Daniel Minahan

In Deadwood (2004), the speeches sometimes go on longer than we would like, but the effort of people learning to live together is as absorbing as the violence. We were drawn in by that struggle, even when we wanted the talking to stop. Ian McShane is extraordinary, and Minahan's job as one of the series' directors was to work within a drama created by David Milch. He directed four episodes: enough to make a contribution, not enough to claim the whole achievement as his.

He had already written and directed Series 7: The Contenders (2001), a satire of reality television, after working as writer and second-unit director on I Shot Andy Warhol (1996). Episodic television became the sustained business of his career from the early 2000s, requiring him to handle large casts and complicated stories. We value the steady tone and attention to blocking that suit him to this work. The difficulty in assessing him is that a well-directed episode does not necessarily announce which decisions were his.

Minahan returned to Milch's work to direct the Deadwood film (2019), making that collaboration a substantial part of his career. His collaborators also include producer and showrunner Ryan Murphy, while Fellow Travelers (2023) continues his work in ambitious television drama. His care with blocking, colour and tone suits period settings, where a large cast can easily get lost among the furnishings.

On Swift Horses (2025), a queer romantic drama set in the 1950s, marks his return to features. It also makes the growing interest in queer characters and lives outside conventional society easier to see across his work. Some reviews found its handling of the source material and familiar genre devices wanting, which gives us reason to be cautious about recommending the features on the strength of the television. Start with Deadwood, provided there is time for everyone to finish their sentences.