10 Most Important Directors Of The 21st Century (So Far)

A lot of the individuals on this list are ‘important’ purely because they have sculpted the culture of Hollywood blockbusters we find ourselves in today, but one man who bucks that trend is Woody Allen, a director who has chosen to remain independent and unapologetically individualistic throughout his storied career.

Well into his 80s, Allen is still consistently releasing a film per year (something he’s kept up since 1982), and while the quality of his work may have varied from spellbinding to utterly innocuous, his commitment to staying true to himself has never wavered.

In an industry so dominated by brand names, pre-sequel reboots, product placement and shared universe franchises, Allen’s importance is not derived from his excellence as a film-maker or his quality as a human being (although both could be debated wildly), but from his unwillingness to compromise.

It’s a stance upheld by very few film-makers, a lot of whom probably find themselves tempted by the allure of hefty cheques or the chance to work on a beloved piece of intellectual property. Allen is different though, and for every Scoop or Irrational Man, there’s a Blue Jasmine or Midnight in Paris to make his dogged determination seem worth it.