4. Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle made a huge impression with his darkly humorous directorial debut Shallow Grave which was a big domestic hit in the UK. He followed this with Trainspotting, an adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel of the same name which followed the (mis)adventures of a group of Scottish heroin addicts. Hugely stylish, yet unafraid to tackle the grim day to day existence of heroin users, Trainspotting was a massive success and cemented Boyle's reputation as a young, edgy film maker. He was a shot in the arm to British cinema in the 1990s Boyle's star would continue to rise with his adaptation of The Beach starring Leonardo Di Caprio and his work on cult British post-apocalyptic horror film 28 Days Later starring Cillian Murphy. Major success came in 2008 with Slumdog Millionaire - the tale of a young impoverished Indian boy who goes on India's equivalent of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? The film won eight Oscars, widespread popularity and critical acclaim. His next film 127 Hours - based on a true life story of a man trapped beneath a boulder in an adventure excursion gone wrong - received several Oscar nominations. Boyle himself has noticed a theme in his work - someone facing overwhelming odds and overcoming them. Definitely the most decorated director on this list, Boyle has gotten where he is today, by his gritty and super stylish movies. He is also so talented, he can work across many genres and produce an excellent film no matter what it demands of him.