25 Best Directors In The World Right Now

17. Lars Von Trier

Most Recent Film: Nymphomaniac (2013) Next Film: N/A Best Film: Dogville (2003) The very idea of going into a Lars von Trier movie is a disorienting experience; whatever happens, you know that - in some way - you're going to come face to face with something sinister. That's not to suggest a monster or an evil demon of some sort, but - instead - an emotional hell: melancholia, depression, despair... these are the subjects that von Trier deals with, and he never holds back on delivering them in the most controversial ways. And Lars Von Trier is all about the controversy, of course; thankfully his highly outrageous movies are almost always good enough to warrant the attention they tend to inspire. In the past, he's delivered Breaking The Waves, Dancer In The Dark and Dogville - three films that serve to prove outright that, provocateur-status aside, von Trier is also an artist. His most recent venture, the nearly five-hour sex epic Nymphomaniac, was as ridiculous as it was brilliant. The most unexpected thing about the film was its playful nature - depressing and jarring in parts, as is the case with all his ventures, but also seemingly self-aware. A sign, perhaps, that Lars von Trier - enfant terrible - has entered a new phase in his career? One that will bring further acclaim to the talented, troubled filmmaker, we're sure.