Amanda Gusack

Amanda Gusack? Oh, she’s got this knack for making movies that crawl under your skin and just… stick there. The Betrayed (2008) is probably her best-known flick—pure psychological suspense, edge-of-your-couch kind of stuff. It follows a woman who wakes up in a grim, locked room, forced to play mind games with a complete stranger who claims her husband’s done some seriously shady things. You keep switching sides, doubting everyone, and by the end, you’re not even sure which way is up. Gusack doesn’t let you off easy—she really digs into how paranoia can eat away at trust, and her characters all have these sharp, unpredictable edges. Then there’s In Memorium (2005), which feels way more lo-fi but honestly, that just makes it creepier. It’s a found footage horror deal, where a guy with terminal cancer moves into a new house with his girlfriend, hoping for peace but—shocker—it’s haunted as hell. The way Gusack plays with technology and grief is super clever, and she pulls some solid scares out of almost nothing. There’s a rawness to it, a sense of dread that just keeps building. The Anniversary (2000) is a little less known, but it’s got that same moody, tense vibe she loves. Relationships, secrets, people falling apart in slow motion—that’s kind of her signature. Amanda Gusack doesn’t do fluffy stories. She wants to mess with your head, and honestly, she’s pretty damn good at it.