Director Oz Perkins has steadily built a reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in the modern horror genre. Known for his eerie, slow-burning, and deeply psychological approach to storytelling, Perkins has created films that feel like nightmarish poetry. Over the past decade, it has become increasingly evident that he could be the next top horror filmmaker.
Oz Perkins’ recent supernatural comedy horror, The Monkey, has been a critical success. Although he’s yet to work with some of Hollywood’s A-listers, Perkins has collaborated frequently with a few notable names. An all-round talent, besides his rising filmmaking career, Oz Perkins has credits as an actor and writer.
Oz Perkins Has A Background Rooted in Acting and Filmmaking
Oz Perkins was born into a family of actors. As a third-generation actor, his parents were actor Anthony Perkins and actress Berry Berenson. His paternal grandfather was Osgood Perkins, while his maternal grandmother was Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. With a background rooted in film and television, Oz Perkins developed a passion for acting and filmmaking at an early age. Although born in New York City, Perkins was raised in Los Angeles.
He attended and graduated from Harvard-Westlake School, a private, college-preparatory day school. In his late teens, he attended film school and had a deep appreciation for filmmaking. He later studied English at New York University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Oz Perkins cites Tim Burton and Stanley Kubrick as his early influences in filmmaking. However, it wasn’t until he was forty-one years old that he made his directorial debut. Interestingly, Perkins made his acting debut in horror, portraying the young Norman Bates in the 1983 Psycho II movie.
Oz Perkins’ Distinctive Approach to Horror Storytelling Sets Him Apart
Unlike traditional horror directors who rely heavily on jump scares and gore, Oz Perkins leans heavily on symbolism, mood, and character psychology. His terror and scare come from the audience’s creeping realization of something deeply unsettling or lurking beneath the surface. Armed with decades of learning and closely watching the horror genre, Perkins made his directorial debut in 2015 with the supernatural psychological horror The Blackcoat’s Daughter. Considered a masterclass in atmospheric horror, The Blackcoat’s Daughter received positive reviews.
The film follows two girls (led by Emma Roberts and Kiernan Shipka) left behind at a Catholic boarding school during winter break. Split into three timelines, the plot intertwines the girls’ fate with an ominous supernatural force. Rather than rush into terror, Perkins meticulously builds suspense with its non-linear storytelling. Perkins followed The Blackcoat’s Daughter with the 2016 gothic supernatural horror I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. Its plot is an even more meditative and slow-burning ghost story. Although critical reviews were mixed, for those attuned to Perkins’ style, it left a chilling, long-lasting experience after the credits rolled.
Another defining trait of Perkins’ films is his use of sound. Silence, whispers, and discordant noises amplify the tension in his stories. This makes audiences hyper-aware of every creak and shadow. His manipulation of sound is reminiscent of several horror greats like David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick. Also, Perkins’ characters are also worth noting. Unlike many horror films that treat characters as disposable figures, Perkins created deeply complex individuals whose fears and anxieties become the very essence of the horror. This is easy to achieve because Perkins works on the screenplay of most of his films. A common theme with Perkins’ protagonists is that they often suffer from grief, loneliness, and/or existential dread.
Perkins’ Rising Influence in Horror
As of 2025, Oz Perkins has directed six feature-length films, all in the horror genre. His last film in 2025 is Keeper, a horror starring Tatiana Maslany as its lead. Since his directorial debut, Oz Perkins has refined his voice with each film. He’s moved further into psychological and atmospheric horror that favors substance over cheap thrills.
Moreso, as modern horror films begin to embrace a more restrained, dread-fikled approach to storytelling, Perkins’ influence is already being felt. He followed his 2020 Box Office hit Gretel & Hansel with another hit, Longlegs (2024). Given Oz Perkins’ keen understanding of horror’s emotional and psychological depths, he has the potential to become one of the most defining voices in the genre.
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