15 Greatest Horror Directors Of All Time
14. James Wan
Notable Films: Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring
For the most part horror movies tend to reside on the fringes when it comes to box office performance, often making their money back from home media sales. What makes James Wan notable is not just his ability to craft hugely successful horror franchises but to do so with such mastery of the genre.
What's equally impressive about Wan's cinematic output is how he has managed to consistently deliver excellent horror on a tiny budget: Saw and Insidious were both produced for just over $1 million and made over $100 million each back, while The Conjuring netted the studio over $300 million off a $20 million investment.
It's no wonder that Wan was courted for the big budget action sequel Furious 7, but his instinctive knack for the shocking torture porn horror of Saw and the genuinely chilling, beautifully shot supernatural tales of Insidious and The Conjuring places his reputation firmly in the horror camp. With a sequel to The Conjuring on the way later this year it looks like he won't be leaving his horror roots behind any time soon.