Trailblazers: The Most Exciting New Directors to Watch Out For

Mark Mylod

After years of directing and producing in TV, this amazingly talented Brit made his cinematic debut with the twisted dark comedy The Menu (2022). The film follows a young couple (Nicholas Hoult and Anya Taylor-Joy) who attend an elegant feast at Hawthorne with various rich socialites. However, they have no idea of the surprises the head chef (Ralph Fiennes) has in mind for them. While bitingly satirical and hilarious, the movie also has a real sense of horror as the proceedings escalate, a tone which is beautifully balanced, in large part, through Mylod's direction. The laughs and the fear never detract from one another. If you haven't seen this gem already, give it a go, and keep an eye out for whatever this filmmaker has up his sleeve next.

Dean Fleischer-Camp

Few movies in recent years, as far as I'm concerned, are more adorable than Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022), one of last year's best pictures. Its writer-director-editor, Dean Fleischer-Camp, is a voice to listen to. As a documentary crew tracks the adventures of the movie's title character, it becomes not only endearing, but a moving look at loss, life, and change. When I saw it at a SCAD Savannah Film Festival screening last October, I knew it was a straight-up winner. Check it out for a family movie night sometime.