Lane and Shia LaBeouf the standouts. Neither of those films got a shout-out at the Oscars (undeservedly), though Arnold does have an Oscar win to her name in the Best Short Film category for 2003’s Wasp.
Cate Shortland - Berlin Syndrome (2017)
Australian director Cate Shortland’s three feature films include the dramas Somersault and Lore, as well as the awesome thriller, Berlin Syndrome. Her work on these films has earned her the coveted role of directing a tentpole Marvel film in the form of the upcoming Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson.
Some may argue that being awarded a directing gig at Marvel is the ultimate recognition for a director, but realistically, it will come down to how Black Widow performs at the box office. Hollywood is well known for chewing up and spitting out talent, so here’s hoping Black Widow is a success and Shortland goes on to direct even more big-budget films.
Marielle Heller - A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood (2019)
Up-and-coming director Marielle Heller has been snubbed at the Academy Awards for two years in a row now, however, her films Can You Ever Forgive Me? with Melissa McCarthy earned 3 Oscar nods in 2019 and the Tom Hanks film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is up for Best Picture at this year’s awards.
Not a bad effort by any stretch for a director with only one other feature film prior to those two with 2015’s highly praised The Diary of a Teenage Girl, so at this rate, the sky’s the limit for Heller. She doesn’t have any films lined up for the imminent future, though there’ll surely be no shortage of scripts heading her way.
Lulu Wang - The Farewell (2019)
Breakout director Lulu Wang brought us one of the most beloved films of 2019 with the heartfelt family dramedy, The Farewell. The director and her film missed out on getting any recognition at this year’s Oscars, despite being universally praised by critics, in what was probably the biggest snubbing of the season.
Following her excellent work on The Farewell, Wang has proven to be a director to keep an eye on in the coming years. She might not have received much recognition for her work this time around, but is sure to make her mark on Hollywood soon if she can keep up the good work.
Céline Sciamma - Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
French director Céline Sciamma has received the highest recognition of all the directors on this list, having won Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in 2019 for her film Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Despite that win and the high praise her film has received, it’s likely her film won’t find its way to the eyes of general audiences.
It takes a lot for foreign film directors to get noticed on the world stage, especially when going up against the likes of Bong Joon Ho and his film Parasite, which got all the recognition in the 2019 foreign cinema circuit, though Sciamma appears to have the goods when it comes to sheer talent to make a name for herself in the years to come.
Lorene Scafaria - Hustlers (2019)
Lorene Scafaria has directed plenty of A-list stars in her past films, the likes of which include Steve Carell and Keira Knightley in 2012’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, and Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, and J.K. Simmons in 2015’s small film, The Meddler. Her films have progressively been getting higher ratings, topping out with 2019’s Hustlers starring Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu.
Hustlers was well-received by all though many have argued it didn’t get the recognition it deserved. The film had tough company going up against other crime-dramas like The Irishman and Joker, but nevertheless was a well-directed and produced piece of cinema and a step in the right direction for Scafaria.
Lynne Ramsay - You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Lynne Ramsay is known for her hard-hitting work, which most recently included the Joaquin Phoenix starring You Were Never Really Here in 2017 and We Need to Talk About Kevin with Tilda Swinton in 2011. Both films were hard to watch based on their troubling themes but were completely rewarding viewing experiences for those that could handle them.
Considering her work is not for the mainstream, it makes it difficult for a director like Ramsay to hit the public spotlight and gain wider recognition. Both of those films should have garnered more awareness with all the star-power involved, but as long as Ramsay can keep pulling in big names to star in her films, she’ll eventually get the recognition she deserves.
Jennifer Kent - The Nightingale (2018)
The most promising talent on this list would have to be Australian director Jennifer Kent. Her debut feature, the horror film The Babadook, became somewhat of a cult-classic following its release. It was the type of horror film that didn’t rely on cliché jump-scares to put the fear in its audience, with a script full of subtext to get you thinking.
She followed this up with the Australian revenge-thriller The Nightingale, which was equally as brilliant but lacked the mainstream appeal of The Babadook. It received praise from the critics but likely would not have been seen by many an audience. Nevertheless, The Nightingale proves that Jennifer Kent is a force to be reckoned with in the film industry.
Karyn Kusama - Destroyer (2018)
Karyn Kusama has been directing for 20 years now but has still yet to crack the Hollywood code and be rewarded on any big stage for her efforts. She’s had highs and lows in her career, breaking out with the highly regarded Girlfight in 2000, then following it up with the critically panned Æon Flux in 2005. Her next film, the horror-comedy Jennifer’s Body went on to become a cult-classic, and she followed that up with the truly haunting small-budget film, The Invitation.
Since then, she’s been directing television for the most part until teaming up with Nicole Kidman in 2018 for the gritty crime-drama, Destroyer, which was met with a mixed reaction. Despite the mixed bag of films in her repertoire, Kusama definitely has the goods to direct a film that will blow audiences and the critics away.
Lynn Shelton - Sword of Trust (2019)
Lynn Shelton has made a career of directing charming indie darlings, including 2009’s Humpday, 2011’s Your Sister’s Sister, and more recently, 2019’s Sword of Trust. Her films feature quirky, well-written, and often funny scripts that make for a nice respite from the regular Hollywood fare we’re used to.
Shelton’s reputation on the indie film circuit precedes her and she’s currently at the top of her game, ready for Hollywood to come calling. While she may be happy to keep making independent films, there’s no doubt she can leave a mark on Hollywood and get recognized more distinctly on the biggest of stages.
