The 2010s served as a resurgence for the horror genre. Films were no longer obsessed with excessive gore or cheap jump scares. Filmmakers were finding creative and unique ways to frighten you while also creating films with great characters and investing stories. Many directors emerged out of this decade as exciting names in the world of horror, with many directing multiple films throughout the decade. Horror fans should be excited as great horror directors continue to emerge. The 2010s had a lot of fantastic horror movies and these are usually linked to the director who helms them. Here are the 11 best horror directors of the 2010s.
Adam Wingard
Adam Wingard began the decade with You’re Next, an impressive home-invasion, slasher film. The film features killers donning animal masks along with some gory kills and effective jump scares. You’re Next also has a unique sense of humor not commonly seen in horror movies. His next film, The Guest, isn’t necessarily scary but it’s an intense thriller with an intriguing concept and solid twists and turns.
He then directed the sequel, Blair Witch, which may not have been a huge success, but it did a decent job at recreating what made The Blair Witch Project so memorable. Wingard also directed sequences for both V/H/S and V/H/S 2, showing his knack for found-footage horror. His live-action adaptation of the anime Death Note for Netflix also showed off his love for dark humor and creative kills. Wingard has done a lot in this decade in the world of horror and has solidified himself as a versatile director who can direct horror, thriller, action and comedy. For the 2020s, Wingard, thus far, is attached to direct more action-oriented projects but you can be sure that they will feature his unique touch of dark, morbid humor.
Andre Ovredal
Andre Ovredal directed three extremely different horror films during the decade. His 2010 film Trollhunter, is a refreshing change-of-pace to the found-footage subgenre, with some incredibly frightening monsters and effective camerawork. The Autopsy of Jane Doe is a suspenseful film where Ovredal does as much with the concept as possible. During an autopsy, the coroners (Emile Hirsch and Brian Cox) encounter supernatural elements surrounding the body. It’s a haunting film that is short, but leaves a mark nonetheless.
Ovredal also directed Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark which manages to appeal to a younger crowd while also doing enough to satisfy hardcore horror fans. Scenes like "The Pale Lady" are enough to leave you with nightmares for weeks. Ovredal is a fun director to follow because it’s hard to predict what he will do next. He brings something new to every film.
Robert Eggers
Robert Eggers leans into the idea of the unknown. Both The Witch and The Lighthouse are movies in which the events are largely left to interpretation. He gives you enough imagery to figure out the pieces but leaves you wondering what exactly happened, which can often be horrifying. His movies are slow burns, but the pacing is purposeful as it builds to an exciting crescendo.
They have limited gore and almost no jump scares. There is disturbing imagery and Eggers lingers on it just enough to let it sink in. Eggers' actors bring out a lot of the horror through their raw performances. The Lighthouse is effective mainly because of the excellent performances of Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, as they slowly lose their sanity. These aren’t the most thrilling films, but their disturbing atmosphere and tone will keep you invested.
Fede Alvarez
Fede Alvarez had the difficult task of remaking Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead. However, the movie is solid by itself. It’s a much darker version of the film, keeping a lot of the gore and dark tone, but getting rid of some of the goofy campiness. His second film, Don’t Breathe, is an intense thriller where a dangerous war veteran (Stephen Lang) who is also blind chases a group of burglars through his house. Don’t Breathe does a lot in a confined space. It’s a clever concept and it plays with lighting a lot since the killer is blind and relies on other senses. The way Lang just appears at various moments is quite frightening and that is in large part due to Alvarez’s direction. Alvarez has shown he can put inventive spins on old horror tropes.
Jennifer Kent
Jennifer Kent has directed two very unique films that are both effective. She gained lots of attention with 2014’s The Babadook. This film is distinct because of its focus on grief, paranoia and motherhood. While there is a freaky monster whose presence is felt throughout, the decision to focus on real horror instead of jump scares gives The Babadook an overwhelming feeling of terror, uneasiness and dread. The Nightingale is a revenge thriller with truly shocking imagery. It’s a gorefest but it’s never gratuitous. The gore adds to the disturbing nature of the film, and while the main character (Aisling Franciosi) gets her revenge, it isn’t truly satisfying as her life is still surrounded by misery. Kent understands the importance of having strong characters, as it allows the audience to wallow in the horror with the characters.
M. Night Shyamalan
If we pretend that The Last Airbender never happened, M. Night Shyamalan actually had a pretty strong decade. Shyamalan went back to his horror roots with The Visit and Split. The Visit ended up being a fun found-footage movie about a terrifying trip to visit grandma. It was also much funnier than other Shyamalan projects, giving this horror film a dark, comedic edge.
However, it was Split that reignited the excitement for Shyamalan as he used this thriller to bring back the Unbreakable series. Split is a very suspenseful movie with an incredible performance from James McAvoy as he continuously switches between personalities. Still, it’s Shyamalan’s writing and direction that make Split so captivating. Shyamalan is always a fascinating director because his films are so unrestricted. He always provides a bizarre twist that will make you, at the very least, respect his imaginative spirit, even if it can be a bit too insane.
Andy Muschietti
Andy Muschietti came out swinging with Mama, a haunting film about two young girls who are attached to a supernatural entity. It was a solid debut for Muschietti and it earned him the director’s chair for It and It Chapter 2, possibly the two most successful horror movies of the decade. The It films managed to be terrifying but also addictively entertaining. Muschietti does an amazing job at creating creepy atmospheres with It creeping around every corner. Just the opening scene where Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) kills Georgie is layered with tension. While critics were harsher towards It Chapter 2, it still managed to carry the same tone and did a solid job at adapting the second half of Stephen King’s novel. Skarsgard is captivating as Pennywise, but Muschietti wisely focuses on the great central characters at its core.
Ari Aster
Ari Aster only had two films, both coming out late in the decade, but he made one hell of an impression. Many have declared Hereditary to be one of the best horror movies of the decade and his follow-up, Midsommar, is just as good. However, Aster's films aren’t meant for horror fans just looking for jump scares and gory kills. There are some here, but Aster’s films are true slow burns that place our characters in absolute, elongated terror.
Both Hereditary and Midsommar are drenched in dread as you sit in uncomfortable tension throughout. He reaches into the darkness of humanity to show that humans are way more frightening than any supernatural entities or monsters. Aster also doesn’t hold back and lingers on horrifying images that will stay in your mind. Aster isn’t looking to entertain. He is looking to get under your skin and give you an experience that you will be thinking about long after the movie ends.
Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele is the absolute surprise of the decade. Coming off of his incredibly successful sketch comedy series, Key & Peele, no one was expecting a horror film as his directorial debut. However, not only was Get Out one of the best horror movies of the decade, but it ended up being nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and won Best Original Screenplay for Peele.
Get Out showed the horrors of society and how race plays a part in it. It has plenty of suspense and frights, but it also features a great social message that manages to feel fresh. Peele’s follow-up, Us, is more of a traditional horror film, however, it still manages to feature an interesting social message, even if this one is harder to figure out. The doppelgangers donning the red outfits and golden scissors managed to become iconic horror slashers. Not much is known about his next film, Nope, but we’re sure it’ll bring something new and exciting to the genre.
James Wan
James Wan is the king of starting horror franchises as he launched the Saw series in 2004. In 2010, he would direct Insidious and in 2011, he directed The Conjuring. Both went on to start their own franchises, but they also reinvigorated the haunted house subgenre of horror movies. Wan’s direction is immaculate as he finds ways to hide terrors in the shadows and deliver jump scares at moments you wouldn’t expect.
Insidious 2 & The Conjuring 2 continued this trend as well. However, Wan still managed to create family relationships and characters that you would be emotionally invested in. Horror is scarier when there are characters you care about in danger and Wan knows how to combine the two. Both The Conjuring and Insidious have a lot of great moments and Wan is certainly deserving of the credit. When Wan isn’t behind the camera for these franchises, it’s noticeable and his presence is missed. Wan did also direct 2 action blockbusters, Furious 7 and Aquaman, but he is a force to be reckoned with in the world of horror.
Mike Flanagan
Mike Flanagan may have been the busiest out of any director on this list. He directed 7 movies in the decade and a TV show. Heck, three of his movies came out in 2016 (Hush, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and Before I Wake). What makes Flanagan such a special director is that his movies manage to be character studies while also being creepy horror films. He gets into the head of the characters and lets you know what their fears are and their mindset during this situation. Doctor Sleep managed to not only be a sequel to The Shining, but it also fleshed out Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) and created a great villain in Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson). It’s a difficult task to direct a sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s classic, but Flanagan creates an entirely fresh and excellent story that still pays homage to the original.
Flanagan did a ton of work with Netflix that included Hush, Gerald’s Game and The Haunting of Hill House. Both Hush and Gerald’s Game tell stories of people trapped in horrible situations. While there isn’t much happening, the way Flanagan tells the story and creates suspense keeps you engrossed for the duration. The Haunting of Hill House relies mostly on atmosphere and tension. There are limited jump scares throughout the series, but the ones featured are incredibly effective. Flanagan has already been busy in the 2020s with two TV shows, The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass, both containing all the best aspects of Flanagan’s direction. Flanagan really dominated the 2010s and horror fans should be excited to see everything else he does.