Images: Everett
Nowadays, horror movies may arrive fewer and farther between in theaters, but that certainly hasn't slowed down new filmmakers who want to make their own fright flicks. They take advantage of any opportunity that opens up, whether it's making their own short films with friends and family members, working with other filmmakers on anthology movies, or creating feature-length movies that demand to be seen, whether in theaters or via various Video On Demand platforms.
With many horror titles popping up on streaming services, like the venerable Netflix, as well as specialty offerings, such as the carefully curated Shudder, it's easier than ever to see what newer horror directors are devising to scare audiences silly. We picked five directors below who have emerged in the past year or two as examples. Have you seen their movies yet?
Ana Lily Amirpour (above, left)
Her debut feature, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, was stylishly shot in black and white, but what was really striking was her fresh approach to the ancient subject of vampires, especially from an Iranian perspective. Next up, she'll tackle cannibals in The Bad Batch.
Leigh Janiak (above, center)
Appearing to spring out of nowhere, Janiak's mesmerizing and haunting Honeymoon took a quiet approach to a story with surprising resonance. She has since directed a couple of television shows, and is now reportedly working on a remake of 1996's young-witch picture The Craft.
Jennifer Kent (above, right)
The actress turned filmmaker made her feature debut with The Babadook, a deeply unsettling story about a single mother who must deal with her own nightmares while trying to calm her son's persistent fears about a monster in the house.
Justin Benson/Aaron Moorhead
The filmmaking duo made a sharp impression with their claustrophobic chiller Resolution, contributed a segment to V/H/S: Viral, and then made Spring, which morphs steadily from an unexpected romance into far darker territory.
Another actress turned filmmaker, Carolyn made several short films before debuting with Soulmate, an atmospheric, downbeat story of a woman struggling to deal with her own problems before she starts hearing strange noises. She followed that up by producing the horror anthology Tales of Halloween, which featured her short "Grim Grinning Ghost," another atmospheric chiller.
Ted Geoghegan
A veteran writer and producer, Geoghegan made his directorial debut with We Are Still Here, a spooky movie set in the midst of a harsh winter at a house with a haunted past. His next movie has just been announced: Satanic Panic, which promises to feature even more action. It follows a minimum-wage delivery girl who gets into a fight for her life with wealthy suburbanites after discovering they're members of a Satanic cult.
