Ranking The Films Of Alejandro G. Iñárritu From Worst To Best

The work of Alejandro González Iñárritu is often steeped in questions about our own mortality. He is an incredibly reflective director that focuses on familial connections and deep sadness. It's heavy stuff. But, it is also compelling to watch.

Iñárritu has directed 10 Oscar nominated performances across five of his six films and has won four himself. He has crossed several genres from the bleak black comedy of Birdman to the sprawling and visceral action of The Revenant to the aptly titled 'Death Trilogy'. A trifecta of unrelated films that all focus on interconnected stories linked by a tragic event.

His work is captivating and honest as he takes inspiration from losses in his own life. His filmography can be challenging but also provocative as it succeeds in extracting deep emotions from the audience. Even Birdman, which is unquestionably his most uplifting film (if you can call it that), has underlying messages that ensnare the audience's mind. His passion for cinema is evident and his portfolio speaks for itself, making him one of the most unconditionally honest and brutal filmmakers working today.

The second entry in the "Death Trilogy" is unfortunately Iñárritu's worst film to date. Similarly to Amores Perros, 21 Grams centres on three different storylines that come together around a tragic car accident. Unfortunately, the film is told in a non-linear fashion for seemingly no justifiable reason.

This technique creates a messy and uneven viewing experience that results in keeping us at arms length from the characters. This means there is very little emotional connection as the film is more focused on being a puzzle rather than a coherent film. It is a massive shame because the three central performers (Naomi Watts, Benecio Del Toro and Sean Penn) are all doing fantastic work.

Watts and Del Toro in particular are given some truly heart-breaking emotional beats which they give their all to. But because these moments can seemingly come at any given time without context, it is hard to sympathise with the characters and their problems.

Thankfully, Iñárritu is yet to use this narrative structure to such a heavy-handed extent again, which really hindered what would've been an otherwise engrossing tragedy to watch unfold.