Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead | |
|---|---|
  Benson (left) and Moorhead (right) at theSitges Film Festival in 2017. | |
| Born | Justin Benson (1983-06-09)June 9, 1983 (age 42) San Diego, California, US Aaron Scott Moorhead (1987-03-03)March 3, 1987 (age 38) Tampa, Florida, US |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2012–present |
Justin Benson (born June 9, 1983) andAaron Scott Moorhead (born March 3, 1987) are an American filmmaking duo. Both have served in directing, producing, editing, and acting roles in their projects, while Moorhead is also a cinematographer and Benson is a writer. Their films primarily center around science fiction or horror elements. The duo have also contributed to severaltelevision series within theMarvel Cinematic Universe.
Justin Benson was born on June 9, 1983, inSan Diego, California, United States.[1] Aaron Moorhead grew up inTarpon Springs, Florida and attendedPalm Harbor University High School.[2]
As a child, Benson was a fan of theMarvel Comics characterDaredevil which later informed his contributions to severalMarveltelevision series, notablyDaredevil: Born Again.[3]
Both directed shorts and commercials early in their careers, with Moorhead directing his first film at 19 years old.[4]
Their first film, the 2012 horror filmResolution, was screened at the 2012Tribeca Film Festival.[5] They described their partnership as purely collaborative and cast the lead actors after working with them in previous commercials they had worked on.[6][7] Their follow up, the 2014romanticbody horror filmSpring, premiered at the 2014Toronto International Film Festival.[8][9] The film was publicly praised by bothRichard Linklater andGuillermo del Toro.[10][11] The pair's work can also be found in the horror anthology filmV/H/S: Viral in the segment entitled "Bonestorm".[12][13] Their filmThe Endless premiered in competition at theTribeca Film Festival in 2017, and was theatrically released in 2018 byWell Go USA Entertainment.[14][15][16]The Endless, alongside their 2019 filmSynchronic which premiered at the2019 Toronto International Film Festival, are in the same shared universe asResolution.[17][18][19] Amid theCOVID-19 pandemic, the duo created and starred inSomething in the Dirt which was shot in Benson's apartment due torestrictions on the film industry at the time.[20][21] They describe their films as naturalistic and grounded, despite the science fiction or horror elements.[22][23]
In television, Benson and Moorhead have contributed to multipleMarvel Cinematic Universetelevision series. After directing two episodes ofMoon Knight, the duo were recruited as lead directors of thesecond season ofLoki and directed four out of six episodes of the series. In 2023, after a significant creative reshuffle onDaredevil: Born Again, the two were hired as lead directors and executive producers, and, alongside newshowrunnerDario Scardapane, reworked the storyline and structure of the planned first and second seasons.[24] Benson and Moorhead are credited with directing three episodes in the show'sfirst season, and contributed to the already-completed other six episodes.[25] They returned as lead directors in thesecond season, directing the first two episodes of the season.[26][27]Ethan Hawke andVincent D'Onofrio, stars ofMoon Knight andDaredevil: Born Again respectively, both praised the filmmaking team for their direction on set and creative decisions.[28][29]
In 2017, Benson and Moorhead, alongside their producing partner David Lawson Jr., founded the film production company Rustic Films.[30][better source needed]
Benson, Moorhead, and Lawson Jr., via their Rustic Films production banner, either produced or executive produced many of their own films as well as the filmsAfter Midnight (2019),[31]She Dies Tomorrow (2020),[32]Separation (2020),Pruning (2023),[33]Things Will Be Different (2024),[34]Descendent (2025),[35]Touch Me (2025),[36] andMan Finds Tape (2025).[37]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Editor | DoP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | A Glaring Emission | Moorhead | No | Moorhead | Moorhead | No | |
| 2012 | Resolution | Yes | Yes | Benson | Yes | Moorhead | |
| 2014 | V/H/S: Viral | Yes | Yes | Benson | Yes | Moorhead | Segment "Bonestorm" |
| 2014 | Spring | Yes | Yes | Benson | Yes | Moorhead | |
| 2017 | The Endless | Yes | Yes | Benson | Yes | Moorhead | |
| 2019 | Synchronic | Yes | Yes | Benson | Yes | Moorhead | |
| 2022 | Something in the Dirt | Yes | Yes | Benson | Yes | Moorhead |
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Producing credits through Rustic Films
| Year | Title | Director | Executive producer | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Twilight Zone | Yes | No | "8" |
| 2022 | Archive 81 | Yes | No | "Terror in the Aisles" |
| "Spirit Receivers" | ||||
| Moon Knight | Yes | No | "Summon the Suit" | |
| "The Tomb" | ||||
| 2023 | Loki | Yes | Yes | "Ouroboros" |
| No | "Breaking Brad" | |||
| "1893" | ||||
| Yes | "Heart of the TVA" | |||
| "Science/Fiction" | ||||
| "Glorious Purpose" | ||||
| 2025 | Daredevil: Born Again | Yes | Yes | "Heaven's Half Hour" |
| No | "Optics" | |||
| “The Hollow of His Hand” | ||||
| "Sic Semper Systema" | ||||
| "With Interest" | ||||
| "Excessive Force" | ||||
| "Art for Art's Sake" | ||||
| Yes | "Isle of Joy" | |||
| "Straight to Hell" | ||||
| 2026 | Yes | Yes | S2E1 - Title TBA | |
| S2E2 - Title TBA | ||||
| No | S2E3 - Title TBA | |||
| S2E4 - Title TBA | ||||
| S2E5 - Title TBA | ||||
| S2E6 - Title TBA | ||||
| S2E7 - Title TBA | ||||
| S2E8 - Title TBA |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson | Moorhead | |||
| 2012 | Resolution | Justin | Aaron | |
| 2014 | V/H/S: Viral | Rollerblading marine | Rollerblading marine's buddy | |
| 2015 | Contracted: Phase II | Handsome officer | Less handsome officer | |
| Dementia | Nurse Hollings | — | ||
| 2017 | The Endless | Justin | Aaron | |
| 2019 | After Midnight | Shane | — | |
| 2020 | Separation | Mark | — | |
| 2022 | Something in the Dirt | Levi | John | |
| Breathing Happy | Lotus Soothing yoga voice | The golden door | ||
| 2023 | Loki | John Anglin | Clarence Anglin | Episode: "Science/Fiction" |
| 2024 | Things Will Be Different | Vice Grip Left | — | |
| 2025 | Daredevil: Born Again | — | Bystander | Episode: "Heaven's Half Hour" |
"I think this was our first show where we came in and fully had our footing?" Benson asks his co-director. "I'd say so," Moorhead replies. "Because even with Loki, there's no way not to be thrown in the deep end, because you're building an entire world. This one felt immediately accessible to us, because the stakes are extremely primal and graspable. There are two men, in opposition to each other, that couldn't be more different." While the grounded, gritty setting of Daredevil might feel a long way away from Benson and Moorhead's usual mind-bending sci-fi affairs, for the directors it's the most at home they've felt in the MCU so far. "Our indie films are extremely naturalistic, and tend to exist in a world where if a human falls down, it's going to hurt," Benson explains. "In that way, this show's a much better match for us than any other superhero project we've done." Moorhead agrees.