After all this buildup — months of interviews, editing, a trailer, and 19 previous episodes — we’ve made it to the season finale of The Formative Films Project. And what better way to cap it off than with a celebration of five of the best filmmakers working today?
We’ll look at the iconoclastic Paul Schrader, who’s built not only a successful career as a gun-for-hire screenwriter, but also an accomplished director in his own right. There’s also Paul Thomas Anderson, a Robert Altman disciple who’s leaned heavily into his influences while still crafting his own wholly original stories, whether it be in the San Fernando Valley or 1950s London.
Alfonso Cuarón — a third of the Academy Awards' beloved "Three Amigos" — has perfected the balance between mainstream and arthouse, from the Harry Potter franchise and big-budget science fiction, to poignant, authentically Mexican stories you might find in the Criterion Collection. And finally, there’s Bong Joon-ho, the South Korean auteur who’s mastered police procedurals, monster movies, family dramas, and high-concept sci-fi, all featuring commentary on class inequality. He even has three Oscars and a Palme d’Or to show for it.
While the work speaks for itself, this episode is truly a celebration of some of the best films — and filmmakers — of the past decade.
3:14 - 35:02: First Reformed (Liam Quinn)
35:04 - 1:04:29: The Master (Ishan Parikh)
1:04:30 - 1:35:23: Phantom Thread (Oscar Pavlove)
1:35:44 - 2:07:02: Roma (Stephanie Morales Macedo)
2:07:03 - 2:36:34: Parasite (Jay Tapaoan)
