ThePlaylist's 12 Arthouse Horror Directors Who Are Reinventing The Genre (2016)

by MightySparks | created - 29 Jan 2018 | updated - 29 Jan 2018 | Public

1. Robert Eggers

Director | The Lighthouse

Robert Houston Eggers is an American filmmaker and production designer. He is best known for writing and directing the historical horror films The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019), as well as directing and co-writing the historical fiction epic film The Northman (2022). His films are noted ...

2. Jennifer Kent

Director | The Nightingale

Jennifer Kent was born on March 5, 1969 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. She is an actress and director, known for The Nightingale (2018), The Babadook (2014) and Monster (2005).

3. Ti West

Director | Pearl

Ti West is most notable for directing horror films, as well as being an actor, writer, producer, and editor. Ti broke out, after directing various projects, in 2009, when he directed two feature films - 2009's The House Of The Devil and Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever. Ti later directed, with his ...

4. S. Craig Zahler

Writer | Bone Tomahawk

S. Craig Zahler was born on January 23, 1973 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Bone Tomahawk (2015), Dragged Across Concrete (2018) and Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017).

5. Ana Lily Amirpour

Director | A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

Ana Lily Amirpour was born in Margate, Kent, England, UK. She is a director and writer, known for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014), The Bad Batch (2016) and Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (2021).

6. Adam Wingard

Director | V/H/S

At 19 Adam got his start in feature film making early with his directorial debut Home Sick, a slasher horror film starring Bill Moseley and Tom Toweles. However it was his second effort at 24 years old with the film Pop Skull that garnered him a talent to watch. Made for a budget of around 2000 ...

7. Babak Anvari

Director | Under the Shadow

Babak Anvari is known for Under the Shadow (2016), I Came By (2022) and Wounds (2019).

8. Justin Benson

Director | The Endless

Justin Benson was born on June 9, 1983 in San Diego, California, USA. He is a director and producer, known for The Endless (2017), Spring (2014) and Synchronic (2019).

9. Aaron Moorhead

Director | The Endless

Aaron Moorhead was born on December 17, 1987. He is a director and cinematographer, known for The Endless (2017), Spring (2014) and Synchronic (2019).

10. Veronika Franz

Writer | Ich seh, Ich seh

Veronika Franz was born in 1965 in Vienna, Austria. She is a writer and director, known for Goodnight Mommy (2014), The Lodge (2019) and The Devil's Bath (2024). She is married to Ulrich Seidl. They have two children.

11. Severin Fiala

Director | Ich seh, Ich seh

Severin Fiala was born in 1985 in Horn, Lower Austria, Austria. He is a director and writer, known for Goodnight Mommy (2014), The Lodge (2019) and The Devil's Bath (2024).

12. Jen Soska

Actress | American Mary

Identical twins, writers, directors, actors even stunt players, the Soska sisters have always loved twisted film. Even at an early age, they devoured Stephen King novels, one after another as fast as they could read - and snuck into the over 18 sections at video stores, to critique the bloody ...

13. Hélène Cattet

Director | Amer

Hélène Cattet was born in 1976 in Paris, France. She is a director and writer, known for Amer (2009), The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears (2013) and Let the Corpses Tan (2017).

14. Ben Wheatley

Director | Free Fire

Ben Wheatley was born in May 1972 in Billericay, Essex, England, UK. He is a director and writer, known for Free Fire (2016), Kill List (2011) and Sightseers (2012).

15. Peter Strickland

Director | Katalin Varga

Peter Strickland was born in 1973 in Reading, Berkshire, England, UK. He is a director and writer, known for Katalin Varga (2009), In Fabric (2018) and Berberian Sound Studio (2012).



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