10 Greatest Directorial Debut Horror Movies

Although one of the lesser known films on this particular list, Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man is now often mistaken for the terrible 2006 American remake with Nicolas Cage. The original film however, is vastly different to the inferior remake.

Following the story of a devout Christian police sergeant who visits a remote island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, the film preyed on the fears of religion, particularly Paganism. The original film presents Christopher Lee as the leader of the island, Lord Summerisle. The Wicker Man gets increasingly disturbing all the way to its memorable climax.

Even upon release, The Wicker Man somewhat slipped under the radar and faded into obscurity. Over the years the film slowly gained plaudits and the cult following it deserved for being one of the most intelligent and truly frightening releases of the '70s. For a first time director who came from a writing background, Robin Hardy delivered an unsettling masterpiece which still manages to turn stomachs today, with barely any reliance on gore or typical scares.

The director Robin Hardy is somewhat of a curious figure. He wrote and directed only three feature films. Information about him is generally sparse, and there is a burning question of why he did not work more in the industry. In 2011, Hardy delivered the loosely based follow-up to the picture, The Wicker Tree; however, the film was unfortunately panned by critics and not even a Christopher Lee cameo could save it.