10 Incredible Female Horror Directors You May Not Have Heard Of

10. Karyn Kusama

It's hard to forget Kusama's 2009 cult classic, Jennifer's Body. This winky face of a horror film delves deep into the tropes of the genre, featuring Meghan Fox as the titular hot cheerleader who, much to her "ugly" best friend Amanda Seyfried's dismay, transforms into a demon after a botched satanic ritual by a punk band.

Kusama's subversion of old school horror tropes is its strength. Sexuality plays a pivotal role in Jennifer's Body- Jennifer is sacrificed to the devil because the band believes she is a virgin, but it's Jennifer's sexual past that brings her back from the dead to exact punishment upon the boys around her. Kusama flipped the script and changed the rules. And while the film was a box office bust, it has experienced a strong resurgence in the cult cinema sphere.

After a long hiatus, Kusama returned in 2015 with her Netflix release, The Invitation. The film centers around an old group of friends that are reunited at a dinner party, hosted by a woman who may or may not be a cult member. Logan Marshall-Green and Tammy Blanchard play the divorced couple at the heart of the story, delivering fervent and profound performances.

It's a slow burn, but Kusama's masterful usage of tension keeps the audience on edge, even when nothing of apparent violence is taking place on the screen.

Kusama has done brilliantly in the television world as well, with her hit series Destroyer winning Nicole Kidman an Emmy.