Jodi Byrne

Jodi Byrne, you might’ve caught her name in the credits if you’re into films that give you the creeps or just plain mess with your head. She’s got her fingerprints all over “The Strangers: Prey at Night” from 2018—that’s the one where a family road trip takes a very, very wrong turn at a deserted trailer park, and suddenly it’s all masks, axes, and a whole lot of running for your life. Byrne’s work in that film? Totally responsible for that gnawing sense of dread that creeps up your spine. Then there’s “Haunt” from 2019. Halloween night, a bunch of friends, and a haunted house that’s way too real for comfort. The kind of movie that makes you rethink your next trip to a haunted maze because, let’s be honest, who wants to find out if the guy with the chainsaw is actually part of the show? Jump to 2022 and Byrne’s name pops up again in “Bones and All”—a totally different vibe, this one’s all about outsiders, love, and, uh, cannibalism. It’s kind of hauntingly beautiful, though, not just straight-up horror. Byrne’s touch is everywhere, making sure you feel every ounce of longing and unease the characters go through. She’s got a knack for building worlds where you can’t help but look over your shoulder, and even when the credits roll, some of that tension just sticks with you. Not everyone can pull that off, but Byrne? She does it like it’s nothing.