Lawrie Brewster
Director • Producer • Founder of Hex Studios • President of Amicus Productions
Lawrie Brewster is an award-winning Scottish filmmaker, producer, and studio founder whose work has become closely associated with the revival of classical British horror. Best known as the founder of Hex Studios and the driving force behind the British Horror Studio, Brewster has spent more than fifteen years developing independent genre films rooted in Gothic atmosphere, theatrical performance, practical craft, and direct-to-audience production models. His debut feature Lord of Tears won the Audience Award at the 2013 Bram Stoker International Film Festival, establishing him as a distinctive voice in modern indie horror.
Brewster’s work has attracted international genre press and mainstream attention, particularly through his role in reviving the legendary Amicus Productions banner. In 2023, Variety reported the return of Amicus with In the Grip of Terror, with Brewster serving as overall director, while The Guardian covered the revival and his ambition to re-establish Amicus as a beacon of independent British horror. Fangoria later described In the Grip of Terror as the first new Amicus production since 1976, placing Brewster’s work within a direct lineage of British anthology horror.
As a director and producer, Brewster has built a body of work that includes Lord of Tears, The Unkindness of Ravens, The Black Gloves, The Devil’s Machine, Ghost Crew, The Slave and the Sorcerer, In the Grip of Terror, and The Reign of Queen Ginnarra. His films often combine old-world horror imagery with contemporary independent production methods, drawing on Scottish locations, historic buildings, repertory actors, and an increasingly integrated studio model designed to train artists, build audiences, and retain creative control.
In 2026, The Reign of Queen Ginnarra, directed by Brewster, was listed on the official Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards ballot for Best Independent Film, further strengthening the British Horror Studio’s growing reputation within the genre community. Brewster has also received Special Recognition from the Rondos for his work reviving Amicus Productions and contributing to independent horror filmmaking.
Beyond individual films, Brewster’s larger project is the creation of a new vertically integrated British horror studio: a production house, training ground, repertory company, and direct-to-fan community built around classic cinema values. Through Hex Studios, Amicus Productions, The B-Team, and the wider British Horror Studio initiative, he has focused on developing new stars, filmmakers, writers, and craftspeople while restoring a sense of romance, theatricality, and institutional ambition to independent British horror.
Brewster’s work has attracted international genre press and mainstream attention, particularly through his role in reviving the legendary Amicus Productions banner. In 2023, Variety reported the return of Amicus with In the Grip of Terror, with Brewster serving as overall director, while The Guardian covered the revival and his ambition to re-establish Amicus as a beacon of independent British horror. Fangoria later described In the Grip of Terror as the first new Amicus production since 1976, placing Brewster’s work within a direct lineage of British anthology horror.
As a director and producer, Brewster has built a body of work that includes Lord of Tears, The Unkindness of Ravens, The Black Gloves, The Devil’s Machine, Ghost Crew, The Slave and the Sorcerer, In the Grip of Terror, and The Reign of Queen Ginnarra. His films often combine old-world horror imagery with contemporary independent production methods, drawing on Scottish locations, historic buildings, repertory actors, and an increasingly integrated studio model designed to train artists, build audiences, and retain creative control.
In 2026, The Reign of Queen Ginnarra, directed by Brewster, was listed on the official Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards ballot for Best Independent Film, further strengthening the British Horror Studio’s growing reputation within the genre community. Brewster has also received Special Recognition from the Rondos for his work reviving Amicus Productions and contributing to independent horror filmmaking.
Beyond individual films, Brewster’s larger project is the creation of a new vertically integrated British horror studio: a production house, training ground, repertory company, and direct-to-fan community built around classic cinema values. Through Hex Studios, Amicus Productions, The B-Team, and the wider British Horror Studio initiative, he has focused on developing new stars, filmmakers, writers, and craftspeople while restoring a sense of romance, theatricality, and institutional ambition to independent British horror.
“An award-winning Scottish filmmaker leading the revival of classic British horror for a new generation.”
Selected Works
In the Grip of TerrorAmicus Productions Revival
The Reign of Queen GinnarraRondo Award Nominee
The Devil’s MachineHex Studios
Lord of TearsBram Stoker Festival Audience Award
The Unkindness of RavensHex Studios
The Black GlovesHex Studios