James Watkins is an English director, born on 20 May 1973 in Nottingham. His career has centred on directing, and his film credits include Eden Lake (2008), The Woman in Black (2012) and Bastille Day (2016). He also directed Speak No Evil, released in 2024, continuing a body of work that has largely been built behind the camera rather than in front of it.
Alongside his feature films, Watkins has directed for television, with credits on Black Mirror (2011), McMafia (2018) and The Ipcress File (2022). This mix of cinema and TV projects makes up the core of his listed filmography. His newest credit is Clayface (2026), a feature film on which he serves as director.
Frequent co-stars
- Kelly Reilly · 2 films together: Bastille Day, Eden Lake
Career at a glance
First credit: Eden Lake (2008) · Credits: 8
Roles played
Titles reviewed on Drama4U
Clayface2026 · DirectorReviewed
Other work
Speak No Evil2024 · Director
The Ipcress File2022 · Director
McMafia2018 · Director
Bastille Day2016 · Director
The Woman in Black2012 · Director
Black Mirror2011 · Director
Eden Lake2008 · Director
Images: TMDB · Posters belong to their respective copyright holders and are shown only to identify the work and for review purposes
Profile based on TMDB and Wikidata facts and checked against public sources. Career information only.