Henry Joost (born November 30, 1984) is an American film director, director of photography, and producer. He is best known for his work on the horror films Paranormal Activity 3 and 4, and the Netflix original documentary series, Hot Girls Wanted.
Joost was born and raised in New York City and attended Stuyvesant High School. He began his career as a filmmaker at the age of 14, directing a music video for the band 2-Pac. He then went on to direct a number of independent films, including Aroused (2003) and The Education of Charlie Banks (2007).
Joost first gained recognition in the horror genre with his 2010 film, Paranormal Activity 3. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $207 million worldwide. He then went on to direct its sequel, Paranormal Activity 4 (2011), which was also a box office success, grossing over $140 million.
In 2015, Joost co-directed the Netflix original documentary series Hot Girls Wanted, which was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. The series examined the amateur porn industry and its effects on young women.
In 2016, Joost made his feature film directorial debut with the science fiction film Nerve. The film, which starred Emma Roberts and Dave Franco, was a commercial success, grossing over $80 million worldwide.
Joost's most recent directorial project is Project Power (2020), a superhero action film starring Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film was released on Netflix in August 2020 and was a commercial success.
Joost has won several awards for his work, including the Los Angeles Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature for The Education of Charlie Banks, and a Critics Choice Award nomination for his work on Nerve.
Joost is currently in post-production on the Netflix original film, Fear Street, based on the popular YA book series. He is also set to direct the upcoming sequel to Nerve.
