The Best Horror Movie Directors of All Time

15 Influential Directors Who Changed the Horror Genre Forever

Oct 28 2019 by Hannah Abrams

The horror genre is an interesting one. On the one hand, it doesn't exactly sweep at the Academy Awards. But, on the other hand, it is those scenes that bury their bones in our subconscious, and dictate the way we navigate our daily lives. When we enter a dark house, we immediately turn our iPhone flashlights on. And when we're invited to a cabin getaway, we certainly think twice. You can thank horror directors for instilling fear into your psyches. They know just the angles to terrorise you, and they know how to generate suspense better than anyone. Keep reading for the 15 horror directors that shaped the genre. We promise, there are no jump scares.

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1. Wes Craven

With a nickname like "Sultan of Slash," it's clear why Wes Craven made this list. He first made his mark on the horror genre with his debut film The Last House on the Left, which is just as horrifying now as it was when it was released in 1972. In all likelihood, you're familiar with one of his most notorious creations, Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), who continues to induce fear into audiences nationwide, even 35 years later. But, beyond the creation of Freddy Krueger, Craven also terrorised horror fans with The Hills Have Eyes (1977), Scream (1996), and Red Eye (2005).

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2. John Carpenter

There wouldn't be a horror genre without John Carpenter's iconic film Halloween. In fact, you've probably already watched Jamie Lee Curtis' famed scream scenes numerous times this Halloween season already. Aside from that 1978 film, Carpenter also directed The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981), and Starman (1984). He also gifted horror fans a Halloween sequel in 2018. In addition to his directorial talents, Carpenter has also showcased his musical genius over the years by composing/co-composing the musical scores to several of his films' soundtracks, including Vampires in 1988.

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3. Jordan Peele

If you told us five years ago that the hilarious Jordan Peele of the Key & Peele sketch comedy show would go on to be one of the breakout sensations of the horror genre, we probably would have called you crazy. And yet, the last few years have proven that Peele is a champion of the psychological thriller, thanks to his directorial debut Get Out (2017), and his followup film Us (2019). Did we mention he's also the host of CBS' The Twilight Zone reboot? It doesn't get scarier than that. Up next for the talented filmmaker is a remake of horror film Candyman, which he co-wrote with Win Rosenfeld.

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4. Ari Aster

Unless you've been living under a rock (we're looking at you Patrick Star), you're probably familiar with Ari Aster's recent box office release, Midsommar. The film starred Jack Reynor and Florence Pugh as a couple who took a trip to Sweden to enjoy a midsummer festival that turns out far more sinister than ever imagined. But, Midsommar is only Aster's most recent contribution to the horror genre. Back in 2018, he made his directorial debut with Hereditary, which starred Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, and Gabriel Byrne as a family plagued by a demon after the passing of their grandmother. If you haven't seen it yet, proceed carefully. Rolling Stone writer Peter Travers called it the scariest movie of the year.

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5. Bong Joon-Ho

One of the more recent additions to the list, Boon Joon-Ho has no doubt made his mark on the horror film category. His recent film Parasite became the first Korean film to win the top prize at this year's Cannes Festival, and his existing filmography has been captivating audiences for some time now. His other films include 2006 film The Host, and 2013 science-fiction film Snowpiercer, which starred Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, and Ed Harris.

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6. Kathryn Bigelow

It's hard to believe that the director of Point Break (1991), starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, could also be a master of horror, and yet Kathryn Bigelow has proven she's a major power player in the genre. She's directed Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and The Hurt Locker (2008), but it's Near Dark (1987) that still scares us to this day. The film stars Adrian Pasdar as a young man who falls in love with a vampire (Jenny Wright). She bites him so they can be vampiric together, and what happens next is nothing short of sinister. It's like Twilight, if Twilight gave you night terrors.

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7. Jennifer Kent

We're still mad at Jennifer Kent for unleashing The Babadook on our psyches. We weren't ready for the psychological destruction that resulted from the 2014 horror film, and we still haven't recovered. In case you haven't braved her directorial debut yet, it tells the story of Amelia and her son Sam, who find themselves terrorised by a character in a children's book. It was a major critical success, winning best horror film at the 20th Empire Awards. Kent also wrote and directed 2018 film The Nightingale, which stars Aisling Franciosi as a revenge-seeking convict.

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8. Karyn Kusama

All hail, Karyn Kusama for her work on the horror comedy Jennifer's Body. Currently a cult classic in the horror universe, it stars Megan Fox as Jennifer, a stuck up high school popular girl who becomes possessed by a demon (a dangerous combination). Suddenly, her male classmates become her snack of choice, and Jennifer's best friend Needy (played by Amanda Seyfried) must abandon her reserved tendencies to save her boyfriend and fellow classmates. Kusama then went on to direct a portion of the all-female anthology film XX in 2017, and in 2018, she directed Nicole Kidman in Destroyer, a crime thriller which earned the actress a Golden Globe nomination.

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9. Alfred Hitchcock

Few horror directors understand true terror the way Alfred Hitchcock did. After all, he is better known as "the Master of Suspense," and his six-decade career gave us a whopping 50 feature films. His most terrifying films include Rebecca (1940), Spellbound (1945), Dial M For Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), and of course, Psycho (1960). Psycho's terrifying shower scene is still referenced and considered a major source of inspiration for horror filmmakers today, and it's also the reason we double bolt our bathroom doors.

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10. George A. Romero

You know how the concept of a zombie apocalypse is so terrifying? Well, you can blame George A. Romero for putting that nightmare scenario into the universe. His film Night of the Living Dead (1968) is still considered canon in the zombie universe, which is why he's nicknamed the "Father of the Zombie Film." His other film credits include Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985), Creepshow (a 1982 film written by Stephen King), and The Dark Half (a 1993 Stephen King adaptation).

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11. James Wan

The modern horror universe would be nothing without James Wan. The Malaysian-born Australian director is the man behind a little film known as Saw. Remember Saw? It's the reason you can never look at jigsaw puzzles the same way again. Saw was just the beginning for Wan. Since the film's 2004 release, the filmmaker has directed Dead Silence (2007), Insidious (2010), and The Conjuring (2013). In addition to horror, Wan also directed Furious 7 and Aquaman, so the guy clearly has no limits when it comes to filmography.

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12. Stanley Kubrick

Stanely Kubrick's catalogue extends so far beyond horror that it's easy to forget his mark on the genre. However, it is his horror scenes that remain some of the scariest in existence. The Shining, a 1980 film adaptation of a Stephen King novel, was one of Kubrick's most notable films. In case you need a refresher, it stars Jack Nicholson as a father corrupted by the evil spirits of a haunted hotel. He also is the man behind A Clockwork Orange and Eyes Wide Shut, which are equally unnerving.

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13. Sam Raimi

Yes, he directed the Spider-Man trilogy, but Sam Raimi is a true modern man of horror. He directed the Evil Dead series, which follows five college students in their cabin in the woods holiday. Spoiler alert: It's no holiday. It's still considered one of the most pivotal horror films of all time, and it launched a major franchise, as a result. Since then, Raimi has mostly shifted away from the horror genre, but there was certainly some psychological terror in 1998 crime thriller A Simple Plan.

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14. Mike Flanagan

We can't get enough of Mike Flanagan's horror contributions lately, and it's no surprise why. He's the man behind Absentia (2011), Oculus (2013), and Gerald's Game (2017). But he also deserves a ton of praise for his work on the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House. Flanagan created, directed, produced, wrote and edited the Shirley Jackson adaptation, and we couldn't be more thankful for it. The future for Flanagan looks equally bright. He's writing and directing the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel Doctor Sleep. Ewan McGregor is set to star as the lead role.

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15. Tobe Hooper

On the one hand, we are super grateful for all of Tobe Hooper's contributions to the horror universe. On the other hand, our subconscious could really do without some of the terrible images he's planted there for eternity. For starters Hooper's 1974 film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre effectively crossed Texas off our travel bucket list, and his 1982 film Poltergeist still gives us the heebie-jeebies when we see a clown. It was so good, it was nominated for three Academy Awards. But, it's not all horror for the director. Our Hooper fun fact is that he directed Billy Idol's "Dancing with Myself" music video.

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