John Carpenter is an extremely famous director, especially John Carpenter has shown outstanding talent through works of action, horror, and science fiction films. Audiences are familiar with him because he is the man behind the success of two special films including: Halloween and Escape From New York. The 2018 remake of Halloween shows just how influential director John Carpenter is. Over the years, countless other directors have relied on John Carpenter's filmmaking style for inspiration, including one who learned the great music that signaled what was to come from Carpenter. The same John Carpenter filmmaking style has spread from 80's movies to some current directors like Adam Wingard… To understand a bit of John Carpenter's influence, follow topshare's list of the best movies. Inspired by "John Carpenter style"!
1 Green Room (2016)

Green Room - the best film inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: jumpcutonline.co.uk
Green Room movie trailer
Jeremy Saulnier is an up-and-coming director who emulates many features of John Carpenter's filmmaking style. The color tones present in the Green Room alone make it feel very similar to works from Carpenter. The punk rock theme in Green Room is reminiscent of They Live and Escape from New York.
The plot follows a punk rock band as they play music at an isolated club gig. After witnessing the murder, they must fight their way through the club's real owner.
2 Green Room (2016)

Green Room - the best film inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: jumpcutonline.co.uk
Green Room movie trailer
Jeremy Saulnier is an up-and-coming director who emulates many features of John Carpenter's filmmaking style. The color tones present in the Green Room alone make it feel very similar to works from Carpenter. The punk rock theme in Green Room is reminiscent of They Live and Escape from New York.
The plot follows a punk rock band as they play music at an isolated club gig. After witnessing the murder, they must fight their way through the club's real owner.
3 Midnight Special (2016)

Midnight Special - the best film inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: denofgeek.com
Trailer 2 of the movie Midnight Special
Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special is one of those mid-budget movies, it's intended as if it was directed by John Carpenter himself. In the case of Midnight Special, we can see it similar to Starman. The color tone between the two films is also quite similar.
Roy Tomlin must protect his special son from government agents and religious extremists, all cleverly woven into this confusing but wonderful 2016 sci-fi film. Midnight Special.
4 Midnight Special (2016)

Midnight Special - the best film inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: denofgeek.com
Trailer 2 of the movie Midnight Special
Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special is one of those mid-budget movies, it's intended as if it was directed by John Carpenter himself. In the case of Midnight Special, we can see it similar to Starman. The color tone between the two films is also quite similar.
Roy Tomlin must protect his special son from government agents and religious extremists, all cleverly woven into this confusing but wonderful 2016 sci-fi film. Midnight Special.
5 The Hateful Eight (2015)

The Hateful Eight - the best film inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: netflix
Trailer 1 of the movie The Hateful Eight
John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) was the direct inspiration for Quentin Tarantino when writing The Hateful Eight. Tarantino even went so far as to show the Carpenter classic to the entire cast, including Kurt Russell. Moreover, 2 films including The Thing and The Hateful Eight were both purposefully given excellent scores by Ennio Morricone.
A veteran, a bounty hunter, and his prisoners all stop at the isolated Minnie Tailor Camp to avoid an impending blizzard. There, they find others, but not everyone is what they think they are.
6 The Hateful Eight (2015)

The Hateful Eight - the best film inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: netflix
Trailer 1 of the movie The Hateful Eight
John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) was the direct inspiration for Quentin Tarantino when writing The Hateful Eight. Tarantino even went so far as to show the Carpenter classic to the entire cast, including Kurt Russell. Moreover, 2 films including The Thing and The Hateful Eight were both purposefully given excellent scores by Ennio Morricone.
A veteran, a bounty hunter, and his prisoners all stop at the isolated Minnie Tailor Camp to avoid an impending blizzard. There, they find others, but not everyone is what they think they are.
7 The Guest (2014)

The Guest - the best film inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: themarckoguy.wordpress.com
Trailer 1 of the movie The Guest
The Guest, the sequel to 2011's You're Next directed by Adam Wingard, has a comparative balance of action and horror. Both films attempt to provide a sense of nostalgia, they both complete the difficult task perfectly. Ultimately, Wingard's film is seen as an effective play, albeit a limited one compared to John Carpenter's famous creation of Michael Myers.
Peterson thought it was lucky that a soldier came to their doorstep, claiming to have heard of their recently deceased son, Caleb. As mysterious murders begin to happen throughout town, Caleb's older sister, Anna (Maika Monroe), suspects that the soldier is anything but.
8 The Guest (2014)

The Guest - the best film inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: themarckoguy.wordpress.com
Trailer 1 of the movie The Guest
The Guest, the sequel to 2011's You're Next directed by Adam Wingard, has a comparative balance of action and horror. Both films attempt to provide a sense of nostalgia, they both complete the difficult task perfectly. Ultimately, Wingard's film is seen as an effective play, albeit a limited one compared to John Carpenter's famous creation of Michael Myers.
Peterson thought it was lucky that a soldier came to their doorstep, claiming to have heard of their recently deceased son, Caleb. As mysterious murders begin to happen throughout town, Caleb's older sister, Anna (Maika Monroe), suspects that the soldier is anything but.
9 It Follows (2014)

It Follows - the best movie inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: nospoiler.it
Trailer 1 of the movie It Follows
It Follows has John Carpenter's visual style and penchant for tension-building, and the film from director David Robert Mitchell feels a lot like it was made by genius director John Carpenter.
The plot follows Jay, a young woman who recently lost her virginity. The man she was traveling with knocked her down, tied her up, and informed her of a special situation. There exists an unstoppable force of villains that only a few see are on their way, which won't stop until it kills her or the next person she sleeps with. The ambiguous nature of the villain in It Follows is also reminiscent of The Thing.
10 It Follows (2014)

It Follows - the best movie inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: nospoiler.it
Trailer 1 of the movie It Follows
It Follows has John Carpenter's visual style and penchant for tension-building, and the film from director David Robert Mitchell feels a lot like it was made by genius director John Carpenter.
The plot follows Jay, a young woman who recently lost her virginity. The man she was traveling with knocked her down, tied her up, and informed her of a special situation. There exists an unstoppable force of villains that only a few see are on their way, which won't stop until it kills her or the next person she sleeps with. The ambiguous nature of the villain in It Follows is also reminiscent of The Thing.
11 Lockout (2012)

Lockout - the best movie inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: bfbcping.com
Lockout movie trailer
The sci-fi movie Lockout is so reminiscent of John Carpenter's Escape from New York that it could be called a full-fledged remake. In fact, according to Yahoo, a French court ruled that the film plagiarized both Escape from New York and its Carpenter-directed sequel Escape from L.A.
The plot follows Snow - played by Guy Pearce trying to track down Kurt Russell - a wrongly convicted government agent who has been promised his freedom if he saves the president's daughter. First, he must travel to the space facility where she is being held. Unfortunately, this facility is actually a prison for 500 dangerous criminals.
12 Lockout (2012)

Lockout - the best movie inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: bfbcping.com
Lockout movie trailer
The sci-fi movie Lockout is so reminiscent of John Carpenter's Escape from New York that it could be called a full-fledged remake. In fact, according to Yahoo, a French court ruled that the film plagiarized both Escape from New York and its Carpenter-directed sequel Escape from L.A.
The plot follows Snow - played by Guy Pearce trying to track down Kurt Russell - a wrongly convicted government agent who has been promised his freedom if he saves the president's daughter. First, he must travel to the space facility where she is being held. Unfortunately, this facility is actually a prison for 500 dangerous criminals.
13 Attack The Block (2011)

Attack The Block - the best movie inspired by filmmaking by director John Carpenter. Source: slashgear.com
Attack The Block movie trailer
Joe Cornish's debut film in the sci-fi comedy genre Attack the Block, inspired by John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13. He intended to create a minimalist, meaningful film with a strong sociological subtext.
Critics and fans alike have reviewed Attack the Block. It has become a cult classic no less than the John Carpenter films.
14 Attack The Block (2011)

Attack The Block - the best movie inspired by filmmaking by director John Carpenter. Source: slashgear.com
Attack The Block movie trailer
Joe Cornish's debut film in the sci-fi comedy genre Attack the Block, inspired by John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13. He intended to create a minimalist, meaningful film with a strong sociological subtext.
Critics and fans alike have reviewed Attack the Block. It has become a cult classic no less than the John Carpenter films.
15 Grindhouse: Death Proof (2007)

Grindhouse: Death Proof - the best movie inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: amazon.de
Grindhouse: Death Proof movie trailer
Another example of John Carpenter's influence on Tarantino, Grindhouse: Death Proof, the movie that halves the Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez collaboration, even features frequent appearances by both John Carpenter and the cast. Kurt Russell. While the rest of Grindhouse: Rodriguez's Planet Terror also has a "John Carpenter style", Grindhouse: Death Proof is influenced by Escape from New York and Assault on Precinct 13.
The plot of Grindhouse: Death Proof follows two groups of women who interact separately with stuntman Mike (Russell), a killer who has been likened to a "death machine".
16 Grindhouse: Death Proof (2007)

Grindhouse: Death Proof - the best movie inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: amazon.de
Grindhouse: Death Proof movie trailer
Another example of John Carpenter's influence on Tarantino, Grindhouse: Death Proof, the movie that halves the Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez collaboration, even features frequent appearances by both John Carpenter and the cast. Kurt Russell. While the rest of Grindhouse: Rodriguez's Planet Terror also has a "John Carpenter style", Grindhouse: Death Proof is influenced by Escape from New York and Assault on Precinct 13.
The plot of Grindhouse: Death Proof follows two groups of women who interact separately with stuntman Mike (Russell), a killer who has been likened to a "death machine".
17 Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Reservoir Dogs - the best film inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: returningvideotapes.com
Trailer 1 of the movie Reservoir Dogs
John Carpenter's interest in having his stories told in an isolated location shows a very clear influence on Tarantino. He admits that several of the films he produced – even the first, Reservoir Dogs, were inspired by the works of John Carpenter.
Reservoir Dogs follows six bank robbers doing a job, only to find themselves gradually destroyed. At the designated warehouse rendezvous, they scrambled more and more fiercely, culminating in a fierce bloodshed.
18 Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Reservoir Dogs - the best film inspired by director John Carpenter's filmmaking. Source: returningvideotapes.com
Trailer 1 of the movie Reservoir Dogs
John Carpenter's interest in having his stories told in an isolated location shows a very clear influence on Tarantino. He admits that several of the films he produced – even the first, Reservoir Dogs, were inspired by the works of John Carpenter.
Reservoir Dogs follows six bank robbers doing a job, only to find themselves gradually destroyed. At the designated warehouse rendezvous, they scrambled more and more fiercely, culminating in a fierce bloodshed.
19 Friday The 13th (1980)

Friday the 13th version 1980 - the best movie inspired by the filmmaking of director John Carpenter. Source: gravereviews.com
Movie trailer for Friday the 13th 1980 version
Released just two years after John Carpenter's famous John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) and became a box office sensation, the 1980 edition of Friday the 13th also shows just how influential that movie was. In fact, director Sean S. Cunningham noticed the old film's profits, he posted an ad in Variety magazine for the film titled "Friday the 13th". As he thought, the poster created interest, from there, the screenplay began to be written. So, if Halloween doesn't exist, so does Friday the 13th 1980 edition.
The 1980's Friday the 13th storyline follows a group of advisors who arrive at Camp Crystal Lake to begin work on the reopening of the site. They do not know that someone is lurking in the forest and around them, threatening their safety.
20 Friday The 13th (1980)

Friday the 13th version 1980 - the best movie inspired by the filmmaking of director John Carpenter. Source: gravereviews.com
Movie trailer for Friday the 13th 1980 version
Released just two years after John Carpenter's famous John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) and became a box office sensation, the 1980 edition of Friday the 13th also shows just how influential that movie was. In fact, director Sean S. Cunningham noticed the old film's profits, he posted an ad in Variety magazine for the film titled "Friday the 13th". As he thought, the poster created interest, from there, the screenplay began to be written. So, if Halloween doesn't exist, so does Friday the 13th 1980 edition.
The 1980's Friday the 13th storyline follows a group of advisors who arrive at Camp Crystal Lake to begin work on the reopening of the site. They do not know that someone is lurking in the forest and around them, threatening their safety.