James Watkins

James Thomas Watkins (born 20 May 1973 in Nottingham, England) is an English film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in horror films, notably Eden Lake and The Woman in Black. He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed thriller Eden Lake, starring Michael Fassbender and Kelly Reilly. It won Best Horror Film at the 2009 Empire Awards, the Jury Prize at Sitges Fantasy Festival and Best Director at Fantasporto. He was nominated for the Douglas Hickox Award at the 2008 British Independent Film Awards. Watkins has written scripts for Warner Bros., Working Title, Film4 and BBC Films. Description above from the Wikipedia James Watkins (director), article licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Works

Clayface

A Hollywood horror tale centering on a B-movie actor who injects himself with a substance to keep himself relevant, only to find out that he can reshape his face and form, becoming a walking piece of clay.

Release Date:2026-09-10

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Speak No Evil

When an American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare.

Release Date:2024-09-11

Department:Writing

Job:Writer

Vote Count:1303

The Ipcress File

As the Cold War rages, ex-smuggler turned reluctant spy Harry Palmer finds himself at the centre of a dangerous undercover mission, on which he must use his links to find a missing British nuclear scientist.

Release Date:2022-03-06

Department:Production

Job:Executive Producer

Episode Count:6

Vote Count:58

McMafia

Alex Godman, the English-raised son of Russian mafia exiles, has spent his life trying to escape the shadow of their past, building his own legitimate business and forging a life with his girlfriend Rebecca. But when a murder forces his family's past to return to threaten them, Alex is drawn into the criminal underworld and must confront his values to protect those he loves.

Release Date:2018-01-01

Department:Writing

Job:Writer

Episode Count:2

Vote Count:205

Bastille Day

Michael Mason is an American pickpocket living in Paris who finds himself hunted by the CIA when he steals a bag that contains more than just a wallet. Sean Briar, the field agent on the case, soon realises that Michael is just a pawn in a much bigger game and is also his best asset to uncover a large-scale conspiracy.

Release Date:2016-04-22

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:1381

The Woman in Black

The story follows a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who is ordered to travel to a remote village and sort out a recently deceased client’s papers. As he works alone in the client’s isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover tragic secrets, his unease growing when he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed only in black. Receiving only silence from the locals, Kipps is forced to uncover the true identity of the Woman in Black on his own, leading to a desperate race against time when he discovers her true identity.

Release Date:2012-02-03

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:3479

Black Mirror

Over the last ten years, technology has transformed almost every aspect of our lives before we've had time to stop and question it. In every home; on every desk; in every palm - a plasma screen; a monitor; a smartphone - a black mirror of our 21st Century existence.

Release Date:2011-12-04

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:5233

The Descent: Part 2

Distraught, confused, and half-wild with fear, Sarah Carter emerges alone from the Appalachian cave system where she encountered unspeakable terrors. Unable to plausibly explain to the authorities what happened - or why she's covered in her friends' blood - Sarah is forced back to the subterranean depths to help locate her five missing companions.

Release Date:2009-10-14

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Vote Count:1171

Eden Lake

When a young couple goes to a remote wooded lake for a romantic getaway, their quiet weekend is shattered by an aggressive group of local kids. Rowdiness quickly turns to rage as the teens terrorize the couple in unimaginable ways, and a weekend outing becomes a bloody battle for survival.

Release Date:2008-09-12

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:1817

Gone

A contemporary psychological thriller in which a young British couple travelling through the Australian outback become involved with a mysterious and charismatic American whose motive for imposing his friendship upon them becomes increasingly suspect and sinister.

Release Date:2006-10-26

Department:Writing

Job:Writer

Vote Count:98

My Little Eye

Five young people apply to live in an isolated house together for six months whilst their every move is filmed by numerous cameras.

Release Date:2002-10-04

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Vote Count:203

Look

Wendy works in a small 1-hour photograph developing shop. She is open late one evening and says goodbye to her friend Trish who works next door. When she is an hour away from closing she gets a call from a Mr. Stanley to say he will pick his pictures up in an hour. She sets about developing them to find blurry images of bound feet and hands etc. Her fear rises even more when the pictures start to be of her, her house, her at work etc. When the phone rings again Wendy answers it to find that Mr. Stanley is coming for his pictures and will not be stopped.

Release Date:2000-09-01

Department:Writing

Job:Writer

Vote Count:1

Methuselah

An action/adventure story centered on a 1000-year-old man who has used his time on the planet to develop an unparalleled set of survival skills.

Department:Writing

Job:Writer

Worshipping 'The Wicker Man'

Famous fans featurette

Character:Self