Meet Aoife McArdle: The Irish Director Behind ‘Severance’ and Some of Music’s Most Visceral Visuals
Words: Rachel Hannon
Aoife McArdle doesn’t just direct stories, she builds worlds. Whether crafting the stark surrealism of Severance or pulling profound emotion from a single music track, the Northern Irish filmmaker from Omagh has carved out a singular space across music video, television, and film.
Having studied English Literature and creative writing at Trinity College, she developed an interest in photography and cinematography, shooting and editing films. Her work feels immediate, emotional, with a strong sense of awareness and a deep understanding of tone. From collaborating with acts like Coldplay, Jon Hopkins, James Vincent McMorrow, Bicep, and U2 to receiving Emmy and DGA nominations for Severance, McArdle brings a rare clarity of vision to every single frame.
The Rhythm of Storytelling
“Every medium has its own rhythm,” McArdle says. “Music videos give you instinctive freedom – you’re responding to emotion and tempo more than plot. It’s often about feeling something, not explaining it.”
It’s a contrast to film and television, where structure, character arcs, and continuity take centre stage. On Severance, McArdle leaned into silence, stillness, and composition to carry weight and meaning. “Tone often comes first-and everything else builds from there,” she says. Her goal across every format? “To chase emotional truth.”
Character and World Building
McArdle’s episodes of Severance like ‘The You You Are’, ‘The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design’, and ‘Hide and Seek”‘ are widely praised for their atmosphere and psychological depth, and it’s no surprise given how closely the show’s themes align with her creative instincts.
“It’s not just a sci-fi conceit; it’s an existential mirror,” she reflects. “What defines personhood when your memories and agency are controlled? What does it mean to reclaim a fractured sense of self?”
What grounded her was the vulerability of the characters: “There’s real emotional honesty in their search for meaning. That’s what gave me something solid to build from.” That commitment to grounded storytelling extended into world-building. From lighting design to costume, every visual choice had to feel purposeful.
“I work closely with design, cinematography, sound, costume—because everything tells the story. How a hallway feels. How light moves through a space. What a character’s environment reveals about them, even in silence. Nothing was stylized just to look cool—every choice had to feel psychologically grounded, purposeful. That shared clarity and focus across the crew made the process very rewarding.”
Recognition vs. Evolution
McArdle’s recent accolades; Emmy, DGA, IFTA, and Hollywood Critics nominations, speak to the impact of her work. But for her, recognition isn’t the driving force.
“It’s appreciated,” she says, “but it’s the act of making that keeps me going. The pressure to evolve doesn’t come from outside—it’s internal. Curiosity, self-challenge, the desire to push my voice into new territory. That’s what keeps the work alive.”
Where Do You Get Your Visual Inspiration?
Ask her where she finds visual inspiration and she’ll give you a wide net: books, paintings, photography, fog-covered marshes, light hitting stairwells.
“From everywhere—reading, films, photography, painting, music, and the quiet stuff in daily life. I collect images constantly: a shaft of light in a stairwell, a face half-obscured in a painting, a fog-covered marshland with pylons. Sometimes a single image or line of dialogue sets the tone for an entire piece. I’m drawn to spaces—architecture, landscape, texture. Environments aren’t just backdrops—they shape how characters move, feel, and relate to one another. Place has psychology—it’s something I think about a lot.”
Aoife McArdle directs ‘The Singularity’ for Squarespace.
Music Videos
With a body of music video work spanning the symbolic, surreal, and emotionally raw, directing for artists like U2, Coldplay, Jon Hopkins, Bicep, and James Vincent McMorrow. McArdle sees the form as a space for instinct and experimentation.
“I have a deep affection for a music video I made for Jon Hopkins. The idea came all at once, directly from the track—a rare kind of clarity. We shot it with a tiny crew, like a road trip. Planned it carefully around light and location, with no big budget—but it never felt like work. It felt alive from the beginning. That sense of flow and trust shaped everything. Some projects stay with you because of how they were made.”
Check out only some of the incredible music videos she has directed below:
Looking Ahead
McArdle is currently drawn to genre projects—psychological thrillers and speculative dramas that remain emotionally grounded. And she’d love to return to something rooted in Ireland: “Something that reflects its contradictions and atmosphere.”
Her Irishness is inextricable from her work. “Growing up in the North, you become aware of silence early on—what’s said, what isn’t. That’s stayed with me. I think a lot about what lives beneath the surface. There’s always an undercurrent. That’s home.”
Advice for Emerging Directors
“Start where you are. Use what you’ve got. You don’t need permission, or expensive gear, or perfect conditions—just begin. Make something. Even if it’s messy.
Her advice to emerging directors is clear and grounded. Be observant. Keep asking what you care about. Pay attention—to life, to people, to what you’re really trying to say. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because you’ll learn from them. That’s how most filmmakers find their voice.”
Whether sculpting light in sci-fi dystopia or finding emotional resonance in a three minute track, Aoife McArdle is a filmmaker who trusts tone to lead the way, and audiences have followed willingly, into her beautifully fractured worlds.
To check out all of her projects, click here.
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