Series directed by some of cinema’s most celebrated auteurs have become a distinctive category of their own, offering viewers an exceptional and elevated storytelling experience. With their refined command of visual language, nuanced character interpretation, and mastery of narrative structure, these filmmakers have used the series format to push the boundaries of what long-form storytelling can achieve.
In recent years especially, the growing involvement of major film directors has demonstrated how the episodic format can build deeper, more layered worlds—ones that benefit from extended pacing and sustained thematic development.
In this list, Movie Day highlights a selection of acclaimed series helmed by world-renowned filmmakers. Defined by cinematic aesthetics, carefully constructed long-form narratives, and a strong sense of thematic intention, these works illustrate precisely why “a series made by a master” continues to generate lasting conversation.
Explore Movie Day’s curated picks in the list below.
Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Notable Works: ‘Monster’, ‘Shoplifters’
Set in Tokyo in 1979, four sisters leading very different lives discover their aging father’s affair.
This revelation gradually unleashes the suppressed emotions hidden beneath their seemingly happy facades.
Director: Park Chan-wook
Notable Works: ‘Decision to Leave’, ‘Oldboy’
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, this work depicts the life and identity struggles of a North Vietnamese spy exiled in 1970s America. Director Park Chan-wook wrote the full screenplay and personally directed episodes 1, 2, and 3.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Notable Works: ‘Gravity’, ‘Children of Men’
Journalist ‘Catherine’ discovers that her darkest secret has been revealed in a novel written by an unknown author, and she struggles to uncover the truth and her own identity.
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Notable Works: ‘Demolition’, ‘Dallas Buyers Club’
Journalist ‘Camille’ investigates a case in her hometown that led to the deaths of several teenage girls, confronting both her childhood trauma and her complicated relationship with her mother.
Director: Wong Kar-wai
Notable Works: ‘Chungking Express’, ‘In the Mood for Love’
Set against the economic transformations of 1990s Shanghai, the story follows young ‘Abao’ as he pursues success in business, experiencing love and the complex dynamics of human relationships.
Director: David Fincher
Notable Works: ‘Fight Club’, ‘Zodiac>’
Set in 1977, the story follows FBI agents studying the psychology of serial killers.
Director ‘David Fincher’ helmed four episodes in Season 1 (episodes 1, 2, 9, and 10) and three episodes in Season 2 (episodes 1, 2, and 3).
Director: Jane Campion
Notable Works: ‘The Piano’, ‘The Power of the Dog’
This mystery drama centers on the disappearance of a 12-year-old pregnant girl in New Zealand, exploring the secrets of those connected to her and the violent environment surrounding them.
Director ‘Jane Campion’ directed all episodes across Seasons 1 and 2, except for one.
Director: David Fincher
Notable Works: ‘Fight Club’, ‘Zodiac’
The story follows ambitious politician ‘Frank Underwood’ as he navigates political intrigue and betrayal to reach the pinnacle of power.
Director ‘David Fincher’ personally directed episodes 1 and 2 of Season 1, as well as episodes 1 and 13 of Season 2.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Notable Works: ‘Ocean’s Eleven’, ‘Logan Lucky’
Set in 1900 at New York’s Knickerbocker Hospital, this medical drama realistically portrays the lives of brilliant surgeon ‘Dr. John Thackery’ and the hospital staff, exploring the medical practices of the time as well as issues such as racial discrimination.
Director: Barry Jenkins
Notable Works: ‘Moonlight’, ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’
This drama is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Set in the pre-Civil War American South, it tells the story of ‘Cora Randall’, a Black slave who risks everything in a daring bid for freedom.
Director: Park Chan-wook
Notable Works: ‘Decision to Leave’, ‘Oldboy’
Set in 1979 amidst the espionage between Israel and Palestine, the story follows an unknown actress, ‘Charlie’, who is recruited by Mossad as a spy and thrown into a dangerous mission.
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