Search a film or person :
FacebookConnectionRegistration
James Watkins is a Actor, Director, Scriptwriter and Second Unit Director British born on 20 may 1973

James Watkins

James Watkins
If you like this person, let us know!
Birth name James Watkins
Nationality United-kingdom
Birth 20 may 1973 (50 years)

James Watkins (born 1973) is a British film director and screenwriter, best known for directing The Woman in Black starring Daniel Radcliffe: a worldwide box office smash, The Woman in Black is the most financially successful British horror film since records began.

He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed thriller Eden Lake, starring Michael Fassbender and Keilly 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.

He has written scripts for Warner Bros, Working Title, Film4 and BBC Films.

Biography

James Watkins est connu pour avoir écrit et réalisé le film Eden Lake, ainsi que la série TV McMafia avec Hossein Amini, et d'être un des scénaristes du film The Descent: Part 2, réalisé par Jon Harris.

Fin septembre 2019 il fait partie du jury de Sandrine Bonnaire lors du 30e Festival du film britannique de Dinard.

Best films

The Woman in Black (2012)
(Director)

Usually with

Jon Harris
Jon Harris
(4 films)
David Julyan
David Julyan
(2 films)
Kelly Reilly
Kelly Reilly
(2 films)
Ian Tapp
Ian Tapp
(2 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of James Watkins (8 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

McQ
McQ (1974)
, 1h51
Directed by John Sturges
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Crime
Themes Medical-themed films, Films about drugs
Actors John Wayne, Eddie Albert, Diana Muldaur, Colleen Dewhurst, Clu Gulager, David Huddleston
Rating61% 3.0985253.0985253.0985253.0985253.098525
It is just before dawn in Seattle. A man dons dark glasses and gloves and loads a 9mm silenced automatic handgun. He drives into town, where he shoots a policeman (Officer Philip Forsell; in the film the character is identified only as Hyatt) on his beat, then drives to a police impound yard and shoots the officer on duty (dialogue identifies him as Wally Johnson). At a luncheonette, as he washes his hands, he momentarily flashes a police badge belonging to Detective Sgt. Stan Boyle (William Bryant). When a car pulls up, Boyle goes outside and gives the driver a satchel containing the 9mm and proceeds to his own car – but is shot in the back by the unseen driver.
Cool Breeze, 1h41
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action, Crime
Themes Heist films
Actors Thalmus Rasulala, James Watkins, Julian Christopher, Judy Pace, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Raymond St. Jacques
Roles Travis Battle (as Jim Watkins)
Rating54% 2.7100152.7100152.7100152.7100152.710015
Sidney Lord Jones is a convicted felon who is granted an early release by the parole board in San Quentin. While imprisoned, he learns about the underworld diamond trade from reading and studying trade magazines. It motivates him to plan a heist to steal $3 million worth of diamonds from the largest diamond brokerage on the Pacific Coast.

Director

Bastille Day, 1h30
Directed by James Watkins
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action
Themes Films about terrorism
Actors Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Charlotte Le Bon, José Garcia, Thierry Godard, Anatol Yusef
Rating62% 3.1499553.1499553.1499553.1499553.149955
À la veille du 14 juillet, Zoé Naville, jeune Française, prépare un attentat à Paris. Son objectif : créer un choc dans la société, sans tuer le moindre civil. Michael Mason, petit voleur américain, dérobe le sac de Zoé. Il en extrait ce qui l'intéresse et se débarrasse du reste dans une poubelle. Au même moment, dans une base secrète de la CIA de la capitale française, l'agent Sean Briar, de retour de difficiles missions en Syrie et en Irak, essaie de s'adapter à son nouvel environnement. Les circonstances dramatiques vont l'obliger à s'acclimater plus vite encore, car on apprend que cet attentat a été planifié par le ministère de l'Intérieur, qui avait pour intention un transfert d'un demi-milliard.
The Woman in Black, 1h35
Directed by James Watkins
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Fantastic, Horror
Themes Ghost films
Actors Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Tim McMullan, Janet McTeer, Liz White, Roger Allam
Rating63% 3.197423.197423.197423.197423.19742
In an Edwardian-era English village, Crythin Gifford, three little girls are having a tea party with their dolls in an attic. They are smiling and having fun when they suddenly look at something in the corner. Then they stand up and walk trance-like to a window and jump to their deaths with blank faces.
Eden Lake
Eden Lake (2008)
, 1h31
Directed by James Watkins
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Thriller, Horror, Crime
Themes L'adolescence, Films about education, Films about children, Films about school violence
Actors Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Jack O'Connell, Finn Atkins, James Gandhi, Thomas Turgoose
Rating67% 3.3507953.3507953.3507953.3507953.350795
Nursery school teacher Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and her boyfriend, Steve (Michael Fassbender), escape their everyday life to an idyllic remote lake in the green English countryside. Along the way, they meet Adam (James Gandhi), a young boy who is reluctant to talk with them. Attempting to relax near a beach, their trip is disrupted by the presence of delinquent teenagers and their dog, but Steve intends to stay and not be driven away from enjoying their vacation. After they sleep overnight in their tent, problems begin to arise; their food is infested with insects and their car tire is damaged by a bottle left behind by the teens. Despite this, they are able to fix the tire and set off for town for breakfast at a cafe.

Scriptwriter

Bastille Day, 1h30
Directed by James Watkins
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action
Themes Films about terrorism
Actors Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Charlotte Le Bon, José Garcia, Thierry Godard, Anatol Yusef
Roles Writer
Rating62% 3.1499553.1499553.1499553.1499553.149955
À la veille du 14 juillet, Zoé Naville, jeune Française, prépare un attentat à Paris. Son objectif : créer un choc dans la société, sans tuer le moindre civil. Michael Mason, petit voleur américain, dérobe le sac de Zoé. Il en extrait ce qui l'intéresse et se débarrasse du reste dans une poubelle. Au même moment, dans une base secrète de la CIA de la capitale française, l'agent Sean Briar, de retour de difficiles missions en Syrie et en Irak, essaie de s'adapter à son nouvel environnement. Les circonstances dramatiques vont l'obliger à s'acclimater plus vite encore, car on apprend que cet attentat a été planifié par le ministère de l'Intérieur, qui avait pour intention un transfert d'un demi-milliard.
The Descent: Part 2, 1h34
Directed by Jon Harris
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Thriller, Adventure, Horror
Themes Medical-themed films, Sports films, Films about psychiatry, Films about disabilities
Actors Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Douglas Hodge, Nora-Jane Noone, Axelle Carolyn, Gavan O'Herlihy
Roles Ecrivain
Rating57% 2.852082.852082.852082.852082.85208
Two days after the events of the first film, a traumatized and blood-covered Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) escapes the cave with no memory of the events that occurred within it. She is taken to a hospital, where it is revealed some of the blood on her is the same type as Juno Kaplan (Natalie Mendoza). Sheriff Vaines (Gavan O'Herlihy) demands that along with his deputy Elen Rios (Krysten Cummings), Sarah and three spelunking specialists – Dan (Douglas Hodge), Greg (Josh Dallas) and Cath (Anna Skellern) – must go back into the cave to find the missing women. A new entrance is found with the help of a sniffer dog, and the team members are sent down via an old mine shaft operated by the old, mysterious Ed Oswald (Michael J. Reynolds).
Eden Lake
Eden Lake (2008)
, 1h31
Directed by James Watkins
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Thriller, Horror, Crime
Themes L'adolescence, Films about education, Films about children, Films about school violence
Actors Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Jack O'Connell, Finn Atkins, James Gandhi, Thomas Turgoose
Roles Writer
Rating67% 3.3507953.3507953.3507953.3507953.350795
Nursery school teacher Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and her boyfriend, Steve (Michael Fassbender), escape their everyday life to an idyllic remote lake in the green English countryside. Along the way, they meet Adam (James Gandhi), a young boy who is reluctant to talk with them. Attempting to relax near a beach, their trip is disrupted by the presence of delinquent teenagers and their dog, but Steve intends to stay and not be driven away from enjoying their vacation. After they sleep overnight in their tent, problems begin to arise; their food is infested with insects and their car tire is damaged by a bottle left behind by the teens. Despite this, they are able to fix the tire and set off for town for breakfast at a cafe.
Gone
Gone (2006)
, 1h28
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Horror, Crime
Themes Seafaring films, Transport films
Actors Scott Mechlowicz, Amelia Warner, Shaun Evans, Victoria Thaine, Yvonne Strahovski, Tony Barry
Roles Writer
Rating52% 2.649052.649052.649052.649052.64905
Alex (Shaun Evans) arrives in Sydney, and realizing he has missed his bus, he is then reading his travel guide on stone steps in the street, when Taylor (Scott Mechlowicz) suddenly sits near Alex and makes small talk with him, and then insisting he come with him. After drinking and raucously horsing around with two unnamed girls, Alex awakens in a city park with Taylor standing over him with a Polaroid camera, snapping a photo of Alex with one of the girls that night. When driving out of town in Taylor's vehicle, Alex reveals that he is to be at Byron Bay to meet his girlfriend, Sophie (Amelia Warner), and Taylor suggests that they travel together. When Alex and Taylor meet Sophie, she is with Ingrid (Zoe Tuckwell-Smith), a friend. The four of them head towards Katherine Gorge in the Northern Territory. The following day, about to leave, Taylor vaguely mentions that Ingrid had to meet someone and had caught a bus, with Alex and Sophie unbemused.
My Little Eye, 1h35
Directed by Marc Evans
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Horror, Slasher
Themes Films about films, Medical-themed films, Snuff films in fiction, Films about television, Films about psychiatry
Actors Sean Cw Johnson, Kris Lemche, Laura Regan, Jennifer Sky, Bradley Cooper, Nick Mennell
Rating54% 2.7497252.7497252.7497252.7497252.749725
The story follows five contestants who agree to take part in a reality webcast. The rules are simple: "Spend 6 months in a house for $1 MILLION. If someone leaves, everyone loses!" With the end of the 6 months nearing, the tension between contestants Matt (Sean Cw Johnson), Emma (Laura Regan), Charlie (Jennifer Sky), Danny (Stephen O'Reilly) and Rex (Kris Lemche) is at a high level. Instead of their regular food deliveries, packages containing sinister object arrive. A letter stating that Danny's grandfather has died, a gun with 5 bullets and a bottle of champagne.

Director

The Descent: Part 2, 1h34
Directed by Jon Harris
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Thriller, Adventure, Horror
Themes Medical-themed films, Sports films, Films about psychiatry, Films about disabilities
Actors Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Douglas Hodge, Nora-Jane Noone, Axelle Carolyn, Gavan O'Herlihy
Roles Second Unit Director
Rating57% 2.852082.852082.852082.852082.85208
Two days after the events of the first film, a traumatized and blood-covered Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) escapes the cave with no memory of the events that occurred within it. She is taken to a hospital, where it is revealed some of the blood on her is the same type as Juno Kaplan (Natalie Mendoza). Sheriff Vaines (Gavan O'Herlihy) demands that along with his deputy Elen Rios (Krysten Cummings), Sarah and three spelunking specialists – Dan (Douglas Hodge), Greg (Josh Dallas) and Cath (Anna Skellern) – must go back into the cave to find the missing women. A new entrance is found with the help of a sniffer dog, and the team members are sent down via an old mine shaft operated by the old, mysterious Ed Oswald (Michael J. Reynolds).