Aislinn Clarke

Aislinn Clarke has been carving out her own little corner in horror, and honestly, you can see why people are paying attention. Take Fréwaka (2024), for example—her latest flick. There’s this raw, unnerving energy running through it, and it’s not just jump scares or cheap tricks. Clarke’s brand of storytelling likes to sneak up on you, the kind of dread that seeps in slow, then suddenly you realize you’re clutching the edge of your seat. She’s not new to this game, either. Way back with The Devil's Doorway (2018), she basically threw us into the deep end of an Irish Magdalene Laundry, mixing found footage with real historical horror. It’s grim, gritty stuff, and you can tell Clarke isn’t afraid to poke at the dark corners of the past. Childer (2016) was another one—short, but it packed a punch. You get this sense that she’s drawn to stories about outsiders, people haunted by stuff no one else sees. Her characters don’t get easy answers, and honestly, the audience doesn’t either. That’s kind of the point. It’s messy, weird, unsettling, and she just leans right into it. There’s something about the way she blends folklore with real-world pain that sticks with you way after the credits roll. Clarke’s films aren’t just horror for horror’s sake; they’re more like a dare—how much darkness can you stand?