John Carpenter

To this day, John Carpenter’s films stand tall—not just among the greatest films in horror, but the greatest films of all time. Carpenter certainly made a name for himself in every genre he worked in, but his efforts in horror are appreciated the most.

From the iconic opening sequence of Halloween (1978) and the chilling theme in The Thing (1982), Carpenter immediately made a statement for how he would impact the horror genre. He had a hand in nearly every aspect of the filmmaking, including writing, directing, and composing. While underappreciated in his time, his films have emerged as cult classics in the modern era, and both Halloween (1978) and The Fog (1980) became revolutionary frontrunners of the slasher genre, inspiring a whole generation of independent filmmakers with a new realm to explore.

Mike Flanagan

Mike Flanagan has been on the horror scene for the last ten years, directing films that focus on character psychology and the effects of trauma. His films Before I Wake (2016) and Gerald’s Game (2017) are prime examples, but he has also done features with supernatural elements, including Oculus (2013), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), and Doctor Sleep (2019).

Mike Flanagan stands out for his effective use of jump scares—in how he stays his hand when most directors would put in a jump scare, which makes his eventual jump scares that much more sudden and shocking. Tied into that is Mike Flanagan’s unmatched understanding of how to use camerawork to lull viewers into a false sense of security.

He’s lately been moving more into television—with standout series in The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and Midnight Mass (2021)—and he’s made it clear that he’ll be a horror genre mainstay for years to come.