Antal was born in Los Angeles, California of Hungarian ancestry. He
moved to Hungary in 1991 to study at the Hungarian Film Academy. After
graduating, he went on to work in the film and television industry. In
2005, he moved back to his hometown of Los Angeles to pursue success in
Hollywood.
He is best known for writing and directing the Hungarian-language film
Control (2003), which won numerous
awards, including the Award of the Youth at the 2004 Cannes Film
Festival and the Golden Hugo (main prize) at the Chicago International
Film Festival, as well as a European Film Award nomination for Best
Director. The backdrop of the film is the Budapest Metro subway system.
Kontroll, refers to the act of ticket inspectors checking to ensure a
rider has paid their fare.
Antal's first American feature film,
Vacancy (2007), starring
Kate Beckinsale and
Luke Wilson, was released on April
20, 2007. His second American film,
Armored (2009), was released in December
2009.
Robert Rodriguez hired him to
direct
Predators (2010).