5. Ti West
Key Films: Trigger Man, The House and the Devil, The Innkeepers There are a myriad of filmmakers who started out in the horror genre. The list includes Roman Polanski, John Sayles, Peter Jackson and even Francis Ford Coppola. But, if you watch their horror films, you can get a distinct impression that there is something special above the B-movie schlock that is onscreen. That is the same impression that I am getting from the best contemporary horror filmmaker today, Ti West. Ti West does not follow trend but rather plays with psychological horror. He is a smart filmmaker who knows that horror movies do not make an impression through jump scares or gross out mutilation. To him, it is all about atmosphere and waiting. His last two films, The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers were not afraid to take its time before it finally gets its first scare. The House of the Devil is Wests first instant horror classic. An homage to the babysitter horror subgenre, the film plods around for the first half which is absolutely brilliant. West knows that his audience is eagerly waiting for a scare. And there is the old adage that anticipation is just as suspenseful as the actual scare. The Innkeepers follow a similar mindset to the point that there is even the questioning of whether or not there are ghosts as well, which is the central plot of the story in which two amateur ghost hunters stay at a supposedly haunted hotel. Most importantly, it is evident from all of his films that Ti West is a fan of films. All of his films are a subtle homage to films of old and that passion radiates throughout. Do not be surprise if soon he makes an impact outside the horror genre.