::WRITERS OF TWISTY THRILLERS::
by Schwenkstar | created - 25 Nov 2011 | updated - 18 Jul 2016 | PublicWriters who specialize in thrillers that have a bevy of twists and turns within their plots.
[listed in no particular order]
1. Rod Serling
Writer | The Twilight Zone
A former boxer, paratrooper and general all-around angry young man, Rod Serling was one of the radical new voices that made the "Golden Age" of television. Long before The Twilight Zone (1959), he was known for writing such high-quality scripts as "Patterns" and "Requiem for a Heavyweight," both ...
Creator/Writer of The Twilight Zone but also the feature films Planet of the Apes and Seven Days of May.
2. Richard Matheson
Writer | Jaws 3-D
Born in New Jersey and raised in Brooklyn, Richard Burton Matheson first became a published author while still a child, when his stories and poems ran in the "Brooklyn Eagle". A lifelong reader of fantasy tales, he made his professional writing bow in 1950 when his short story "Born of Man and ...
Wrote many episodes of The Twilight Zone with Serling & co. but also wrote a considerable number of feature-length thrillers - many for TV - such as Duel, Dying Room Only, Dead of Night, and Trilogy of Terror.
3. Charles Beaumont
Writer | Night of the Eagle
Charles Beaumont was the pseudonym for Charles Leroy Nutt, born on Chicago's North Side on January 2 1929. He also occasionally wrote under the names Charles McNutt and E.T. Beaumont (the latter apparently based on the name of a Texas town). Tragically short-lived, Beaumont was a dynamic and ...
Another cracker-jack writer for The Twilight Zone, but also having written such feature films as Night of the Eagle (with Matheson), Premature Burial, and Brain Dead (post-mortem).
4. Ray Bradbury
Writer | The Ray Bradbury Theater
Ray Bradbury was an American science fiction writer whose works were translated in more than 40 languages and sold millions of copies around the world. Although he created a world of new technical and intellectual ideas, he never obtained a driver's license and had never driven an automobile.
He was...
Famous for his published short stories - many of which were adapted for film and television - he also wrote many episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone as well as his creation of the underrated anthology series Ray Bradbury Theater.
5. Roald Dahl
Writer | The Witches
Dahl was born in Wales in 1916. He served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He made a forced landing in the Libyan Desert and was severely injured. As a result, he spent five months in a Royal Navy hospital in Alexandria. Dahl is noted for how he relates suspenseful and...
Famous for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory but few know about his knack for dark, twisty thrillers with many a surprise in the end. He's written many episodes for Alfred Hitchcock Presents as well as creating the underrated anthology series Tales of the Unexpected.
6. Jimmy Sangster
Writer | Dracula
One of the driving, creative forces behind the legendary Hammer Studios, Jimmy Sangster was born on December 2, 1927, in Kinmel Bay, North Wales. He began in the film industry as a production assistant at age 16 during WWII. After this gig, he worked as a gofer and assistant projectionist for ...
Wrote many psychological thriller films for the Hammer Film Productions such as Scream of Fear, Paranoiac, Maniac, Nightmare, Hysteria, and other overly twisty films.
7. Brian Clemens
Writer | The Avengers
Brian Clemens left school at the age of 14. After national service with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, he worked his way up from messenger boy to copywriter at an advertising agency, writing in his spare time. One of his scripts was accepted by the BBC in 1955. He joined a production company, ...
Like Sangster, Clemens also often wrote thrillers for the Hammer Film Productions - such as the surprisingly tricky film Captain Kronos - but he also wrote the cracker-jack thrillers And Soon the Darkness and See No Evil for other studios, as well as his greatest contribution - the television series Thriller, an anthology show similar to Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
8. Ernesto Gastaldi
Writer | Il mio nome è Nessuno
Graduated in direction and screenwriting at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia of Roma in 1957 and in Economy in 1967. He wrote more than one hundred movies of all kind and a dozen of novels. He signed some scripts and his SF novels as Julian Berry. Married in 1960 the actress Mara Maryl and he ...
Writer of such incredibly convoluted "giallo" (or Italian murder mysteries) as The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, The Case of the Scorpion's Tail, The Case of the Bloody Iris, Death Walks on High Heels, and - my personal favorite of his - Libido.
9. Peter Stone
Writer | Charade
Peter Stone was born on February 27, 1930 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Charade (1963), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) and Father Goose (1964). He was married to Mary O'Hanley. He died on April 26, 2003 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
Writer of the "best hitchcock film not directed by hitchcock" (Charade) as well as other such twisty gems like Mirage, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, and One of My Wives is Missing (a personal favorite of mine).
10. Anthony Shaffer
Writer | Sleuth
Anthony Shaffer was born on May 15, 1926 in Liverpool, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Sleuth (1972), Frenzy (1972) and The Wicker Man (1973). He was married to Diane Cilento and Carolyn Soley. He died on November 6, 2001 in London, England, UK.
Best known for writing the quintessential stage thriller (Sleuth) and the "citizen kane of horror" (The Wicker Man), he has also written a Hitchcock movie (Frenzy), several Agatha Christie adaptations (Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun), as well as Absolution.
11. Richard Levinson
Writer | Columbo
Richard Levinson was born on August 7, 1934 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Columbo (1971), Murder, She Wrote (1984) and Rehearsal for Murder (1982). He was married to Rosanna Huffman. He died on March 12, 1987 in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Wrote with writing partner William Link. Though famous for creating such television shows as Columbo, Murder, She Wrote, and Ellery Queen, I will remember them most fondly for their twisty feature films - namely Murder by Natural Causes, Rehearsal for Murder, and Guilty Conscience.
12. William Link
Writer | Columbo
William Link was born on December 15, 1933 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Columbo (1971), Murder, She Wrote (1984) and Rehearsal for Murder (1982). He was married to Margery Nelson. He died on December 27, 2020 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Writing partner with Richard Levinson. See above for comments and credits.
13. Lucille Fletcher
Writer | Sorry, Wrong Number
Lucille Fletcher was born on March 28, 1912 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She was a writer, known for Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), The Twilight Zone (1959) and Lights Out (1946). She was married to Douglass Wallop and Bernard Herrmann. She died on August 31, 2000 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, USA.
She has adapted several of her own works onto the big screen - most notable Sorry, Wrong Number. However, The Hitch-hiker (adapted several times - including once for The Twilight Zone) and Night Watch are rather famous for their surprise endings.
14. Cornell Woolrich
Writer | The Window
Prolific mystery writer Cornell Woolrich was born in New York City, but his parents separated when he was young and he spent much of his childhood in Latin America with his father. Then he was sent back to New York to live with his rich, domineering mother, Claire. He attended Columbia University ...
Famous for his novels and short stories, many of Woolrich's tales have been adapted for the screen - both big and small.
15. Ira Levin
Writer | Rosemary's Baby
Author, playwright and composer Ira Levin decided on a career of a writer at the age of 15. Educated at the elite Horace Mann school, he went on to two years at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, before transferring to New York University, where he majored in philosophy and English. He earned ...
Rosemary's Baby, Death Trap, The Boys From Brazil, and The Stepford Wives - all with a crazy twist or two!
16. Frederick Knott
Writer | Dial M for Murder
Frederick Knott was born on August 28, 1916 in Hankow, China. He was a writer, known for Dial M for Murder (1954), Wait Until Dark (1967) and A Perfect Murder (1998). He was married to Ann Hillary. He died on December 17, 2002 in New York City, New York, USA.
His plays Dial M For Murder and Wait Until Dark are thrilling, twisty works of suspense, and his efforts on The Honey Pot and Write Me A Murder can not be ignored.
17. Robert Bloch
Writer | Psycho
Robert Bloch was born on April 5, 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer, known for Psycho (1960), Psycho II (1983) and Psycho (1998). He was married to Eleanor Zalisko Alexander and Marion Holcombe. He died on September 23, 1994 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Famous for writing the novel Psycho on which the Hitchcock film is based, he also wrote for the television shows Thriller and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, as well as feature films for William Castle (such as Strait-Jacket) and Amicus Productions (such as Asylum).
18. Jack Finney
Writer | Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Walter Braden "Jack" Finney was an American writer, mainly known for his contributions to the science-fiction genre. His most popular novels are "The Body Snatchers" (1955) and "Time and Again" (1970), although throughout his career he published nearly 50 novels that encompass the noir, thriller ...
Probably most famous for The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, he also wrote many time travel stories and crime tales.
19. Sidney Gilliat
Writer | State Secret
Sidney Gilliat, the English director, screenwriter, and producer, was born on February 15, 1908 in Edgely, Cheshire, England. He began his screen-writing career in the silent movie era, writing inter-titles, going uncredited for his contributions to Honeymoon Abroad (1928), Champagne (1928), and ...
Famous for writing the early Hitchcock films The Lady Vanishes and Jamaica Inn, he also wrote such notable twisty thrillers as Night Train to Munich, Seven Sinners, Rome Express, and - my personal favorite - Green for Danger. Often wrote with Frank Launder.
20. Frank Launder
Writer | The Blue Lagoon
Frank Launder, initially a civil servant and repertory actor, started as a scriptwriter in the late 1920s on such classics as The Lady Vanishes (1938) and Night Train to Munich (1940). He joined forces with Sidney Gilliat and together they wrote, directed and produced over 40 films. Frank Launder ...
Writing partner with Sidney Gilliat. See above for comments and credits.
21. Pierre Boileau
Writer | Vertigo
Pierre Boileau was born on April 28, 1906 in Paris, France. He was a writer, known for Vertigo (1958), Diabolique (1955) and Eyes Without a Face (1960). He died on January 16, 1989 in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Alpes-Maritimes, France.
One half of the French suspense duo Boileau and Narcejac, writers of such twisty thrill rides as Vertigo, Diabolique, Spotlight on a Murderer, and Faces in the Dark.
22. Thomas Narcejac
Writer | Vertigo
Thomas Narcejac was born on July 3, 1908 in Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France. He was a writer, known for Vertigo (1958), Diabolique (1955) and Eyes Without a Face (1960). He died on June 9, 1998 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France.
The other half of the French suspense duo Boileau and Narcejac. See above for credits.
23. Georges Simenon
Writer | Maigret tend un piège
Georges Simenon was a Belgian novelist, writing in the French language. He published nearly 500 different novels, and a large number of short stories. He became internationally famous for creating the French police detective Jules Maigret, as the protagonist in a celebrated series of mystery novels...
Writer of the Maigret detective novels and other tales of crime.
24. Robert Thomas
Writer | 8 femmes
Robert Thomas was born on September 28, 1927 in Gap, Hautes-Alpes, France. He was a writer and actor, known for 8 Women (2002), Mon curé chez les Thaïlandaises (1983) and La bonne soupe (1964). He died on January 3, 1989 in Paris, France.
French writer who wrote the ingeniously twisty play Trap For A Single Man (adapted at least five times for film - probably more) as well as 8 Femmes and other tricky tales.
25. Milton Subotsky
Producer | Maximum Overdrive
Milton Subotsky, a major British filmmaker, joined with Max Rosenberg in 1962 to form Amicus Productions to produce low- to medium-budget horror and anthology films (they also formed Cinerama Releasing in 1966), usually shot in England and Scotland. These included The House That Dripped Blood (1971)...
Wrote many of Amicus' anthology horror films - The Vault of Horror, Tales from the Crypt, and Dr. Terror's House of Horrors - and the terrific Gothic chiller The City of the Dead.
26. Agatha Christie
Writer | Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie
Agatha was born as "Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller" in 1890 to Frederick Alvah Miller and Clara Boehmer. Agatha was of American and British descent, her father being American and her mother British. Her father was a relatively affluent stockbroker. Agatha received home education from early childhood ...
A master at the "Who-done-it?" No comments necessary. Her name says it all.
27. Stephen King
Writer | Maximum Overdrive
Stephen Edwin King was born on September 21, 1947, at the Maine General Hospital in Portland. His parents were Nellie Ruth (Pillsbury), who worked as a caregiver at a mental institute, and Donald Edwin King, a merchant seaman. His father was born under the surname "Pollock," but used the last name ...
No description needed given him infamy.
28. Charlie Brooker
Writer | Black Mirror
Charlton "Charlie" Brooker (born 3 March 1971) is an English humourist, critic, author, screenwriter, producer, and television presenter. He is the creator and co-showrunner of the anthology series Black Mirror and has written for programmes such as Brass Eye, The 11 O'Clock Show, and Nathan Barley...
Creator of the speculative anthology show Black Mirror which features tales of a sci-fi nature (usually) that critiques our society in a rather scathing - and horrifyingly accurate - manner. Some tales are more psychological drama than thriller, but a few episodes - live White Bear are full-bore thrillers with shocking twists. He also wrote the zombie satire Dead Set.
29. Harlan Ellison
Writer | The Twilight Zone
Author Harlan Ellison was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Serita (Rosenthal) and Louis Laverne Ellison. He had an older sister, Beverly. Harlan was married five times. He lived in Sherman Oaks at "Ellison Wonderland". He had the same address and phone number for decades, was a teetotaler, and never ...
Like Bradbury, Ellison is more known for his published short stories. However, his work in television for such shows as The Outer Limits and the 1980s revival of The Twilight Zone demonstrated his knack for twisty plots on the (small) screen. Though I think it is over-rated, most consider his teleplay The Demon With The Glass Hand for the show The Outer Limits as being one of the best episodes of any show, period.
30. Stanley Ellin
Writer | House of Cards
Stanley Ellin was born on October 6, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for House of Cards (1968), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) and Suspense (1949). He was married to Jeanne Michael. He died on July 31, 1986 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Terrific suspense writer who wrote many twisty tales of malice, many of which adapted for Alfred Hitchcock Presents - his most famous certainly being "Specialty of the House" which features an unforgettable revelation.
31. George Clayton Johnson
Writer | Logan's Run
George Clayton Johnson was born on July 29, 1929 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Logan's Run (1976), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) and Ocean's Eleven (2001). He was married to Lola Brownstein. He died on December 25, 2015 in North Hills, California, USA.
Johnson wrote a handful of episodes for The Twilight Zone (seven to be exact), the episode "I'll Take Care Of You" for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the novel Logan's Run, and - probably most famously - Ocean's Eleven.
32. Alec Coppel
Writer | Vertigo
Alec Coppel was born on September 17, 1907 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was a writer, known for Vertigo (1958), The Captain's Paradise (1953) and Hell Below Zero (1954). He was married to Myra Coppel. He died on January 22, 1972 in London, England, UK.
His plays - I Killed The Count and The Gazebo - are twisty tales that made it to the big screen. He also wrote the screenplay for Vertigo and other great thrillers.
33. Earl Hamner Jr.
Writer | The Waltons
He was also the Creator and Executive Producer for the show "FALCON CREST'' 1981 thru 1988. The show starred Jane Wyman, Lorenzo Lamas, Robert Foxworth, and Susan Sullivan. The show was set in the Napa Valley of California. And centered on the power and intrigues of the families involved in the ...
Probably most famous for his family-oriented tales about country life - he created Charlotte's Web and The Waltons - but a little known fact is that he wrote many macabre stories for such anthology shows as The Twilight Zone, including the twisty episode "Stopover in a Quiet Town".
34. Jerome Bixby
Writer | The Man from Earth
Jerome Bixby was born on January 11, 1923 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He was a writer and composer, known for The Man from Earth (2007), Star Trek (1966) and Fantastic Voyage (1966). He died on April 28, 1998 in San Bernardino, California, USA.
Wrote the terrifying Twilight Zone episode It's a Good Life, as well as writing the subtle yet mind-boggling The Man from Earth and episodes for Star Trek that involve parallel universes.
35. Mel Dinelli
Writer | The Window
Mel Dinelli was born on October 6, 1912 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Mel was a writer and producer, known for The Window (1949), The Spiral Staircase (1946) and Beware, My Lovely (1952). Mel died on November 28, 1991 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Screenwriter of such classic thrillers like The Spiral Staircase, The Window, and Cause for Alarm!.
36. Ethel Lina White
Writer | The Lady Vanishes
Born in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales in 1876, Ethel Lina White was one of the best known crime writers in Britain and the United States in the 1930s and 1940s. Her novel "The Wheel Spins" (1936), was the basis for the Alfred Hitchcock 1938 film The Lady Vanishes (1938). She died of ovarian ...
Wrote the story for The Lady Vanishes, the Gothic thriller Spiral Staircase, the haunting The Unseen, and finally the shocker An Unlocked Window which features a killer twist in its tail!
37. Angus MacPhail
Writer | Spellbound
London-born Angus MacPhail worked as a screenwriter for many years with producer Michael Balcon, but he wrote for many of Britain's most prestigious studios, such as Gainsborugh, Gaumont-British and Ealing. He is probably best known for his script for the classic British feature Dead of Night (1945)...
Wrote a few Hitchcock thrillers (Spellbound, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and The Wrong Man), a segment for Dead of Night, and a handful of other British thrillers.
38. Joseph Stefano
Writer | Psycho
Creative horror screenwriter Joseph Stefano has been writing scripts since the early sixties. His first was The Black Orchid (1958). Less than a year later, he met his new friend, Alfred Hitchcock, to do the famous script for Psycho (1960). Stefano decided to drop the assignment for Hitchcock's The...
Screenwriter of Hitchcock's classic shocker Psycho, many episodes of The Outer Limits (twelve of them), and a slew of TV thrillers in the 70s.
39. Fredric Brown
Writer | Star Trek
Attended University of Cincinnati, Hanover College, Indiana, but didn't obtain a degree. Worked in an office 1924-36, when he left to become writer, proofreader for the "Milwaukee Journal". Also started writing at this time, selling the first of over 300 short stories. Active in both ...
Wrote episodes for Alfred Hitchcock Presents but probably more famous for his novel The Screaming Mimi being the inspiration for Bird With The Crystal Plumage. He also wrote the amnesia mystery Crack-Up.
40. Stirling Silliphant
Writer | In the Heat of the Night
Detroit-born Stirling Silliphant (born Sterling Dale Silliphant) was the son of a Canadian immigrant. The family moved to California when he was about two. He grew up in Glendale and graduated from the University of Southern California in 1938. During World War II he was an army lieutenant, and ...
Wrote episodes for Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Suspicion as well as the horror classic Village Of The Damned and won an Oscar for In The Heat Of The Night.
41. Bernard C. Schoenfeld
Writer | Caged
Bernard C. Schoenfeld was born on August 17, 1907 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for Caged (1950), The Twilight Zone (1959) and Mannix (1967). He died on April 25, 1990 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Wrote episodes for Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Twilight Zone as well as film noir mysteries such as The Phantom Lady and The Dark Corner.
42. Francis M. Cockrell
Writer | Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Francis M. Cockrell was born on December 14, 1906 in Warrensburg, Missouri, USA. He was a writer and director, known for Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), The Outer Limits (1963) and Professor Beware (1938). He was married to Marian Bradford Brown. He died on April 13, 1987 in Boones Mill, Virginia...
Wrote episodes for such anthology shows as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Suspense, The Outer Limits, and One Step Beyond as well as episodes for Perry Mason and the film noir mystery Dark Waters.
43. Bill S. Ballinger
Writer | Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Bill S. Ballinger was born on March 13, 1912 in Oskaloosa, Iowa, USA. Bill S. was a writer, known for Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), The Outer Limits (1963) and I Spy (1965). Bill S. died on March 23, 1980 in Tarzana, California, USA.
Wrote episodes for Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Circle of Fear as well as the noir Pushover and The Strangler.
44. Henry Slesar
Writer | The Edge of Night
Henry Slesar was born on June 12, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for The Edge of Night (1956), The Twilight Zone (1959) and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955). He died on April 2, 2002 in New York City, New York, USA.
Wrote episodes for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, Tales of the Unexpected , and the twisty (yet dull) TV movie Honeymoon with a Stranger.
45. Jerry Sohl
Writer | Star Trek
Jerry Sohl was born on December 2, 1913 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Jerry was a writer, known for Star Trek (1966), The Outer Limits (1963) and Die, Monster, Die! (1965). Jerry was married to Jean Gordon. Jerry died on November 4, 2002 in Thousand Oaks, California, USA.
Wrote episodes of The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Outer Limits... all with a twist!
46. Gene R. Kearney
Writer | Kojak
Gene Raser Kearney, a native of New York City, attended the Berkshire private high school in Massachusetts, then served in the Air Force in the Korean War. He attended Harvard and graduated with honors where he worked for the newspaper, The Harvard Crimson. He began his career working for radio and...
Wrote episodes for The Night Gallery, but also wrote the twisty thriller Games and the conspiracy thriller How I Spent My Summer Vacation.
47. Nelson Bond
Writer | Lights Out
Nelson Bond was born on November 23, 1908 in Scranton, New Jersey, USA. He was a writer, known for Lights Out (1946), Tales of Tomorrow (1951) and Thriller (1960). He was married to Betty Folsom. He died on November 4, 2006 in Roanoke, Virginia, USA.
A sadly forgotten short story writer who has written many tales of suspense. Some tales were adapted for classic shows like Thriller, Tales of Tomorrow, and Lights Out.
48. Arch Oboler
Writer | Five
Arch Oboler was born on December 7, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer and director, known for Five (1951), The Twonky (1953) and The Bubble (1966). He was married to Eleanor Helfand. He died on March 19, 1987 in Westlake Village, California, USA.
Prolific writer of the radio program Lights Out.
49. Nigel Kneale
Writer | The Entertainer
Nigel Kneale was born on April 18, 1922 in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for The Entertainer (1960), Look Back in Anger (1959) and Quatermass and the Pit (1967). He was married to Judith Kerr. He died on October 29, 2006 in London, England, UK.
Creator of the horror anthology show Beasts as well as other shows of the macabre.
50. William F. Nolan
Writer | Logan's Run
William F. Nolan was born on March 6, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Logan's Run (1976), Logan's Run and Darkroom (1981). He was married to Marilyn Kam Seal. He died on July 15, 2021 in Vancouver, Washington, USA.
Wrote segments for the TV anthology films Trilogy of Terror and Trilogy of Terror II as well as episodes for Darkroom and the feature film Burnt Offerings.
51. Henry Kuttner
Writer | The Twilight Zone
Henry Kuttner was born on April 7, 1915 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was a writer, known for The Twilight Zone (1959), The Last Mimzy (2007) and Tales of Tomorrow (1951). He was married to C.L. Moore. He died on February 4, 1958 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
Wrote 100s of short stories in the 40s and 50s. Some were adapted to anthology shows and a few films.
52. Michael McDowell
Writer | Beetlejuice
McDowell was born in Enterprise, Alabama. According to his biography in the 1985 edition of Toplin, McDowell lived in Medford, Massachusetts. He also maintained a residence in Hollywood with his sister Ann and adventurer-filmmaker Peter Lake. The biography described a typical day: McDowell "writes ...
Wrote the best episodes for Tales From The Darkside as well as writing episodes for the 80s revival for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Amazing Stories, and Tales from the Crypt. However, he is probably most famous for writing Beetlejuice and A Nightmare Before Christmas.
53. Everett De Roche
Writer | Harlequin
Everett De Roche was born on July 12, 1946 in the USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Harlequin (1980), Razorback (1984) and Patrick (1978). He was married to Chris De Roche. He died on April 2, 2014 in Melbourne, Australia.
Aussie writer of a multitude of thrillers.
54. Jorge Guerricaechevarría
Writer | Celda 211
Jorge Guerricaechevarría was born on July 10, 1965 in Avilés, Asturias, Spain. He is a writer and producer, known for Cell 211 (2009), The Oxford Murders (2008) and The Day of the Beast (1995).
Prolific Spanish writer who has written films for Alex De La Iglesia, Pedro Almodovar, and more.
55. Rampo Edogawa
Writer | Edogawa Rampo no bijo
Rampo Edogawa was born on October 21, 1894 in Nabari-machi, Naga-gun, Mie Prefecture, Japan [now Nabari City, Mie Prefecture]. Rampo was a writer, known for Edogawa Rampo no bijo (1977), Shonen tanteidan: Teki wa genshisenkoutei (1959) and Shonen tanteidan: Kabutomushi no yoki (1957). Rampo died on...
Probably Japan's most well-known author of twisty thrillers... or rather, "twisted" thrillers, as most of his tales feature lurid content. As for films, his most famous would be Blind Beast and Horror of a Deformed Man.
56. Seichô Matsumoto
Writer | Suna no utsuwa
Seichô Matsumoto was born on December 21, 1909 in Kitakyushu, Japan. He was a writer and actor, known for The Castle of Sand (1974), The Demon (1978) and Kikenna onna (1959). He died on August 4, 1992 in Tokyo, Japan.
Another Japanese writer of twisty thrillers who successfully collaborated with director Yoshitaro Nomura on such tricky films as Zero Focus and The Castle of Sand.
57. Seishi Yokomizo
Writer | Inugami-ke no nazo: Akuma wa odoru
Seishi Yokomizo was born on May 25, 1902 in Kobe, Japan. He was a writer and actor, known for Inugami-ke no nazo: Akuma wa odoru (1954), Yokomizo Seishi shirîzu (1977) and Mitsu-kubi-tou (1956). He died on December 28, 1981.
Created the detective Kôsuke Kindaichi whose stories were adapted into such twisty murder mysteries as The Inugami Family and Village of Eight Gravestones.
58. Keigo Higashino
Writer | Jaane Jaan
Keigo Higashino was born on February 4, 1958 in Osaka, Japan. He is a writer, known for Jaane Jaan (2023), Shippû rondo (2016) and Laplace's Witch (2018).
His Suspect X features brilliant plotting, The Lakeside Murder Case is solid Agatha Christie by way of Hitchcock storytelling, and his teen-centric pop thriller G@me may be a bit unfocused but is unpredictable nevertheless.
59. Miyuki Miyabe
Writer | Bonkura
Miyuki Miyabe was born on December 23, 1960 in Tokyo, Japan. She is a writer and actress, known for Bonkura (2014), Solomon's Perjury (2015) and Copycat Killer (2023).
Key films - Helpless, The Reason, Brave Story
60. Joe R. Lansdale
Writer | Cold in July
Joe R Lansdale is a prolific genre fiction writer, who has published hundreds of novels, novellas, novelettes, short stories, chapbooks, comic books, graphic novels, and collections.
Joe is arguably most famous for his Bram Stoker Award-nominated novella, 'BubbaHo-Tep', which was later adapted to ...
His published short stories are clever tales of terror ala Twilight Zone. Film adaptations of his work haven't quite captured his ingenuity... so far!
61. William Goldman
Writer | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Screenwriter, novelist, playwright, non-fiction author. Born in Highland Park, Illinois, USA, began his career as a novelist in 1957. Started writing screenplays in 1965 with "Masquerade". A two-time Academy Award Winner, he is one of the most successful screenwriters and script doctors in ...
Hollywood screenwriter icon whose work on Harper, No Way To Treat A Lady, The Stepford Wives, The Hot Rock, and Marathon Man - just to name a few - prove his thrillers are not so predictable.
62. Frank Darabont
Writer | The Shawshank Redemption
Three-time Oscar nominee Frank Darabont was born in a refugee camp in 1959 in Montbeliard, France, the son of Hungarian parents who had fled Budapest during the failed 1956 Hungarian revolution. Brought to America as an infant, he settled with his family in Los Angeles and attended Hollywood High ...
Wrote a pair of episodes of Tales From The Crypt Keeper as well as screenplays for the quite excellent The Shawshank Redemption and The Mist, which may be flawed but that dark twist ending it a knock-out.
63. Scott Frank
Writer | Logan
Scott Frank was born on March 10, 1960 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Logan (2017), Out of Sight (1998) and The Lookout (2007).
Probably most known for his directorial effort The Lookout - a clever neo-noir - he has also written the deliciously convoluted Malice, the cyberpunk detective film Minority Report, and - my personal favorite - the romantic supernatural mystery Dead Again.
64. David Koepp
Writer | Jurassic Park
David Koepp is an American film director and screenwriter. He is known for writing Jurassic Park directed by Steven Spielberg, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Spider-Man directed by Sam Raimi and Panic Room directed by David ...
Screenwriter for many high profile Hollywood films, but he has done his fair share of twisty thrillers - including his directorial efforts Stir of Echoes, Secret Window, and Premium Rush - and his strictly written work Panic Room, Snake Eyes, and Mission: Impossible.
65. Steven Moffat
Writer | Doctor Who
Steven Moffat was born on November 18, 1961 in Paisley, Scotland, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Doctor Who (2005), Sherlock (2010) and The Adventures of Tintin (2011). He has been married to Sue Vertue since 1999. They have two children. He was previously married to Maggie.
Wrote the episode Blink for Doctor Who which was brilliant - it should of been adapted for film rather than sequestered in the middle of a serialized television show. Other work includes the episode Study in Pink for the show Sherlock and the screenplay for The Adventures of Tin Tin.
66. Mark Gatiss
Actor | The League of Gentlemen
Mark Gatiss is an accomplished author, actor and playwright. Originally from Sedgefield, County Durham, he graduated from Bretton Hall Drama College with a BA (honors) in Theatre Arts.
He was one-quarter of the award-winning comedy team The League of Gentlemen (1999), and became heavily involved in ...
Writer of a few episodes of Sherlock, wrote the horror omnibus Crooked House, and - outside of film - wrote many thriller tales for BBC radio.
67. Mick Garris
Writer | Amazing Stories
Born in Santa Monica, California, on December 4, 1951, Mick Garris grew up with his mother in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Van Nuys from age 12, following his parents' divorce. Garris was making his own 8mm home movies around that time, and when he got older be became a freelance critic ...
Creator of the anthology series Fear Itself and Masters of Horror, both of which had mixed results but always a twist in the end. Garris also wrote episodes for Spielberg's own anthology series Amazing Stories which ranged from hits (like Life on Death Row) to misses (like The Greibble).
68. Chris Sparling
Writer | Buried
Chris Sparling was born on March 21, 1977 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Buried (2010), The Sea of Trees (2015) and The Atticus Institute (2015).
A new writer on the block for twisty thrillers. His first two works - the minimalist Buried and ATM - indicate that he's got talent (well, more so Buried than ATM). Indeed, anyone who can formulate a clever plot from one location is gifted.
69. Ted Griffin
Writer | Ocean's Eleven
Ted Griffin was born on December 21, 1970 in Pasadena, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Ocean's Eleven (2001), Terriers (2010) and Ravenous (1999). He has been married to Sutton Foster since October 25, 2014. They have one child.
Lately he hasn't been producing anything of note, but his initial run of films he's scripted - Ravenous, Best Laid Plans, Ocean's Eleven, and (most notably) Matchstick Men - all were cleverly crafted tales.
70. Ehren Kruger
Writer | The Ring
Ehren Kruger is an American film producer and screenwriter who is known for writing The Ring starring Naomi Watts and Daveigh Chase. He also wrote a majority of the Transformers sequels, Scream 3 & 4, Reindeer Games, The Ring Two, Blood & Chocolate, Dumbo, The Skeleton Key, The Brothers Grimm and ...
The guy certainly is rather hit or miss, but his work on Arlington Road - and, to a lesser degree, The Skeleton Key, Reindeer Games, and Imposter - shows he can pull off a twist or two.
71. Kurt Wimmer
Writer | Equilibrium
Kurt Wimmer was born on March 9, 1964. He is a writer and producer, known for Equilibrium (2002), Total Recall (2012) and Point Break (2015).
Another who is hit or miss with his material, but his work on The Recruit - and, to a lesser degree, Street Kings, Salt and the Total Recall remake - show he is capable of producing a measure of twists and turns.
72. Kevin Williamson
Writer | Scream
As a child Williamson was a fond fan of movies, especially those of Steven Spielberg. After high school, Williamson went to college for a future in acting. Though he landed very small parts on T.V. shows and movies, nothing had happened. Williamson moved out to L.A in 1990 in hopes it would aid his...
Yet another whose work is hit or miss, but no one can argue the cleverness of his script for Scream. His later films strive for twists but seem to only recycle his own previous work.
73. Russell Gewirtz
Writer | Inside Man
Russell Gewirtz is known for Inside Man (2006), Righteous Kill (2008) and Inside Man: Most Wanted (2019).
His first film - Inside Man - played out some nice twists, his second film - Righteous Kill - played out some bad ones... still unproven.
74. M. Night Shyamalan
Producer | Lady in the Water
Born in Puducherry, India, and raised in the posh suburban Penn Valley area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, M. Night Shyamalan is a film director, screenwriter, producer, and occasional actor, known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots.
He is the son of Jayalakshmi, a Tamil ...
He's the butt-end of jokes lately, but his earlier works - namely The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs - can't be ignored for their cleverness and ingenuity... even if he's been downhill since those films.
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