Being a horror fan, I secretly wish every known filmmaker dive into the genre at one point in their careers. Spielberg started in horror before branching out, so did Edgar Wright, Richard Donner, Guillermo del Toro, and Tim Burton. Hell, even Kubrick and Scorsese dipped their feet in the genre (or at least into thrillers). One current filmmaker enjoying a successful career that probably won’t make a horror movie anytime soon? Rian Johnson.
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At least, that’s what he said during a Film Independent-hosted webinar with fellow director Karyn Kusama, who is definitely not a stranger to the horror genre (do yourselves a favor and go see both “Jennifer’s Body” and “The Invitation”). Though the director has explored a multitude of genres during his career, from neo-noir in “Brick,” to time-travel science-fiction in “Looper” to Agatha Christie-inspired whodunnits “Knives Out,” Johnson hasn’t explicitly tacked the horror genre. During the conversation (at around the 43-minute mark), Johnson addressed whether he’d make a horror movie in the near future.
“To be honest, it’s a genre that, because my family was really religious when I was growing up, I wasn’t allowed to see a lot of intense stuff. It’s not a genre I have a grounding in emotionally,” Johnson explained. “A lot of friends like Karyn [Kusama] included are incredible filmmakers who engage with this genre and make movies that just amaze me. It’s not something that, for whatever reason, has drawn me.”
Of course, being a self-professed movie nerd, Johnson did mention a few of his favorite horror movies, including Jonathan Glazer’s underappreciated “Under the Skin,” which Johnson includes in his Top 5 horror movies of all time. Even if we won’t get a Rian Johnson horror movie in the near future, we will get a sequel to “Knives Out,” as the writer-director is prepping the recently announced sequel.