BIO​

Nicholas Matthews is a director of photography whose work explores beauty and violence. His technical and visual choices serve the emotional rhythm of the story, from lighting, color, and composition to camera movement and texture. He believes in crafting images that are both tactile and atmospheric, where shadows are not merely dark, but expressive and lyrical.

He recently finished production on KAET MIGHT DIE, a surreal dramedy, starring Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, and Anthony Ramos. The film marks his third collaboration with director Mercedes Bryce Morgan. RIVER (IFC, Shudder), a survival slasher, is set to hit theaters soon. The film unites Jane Levy and Jessica Rothe for director Joshua Giuliano’s debut feature.

Matthews’ most recent release, BONE LAKE (Bleecker Street - 2024) earned the Audience Award at the 2024 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. Described as an erotic survival thriller, the film drew praise from RogerEbert.com, which described Matthews’ work as having a “lurid neo-giallo color palette that is delightfully eye-catching.”

His projects include SAW X (Lionsgate - 2023), which received the franchise’s best reviews and grossed over $110 million; MOB LAND, which stars John Travolta and Stephen Dorff (Lionsgate - 2023); SPOONFUL OF SUGAR (Shudder - 2022); and CUCK (Gravitas Ventures - 2019). His work has screened across the world at festivals including Cannes, Sitges Film Festival, and Fantastic Fest. Matthews worked alongside horror legend Dan Myrick, director and writer of The Blair Witch Project, on the horror anthology Black Veil.

Raised in the American South in a religious milieu that banned movie theaters, Matthews nonetheless fell in love with the art of filmmaking. He thrives on collaboration in discovering each film’s unique visual story.