12. Darren Aronofsky (44)
Filmography Pi (1998), Requiem For A Dream (2000), The Fountain (2004), The Wrestler (2008), Black Swan (2010), Noah (2014). Requiem For A Dream is one of the greatest films of the modern era. Its a bold statement that many may disagree with, but its one that I stick by. The film was the second feature directed by Darren Aronofsky, the American Film Institute graduate whose first film, Pi, made more than fifty times its budget (an albeit miniscule $60000) in cinemas. Despite the acclaim it received, Requiem For A Dream did not propel Aronofsky to the mainstream. Nor did his next release, The Fountain, a multi-genre film set across three times periods. The film that did was The Wrestler, a highly poignant piece that almost single-handily revived the career of Mickey Rourke. It was followed by Black Swan, a film that most people will sadly remember only for a scene of a particular nature involving Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. Though originally attached to The Wolverine, the upcoming film about Hugh Jackmans clawed mutant, Aronofsky dropped out of the project last year, being replaced by James Mangold. His next film will instead be a biblical epic, Noah, with Russell Crowe in the titular role.