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In the world of current movie-making, a new wave of artists is stretching the edges of the scary movie style. From cultural metaphors to graphic fright-fests, these 8 filmmakers are creating lasting journeys that redefine dread for a modern era.

Jordan Peele

The director behind Get Out has crafted spring-loaded symbolic tales exploring the perils, subtleties, and contradictions of Black existence in the United States. His influence is obvious from the multitude of copycats, with the finest among them guided by Peele himself by way of his Monkeypaw.

Robert Eggers

A masterful uncoverer of the most obscure pockets of the past, this filmmaker of The Witch, The Lighthouse, and Nosferatu is known for revealing the unfamiliar elements of distant history and presenting them without modern-day reinterpretation. His dark historical explorations open portals to madness, longing, and transcendence.

Jane Schoenbrun

The millennial director with their finger closest to the generation’s spirit, as attuned to the isolation, and deep connections, of an online-focused era. Weaving ideas of connection and pop culture by way of trans experiences and the legacy of physical terror, creations such as I Saw the TV Glow delve into the strangest cracks of the self.

Damien Leone

Leone’s three-part saga of Terrifier features is this decade's major scary movie success story, evidence that audience buzz can still create true hits from well-executed small-scale gore. Not just the modern Jason or Freddy, deranged icon Art the Clown is evidence that the public’s craving for blood – over-the-top, humorous, unchecked – remains unslakable.

Blurrer of Realities

Blurring the boundary between delusion and reality, with her films Saint Maud and Love Lies Bleeding, Glass has assembled a portfolio of driven female characters pushed to extremes by the intensity of their commitment to distorted beliefs. Given to fantastical grand finales that question simple readings into suspicion, her films remain – though less like a pebble in your footwear than a nail in your foot.

Danny and Michael Philippou

Emerging from the humble origins of digital platform arrived a duo of filmmakers dominating the cinema landscape with a trendy brand of shock. With their works Talk to Me and Bring Her Back, they presented shocking displays in between authentic representations of how modern young people think. Aspiring directors idolize them as if they’re newly made heroes.

Arthouse Horror Pioneer

The director's sleek, allegory-driven fusion of scary movie conventions with arthouse touches earned her a prestigious award, the first time the Cannes Film Festival awarded its highest honor to a terror movie. Holding the blood-soaked flag of the New French Extremity, the Titane director explores the cravings of the isolated to remarkable outcome.

Asian Horror Visionary

Among the most intriguing filmmakers to arise from Asia in the past decade, the Seoul-based creator has made one masterpiece of mythical fear (The Wailing) and co-scripted another (The Medium). Arranged with total assurance and precise atmosphere crafting, his movies converts Hollywood templates into horrifying, unique styles.

These filmmakers signify the varied and groundbreaking path of horror, driving the limits of terror into unexplored territories.