1. Richard Linklater
Key Films: Slacker, Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, Waking Life, School of Rock, Before Sunset, A Scanner Darkly, Bernie This is perhaps the most controversial choice on the list because I debated whether or not Richard Linklater should be considered underrated. But, thinking about it I think that Linklater is perhaps the most underrated contemporary filmmaker today as his name seems to be forgotten by most people when talking about interesting and innovative directors. Linklater is a filmmaker that makes all types of films in different stages. He has a career in making mainstream films that were still interesting, the experimental films, and his Austin films. He is very much akin to Steven Soderbergh without the respect that Soderbergh has. Ive mentioned Slacker as one of the most influential films of the independent film movement in its ultra low budget affair and the conversational segments that marks inspiration for filmmakers of the like. His mainstream work is quite entertaining as well. He took a concept as mundane and rehashed as School of Rock to make an entertaining school film which is quite a remarkable feat. But, then look at his ambitious projects with works such as Waking Life and the Jesse and Celine series. His experimentation with rotoscope animation gave new like to the existential conversations of Waking Life and was the only way to film the Philip K. Dick novel A Scanner Darkly. But, his two best films are from the Jesse and Celine series with Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. Think about the audacity of Before Sunrise in which it is a romance that never fully comes to fruition, in which the whole film is one long conversation along the beauty of the scenery that is Vienna. Yet, it is one of the most beautiful and romantic films ever made right next to Before Sunset which is an even more audacious piece of work. Not only is it a sequel to a beloved film that answers the question of the ultimate cliffhanger, but it is shot in real time and proves to be one of the few sequels that is possibly better than the original. Linklater is an important filmmaker who is not afraid to take risks and the fact that his name isnt brought up enough on great directors list is a shame.