by Mo Moshaty

The UK & Ireland Horror Critics Group was founded in 2022. They host the Golden Claw Awards to celebrate the best of horror cinema from the last 12 months – from cinemas, VOD and festivals. The Golden Claws are presented in partnership with Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club, and are designed to boost the perspectives of UK & Irish horror critics.

The UK & Ireland Horror Critics Group’s current standing committee is Tim Coleman, Andrew Pope, and Zoë Rose Smith.

The UK & Ireland Horror Critics Group was founded in 2022. They host the Golden Claw Awards to celebrate the best of horror cinema from the last 12 months – from cinemas, VOD, and festivals. The Golden Claws are presented in partnership with Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club and are designed to boost the perspectives of UK & and Irish horror critics.

Announcing the nominations, Andrew said “This is an exciting time for horror movies, and that shows in the list of nominees. I can’t wait to see which of them takes home a coveted Golden Claw. The UK & Ireland Horror Critics Group is committed to celebrating the UK and Irish horror scene, so I’m particularly excited to see who wins out in the UK or Irish Horror Film category. It’s so important that we nurture our local talent!”

​Tim agreed “It’s such an honour to be involved in the Golden Claw Awards. Right now we’re living through an incredible time for horror cinema, so it’s wonderful being able to celebrate  the incredible films being made in a genre which means so much to us all,” while Zoe said, “I’m incredibly excited about the Golden Claw Awards because there is just so much phenomenal horror out there right now.”

The most nominations went to Evil Dead Rise and Talk To Me, who are tied on 12 nominations each. Just behind them are Godzilla Minus One (8 nominations), When Evil Lurks (6 nominations) and Infinity Pool (5 nominations).

THE FULL LIST OF THE NOMINEES FOR THE 2024 GOLDEN CLAW AWARDS

BEST FILM WITH A UK OR IRELAND CINEMA RELEASE

• Evil Dead Rise
• Godzilla Minus One
• Infinity Pool
• Pearl
• Talk To Me

BEST FILM TO GO STRAIGHT TO VOD IN UK OR IRELAND*

• El Conde
• Huesera: The Bone Woman
• No One Will Save You
• Raging Grace
• When Evil Lurks

BEST FILM ON THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT*

• Late Night With The Devil
• The Moor
• New Life
• Red Rooms
• The Coffee Table

BEST UK OR IRISH HORROR FILM

• Attachment
• Hostile Dimensions
• How To Kill Monsters
• Raging Grace
• The Moor

BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

• El Conde
• Godzilla Minus One
• Huesera: The Bone Woman
• The Coffee Table
• When Evil Lurks

BEST TV SHOW

• Black Mirror (Season 6)
• Dead Ringers
• Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder
• The Fall Of The House Of Usher
• The Last Of Us

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

• Tobin Bell – Saw X
• Russell Crowe – The Pope’s Exorcist
• Kaitlyn Dever – No One Will Save You
• Max Eigenmann – Raging Grace
• Mia Goth – Pearl
• Ryunosuke Kamiki – Godzilla Minus One
• Joaquin Phoenix – Beau Is Afraid
• Nick Stahl – What You Wish For
• Alyssa Sutherland – Evil Dead Rise
• Sophie Wilde – Talk To Me

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

• Joe Bird – Talk To Me
• Jaeden Paige Boadilla – Raging Grace
• Nicholas Cage – Renfield
• David Corenswet – Pearl
• Morgan Davies – Evil Dead Rise
• Patrick Dempsey – Thanksgiving
• Mia Goth – Infinity Pool
• Patti Lupone – Beau Is Afraid
• Lily Sullivan – Evil Dead Rise
• Zoe Terakes – Talk To Me

BEST DIRECTOR

• Ari Aster – Beau Is Afraid
• Lee Cronin – Evil Dead Rise
• Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou – Talk To Me
• Demián Rugna  – When Evil Lurks
• Takashi Yamazaki – Godzilla Minus One

BEST SCREENPLAY

• Michelle Garza Cervera and Abia Castillo – Huesera: The Bone Woman
• Lee Cronin – Evil Dead Rise
• Danny Philippou – Talk To Me
• Ti West and Mia Goth – Pearl
• Takashi Yamazaki – Godzilla Minus One

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Dave Garbett – Evil Dead Rise
• Karim Hussain – Infinity Pool
• Aaron McLisky – Talk To Me
• Kōzō Shibasaki – Godzilla Minus One
• Mariano Suárez – When Evil Lurks

BEST VISUAL AND SPECIAL EFFECTS

• Jon Campfens, Beau Parsons, Simon Han and Cailin Munroe – Saw X
• Liam Neville and Caoimhe Maguire – Evil Dead Rise
• Peter ‘Babylon’ Owens, Marty Pepper, Dylan Browne and Sharna Hackett – Talk To Me
• Andy Robinson, Ádám Szücs and Dan Martin – Infinity Pool
• Takashi Yamazaki and Kiyoko Shibuya – Godzilla Minus One
• Best Score

BEST SCORE

• Tim Hecker – Infinity Pool
• Bobby Krlic – Beau Is Afraid
• Stephen McKeon – Evil Dead Rise
• Naoki Sato – Godzilla Minus One
• Cornell Wilczek – Talk To Me

SCARIEST HORROR FILM

• Evil Dead Rise
• Huesera: The Bone Woman
• Red Rooms
• Talk To Me
• When Evil Lurks

BEST KILL *WARNING – SPOILERS*

• Evil Dead Rise – Marauder deadite vs wood chipper
• Saw X – Brain surgery trap
• Scream VI – Shaky ladder
• Thanksgiving – Turkey in the oven
• When Evil Lurks – Dog vs child

BREAKOT STAR AWARD

• Judah Lewis – Suitable Flesh
• M3gan (yes, the character) – M3gan
• Michael Philippou and Danny Philippou (directors) – Talk To Me
• Alyssa Sutherland – Evil Dead Rise
• Sophie Wilde – Talk to Me

BEST UK OR IRISH HORROR MEDIA OUTLET

• Dead Meat (podcast)
• Evolution of Horror (podcast)
• Ghouls Magazine (site)
• Horror Queers (podcast)
• Moving Pictures Film Club (podcast)

The 2024 Golden Claw winners will be announced at a central London location
on March 23.
FOLLOW THE UK&I HORROR CRITCS GROUP ON X HERE!