Here at The Playlist, we’ve written quite a few year-end, Best Of lists to close out 2022. Everything from Best Films and Best TV Series (obviously) to Best Posters, Best Cinematography, Best Scores, and even Guilty Pleasures. And to put the bow on the Best Of lists, we have one more to share with you, in podcast form, no less — The Breakthrough Directors of 2022. 
READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2022
For this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we have compiled a list of 20 (well, 21, technically) filmmakers who have had breakout projects this past year. This is a list that covers nearly every genre, from horror to family drama, to cringe comedy, and even crime thrillers. By the end, you will have 20 recommendations of projects you should definitely check out as soon as possible.
Here’s the list of filmmakers discussed in the podcast, and if you want to hear our discussion and reasoning behind each of these picks, you can do so below:
Eric Appel – “Weird”Zach Cregger – “Barbarian” Mariama Diallo – “Master”Alice Diop – “Saint Omer”Martika Ramirez Escobar – “Leonor Will Never Die” Parker Finn – “Smile” John Patton Ford – “Emily the Criminal” Michael Giacchino – “Werewolf by Night” Julian Higgins – “God’s Country”Nikyatu Jusu – “Nanny”James Morosini – “I Love My Dad” Carlota Pereda – “Piggy” S.S. Rajamouli – “RRR” Halina Reijn – “Bodies Bodies Bodies” Domee Shi – “Turning Red” Goran Stolevski – “You Won’t Be Alone”Christopher Storer – “The Bear” Ninja Thyberg – “Pleasure”Charlotte Wells – “Aftersun”Joseph Winter and Vanessa Winter – “V/H/S/99” and “Deadstream” 

The Playlist Podcast is part of The Playlist Podcast Network, which includes Bingeworthy, Be Reel, Deep Focus, The Fourth Wall, and The Discourse. We can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and most places where podcasts are found. You can stream the podcast via the Spotify embed within the article or click on the lead image at the top page. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast and our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we greatly appreciate it. Thank you for listening.