I would say Nolan's The Prestige surpasses anything Lynch has done. That film works on a lot of different levels and is a master class in filmmaking, from pacing, to plot, to twists; it has it all. The setting and atmosphere is also top notch and the swelling narrative is next to none.
The fact Nolan could go from that to Batman to Inception to Interstellar definitely speaks to his writing/directing capabilities, crossing genres and storytelling methods, especially when you compare those films to the frenetic and mind-bending nature of Memento.
Also, Fincher's Gone Girl is another film that certainly exceeds expectations; plenty of twists, turns, and top-notch character work from Rosemund Pike. And Fincher's Fight Club very would could have been a David Lynch film for all intents and purposes, it's just more coherent, less lyrically symbolic, and more structurally grounded than most of Lynch's work.
So yeah, I would say Fincher surpasses Lynch.
Michael Mann is another... I've still yet to see a modern noir film that even comes remotely close to the masterpiece that is Heat. It's a modern (or contemporary) classic through and through. Lynch doesn't have a movie to his name that even reaches the stature of Heat.
Also, William Friedkin... I could basically just sum up his portfolio in comparison to Lynch as "pick one". There are few directors that could leave you with the kind of emotions that Friendkin's films do.
And now for the controversial side of the equation: I think Denis Villeneuve is over-rated. Incendies was good, but it's not something that really sticks with me like other films. And Blade Runner 2049 was decent enough for what it was, but no where near as good as the original. And Ben Wheatley instantly put me off with Kill List, so I don't have the best impression of him as a director.
I still need to check out Lanthimos' works, though, to compare.
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