Amenábar is a Spanish director, screenwriter and composer of film music. His mother was Spanish and his father Chilean. He moved to Madrid at the age of one. In 1996, he experienced his first success with the film Tesis (The Thesis). His next film, Abre los ojos (1977) achieved great success around the world. In 2001, its Hollywood remake, Vanilla Sky, was made starring Penelope Cruz, who appeared in the original as well. In 2001, he made his first film in English, The Others.
He is the director, screenwriter, and music composer of all of his films.