Brian Philip Davis

Brian Philip Davis (born 12 December 1981) is a film and television editor from Northern Ireland. His editing credits include the feature films Bad Day for the Cut, Boys from County Hell (2020), Oddity (2024), and Hokum (2026). He is a member of British Film Editors, Irish Screen Editors, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Early life and career Davis was raised in Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland, later establishing his editing suite in Belfast. He studied Visual Communication at Ulster University (with a year at Centenary University in Hackettstown, New Jersey). Initially intending to pursue a career in graphic design, during his studies, he began experimenting with post-production using domestic DV tapes and iMovie, editing short films and music videos. Davis directed and edited official music videos for Oppenheimer and Two Door Cinema Club.

Between 2006 and 2012, Davis worked as a graphic artist within the art department on several film and television productions. His credits from this period include working on the feature films Kings (2007), Freakdog (2008), Cherrybomb (2009), and Ghost Machine (2009).

Early in his career, Davis worked as an editor for the Belfast-based independent children's television production company Sixteen South. During this period, he cut several prominent children's programmes, including Sesame Tree (the Northern Irish adaptation of Sesame Street), the CBeebies series Big & Small, Big City Park, and the animated series Lily's Driftwood Bay. He also edited Pajanimals, a co-production between Sixteen South and The Jim Henson Company.

Independent genre cinema

After editing several short films in various genres, Davis served as an additional editor on David Freyne's horror film The Cured (2017), which won the Best Horror Feature award at Fantastic Fest.

In 2024, Davis edited director Damian McCarthy's supernatural horror film Oddity, which went on to win the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best International Movie in 2025. The film was also nominated for Best International Film at the Saturn Awards. His work on the film focused extensively on structural pacing, and managing tension around the film's signature jump scares. In a review for Variety, critic Carlos Aguilar noted that "McCarthy and editor Brian Philip Davis deploy high-voltage moments with expert timing, using the dark to their favor in refreshing fashion."

Davis reunited with McCarthy for the 2026 horror film Hokum, starring Adam Scott and released by Neon. Reviewing the film for RogerEbert.com, critic Brian Tallerico lauded the technical execution, writing: "McCarthy works with editor Brian Philip Davis to give "Hokum" its rhythms. We're prone to praising editing often as "most" instead of best, usually looking at action blockbusters as the peak of the form, but the art of editing a horror film is essential to its success."

Also in 2026, he edited The Incomer, a folk comedy directed by Louis Paxton and starring Domhnall Gleeson, which won the NEXT Innovator Award at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was acquired for US distribution by Sumerian Pictures and by Universal's Focus Features in the UK, with a planned theatrical release scheduled later in 2026. Davis is represented internationally by United Talent Agency (UTA).

Media and panel appearances He has featured as a guest on film-craft podcasts including The Rough Cut and the /Film Weekly podcast, where he breaks down his approach to editing indie horror.

Selected filmography

Film Year Title Director Notes 2013 Made in Belfast Paul Kennedy Feature film 2017 The Cured David Freyne Additional editor 2017 Bad Day for the Cut Chris Baugh Premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2018 The Devil's Doorway Aislinn Clarke Distributed theatrically in the US by IFC Midnight 2020 Boys from County Hell Chris Baugh Feature film 2021 Here Before Stacey Gregg Feature film 2021 Let the Wrong One In Conor McMahon Feature film 2024 Oddity Damian McCarthy Feature film; nominated for a Saturn Award 2025 The Occupant Hugo Keijzer Feature film 2025 World Breaker Brad Anderson Feature film 2026 Hokum Damian McCarthy Released by Neon 2026 The Incomer Louis Paxton Winner of the Sundance NEXT Innovator Award

Television Year Title Director Notes 2013 Stumpy's Brae Chris Baugh TV Movie; BBC One 2021 Dalgliesh Andy and Ryan Tohill TV Series (2 episodes); Channel 5 / Acorn TV 2022–2024 Wreck Chris Baugh, Louis Paxton TV Series (8 episodes); BBC Three