While mother! fell flat and was met with some umbrage over controversial scenes in the third act, Oscar bait movies like The Wrestler and Black Swan are modern classics.
As far as contemporary directors go, there are few as stylized and intense as Darren Aronofsky.
The 49 year old filmmaker and writer often focuses on a mixture of the surreal and gritty psychological turmoil, and has seen same major success for his efforts.