Famous Directors in Horror WES CRAVEN

WesCraven is the name behind some of the most iconic horror movies of all time. Taking inspiration from Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring (1960), Craven made The Last House on the Left (1972) in his feature film debut.

Much like Tarantino’s early beginnings, Craven’s style was lambasted for being overly explicit, both in terms of physical and sexual violence. However, he continued to make cult classic after cult classic, including The Hills Have Eyes (1977) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

His later work on Scream (1996) dabbled in comedy and made his films more palatable for a commercial audience, but his earlier work remains among the most visceral horror out there.

Alfred Hitchcock

Whilehe may have only directed two “actual” horror films—Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963)—it would be a huge mistake to leave the great Alfred Hitchcock off of any list about horror directors.

Sure, there aren’t many traditional horror films in his resume, but he contributed so much to the genre’s establishment and evolution that we view him as a seminal and pivotal influence for horror movies.

Hitchcock’s ability to create suspense was unrivaled, able to draw tension in any scene using his mastery of blocking and staging. That said, he stands apart from most horror directors in that he never dealt with monsters or ghosts. Instead, he explored the cold, callous nature that many people possess—and that’s just as terrifying. For key examples, check out Dial M for Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), and Vertigo (1958). So skilled was he that Hitchcock was able to make showers scary for the entire world. A true master.