James Thomas Watkins (born 20 May 1973 in Nottingham, England) is an English film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in horror films, most notably Eden Lake and The Woman in Black.

[1] He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed thriller Eden Lake, starring Michael Fassbender and Kelly Reilly.

[2] It won Best Horror Film at the 2009 Empire Awards, the Jury Prize at Sitges Fantasy Festival and Best Director at Fantasporto.

Watkins has written scripts for Warner Bros., Working Title, Film4 and BBC Films.

Watkins was announced to be directing the DC Universe film Clayface in February 2025.