Simon Rumley

Simon Rumley is a British screenwriter, director, and author whose career has been defined by a relentless pursuit of psychological intensity and emotional honesty. Born on 22 May 1968, he began his entry into the film world as a runner before quickly moving on to write short and feature scripts, notably the early work Club Le Monde which earned him a place on the Carlton Television Writing Course. After producing four short films, his short Laughter garnered a nomination for a Dick Award at London's ICA, showcasing his knack for unsettling storytelling. In 2000 he wrote, produced and directed Strong Language, a film that attracted the attention of Stranger Than Fiction and was screened at the BFI’s National Film Theatre, a venue that would later host his subsequent project The Truth Game in 2001. Both shorts were praised for their intensity and quest for emotional truth, establishing Rumley as a promising outsider in the British horror scene. In 2002 his feature Club Le Monde was released through UGC Cinemas, and two years later he directed the short The Handyman in Vermont, starring Greta Scacchi and Bill Sage, which won Best Short Film at the Sitges Film Festival in 2006. During this period personal tragedy struck when his parents died close together, prompting him to channel his grief into the haunting script The Living and the Dead, filmed in 2005 at Lord Cardigan’s Savernake Estate and later celebrated at the Rotterdam International Film Festival. The film collected nearly twenty‑five awards, including Best Film and Best Director at Fantastic Fest, cementing Rumley’s reputation as a master of atmospheric horror. His later works such as Red White & Blue (2010) and the segment “Bitch” in the anthology Little Deaths (2011) continued to explore the darker side of humanity, earning accolades at festivals from Austin’s SXSW to Boston’s Underground Film Festival. Rumley’s willingness to work internationally is evident in his contribution to The ABCs of Death (2012) with the Surinam‑shot segment “P Is for Pressure”, which premiered in Toronto’s Midnight Madness. By the mid‑2010s he ventured into more mainstream territory, directing The Last Word (2014) and Crowhurst (2015), the latter produced by Nicolas Roeg, showcasing his versatility and sustained relevance in contemporary horror cinema. Throughout his career Rumley has collaborated with notable performers including Roger Lloyd‑Pack, Greta Scacchi, Noah Taylor, and Peter Facinelli, and his work remains a touchstone for fans of gritty, psychologically driven horror.