James Watkins

James Watkins has built a reputation as a director of taut, psychologically unsettling horror and thriller films. His work on The Woman in Black (2012) made it the highest-grossing British horror film in decades, a remarkable achievement for a modestly budgeted gothic ghost story. His episode of Black Mirror, 'Shut Up and Dance,' is frequently cited as one of the series' most effective and disturbing entries. With McMafia (2018), he created a sprawling crime drama that earned a BAFTA nomination, demonstrating his range beyond horror. His ability to adapt a foreign-language film like Speak No Evil (2024) while maintaining its core tension is a testament to his skill as a writer-director. As of 2026, he is set to direct Clayface for DC Studios, marking his first major studio superhero project and a significant expansion of his directorial range.