Michael David Apted CMG (10 February 1941 – 7 January 2021) was an English television and film director and producer. Apted began working in television and directed the Up documentary series from 1970 to 2019. He later directed Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), which was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. His subsequent work included Gorillas in the Mist (1988), Nell (1994), the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Enigma (2001). His film Amazing Grace (2006) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival that year. On 29 June 2003, he was elected president of the Directors Guild of America, a position he served until 2009. He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2008 Birthday Honours. Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael Apted, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- February 10, 1941
- January 8, 2021 (aged 79)
- Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
- Director, producer and actor, also writer
- 39 on MovieCove · 100 credits in all
Known for
What are Michael Apted's films like?
Across their 36 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 36
A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 12 · Dark 14
Grounded 31 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 2
Gentle 9 · Charged 18 · Intense 9
Steady 23 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 29 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 2
Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 18 · Relentless 2
Casual 12 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 3
Easy watch 9 · Affecting 17 · Heavy 10
Resolved 26 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy10
- Bittersweet17
- Tragic3
- Ambiguous5
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Michael Apted's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 39 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).
- Dracula (1992) · producer · free
- Amazing Grace (2006) · director · free
- Gorky Park (1983) · director · free
- Spies Like Us (1985) · actor · free
- Enough (2002) · director · free
- Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story (1992) · producer · free
- Bending the Light (2014) · actor, director, producer · free
Subscription and free streaming for Michael Apted's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
100 credits, 39 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
63 Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
63 Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Unlocked(2017)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Bloodline(2015)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows
Bending the Light(2014)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Masters of Sex(2013)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
Ray Donovan(2013)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Chasing Mavericks(2012)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
56 Up(2012)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Power of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Amazing Grace(2006)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
The Grand Finale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Married in America 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
49 Up(2005)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
What About Brian(2006)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Rome(2005)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Blind Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Lipstick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Married in America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Enough(2002)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Enigma(2001)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Me & Isaac Newton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
42 Up(1998)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
The World Is Not Enough(1999)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Always Outnumbered (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Inspirations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Extreme Measures(1996)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
New York News (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Typically British: A Personal History of British Cinema (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Nell(1994)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all filmsMoving the Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Blink(1994)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Dracula(1992)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Crossroads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Incident at Oglala(1992)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Thunderheart(1992)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
35 Up(1991)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all filmsAge 7 in America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
My Life and Times (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Class Action(1991)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Criminal Justice(1990)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Long Way Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Gorillas in the Mist(1988)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
POV (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Critical Condition(1987)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Spies Like Us(1985)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Sting - Bring on the Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
28 Up(1984)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Firstborn(1984)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
The River Rat(1984)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Gorky Park(1983)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Kipperbang(1982)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Continental Divide(1981)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Coal Miner's Daughter(1980)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Agatha(1979)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Stronger Than the Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
21 Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
The Squeeze(1977)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all filmsChildhood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Laurence Olivier Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Plays for Britain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
The Paradise Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
The Collection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Shades of Greene (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Wednesday Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Haunted: Poor Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Stardust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Jack Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Black and Blue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Highway Robbery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Kisses at Fifty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
The Triple Echo(1972)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
The Reporters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Said the Preacher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Another Sunday and Sweet F.A. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Follyfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
The Mosedale Horseshoe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
7 Plus Seven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
The Day They Buried Cleaver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Play for Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
The Sinners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Don't Touch Him, He Might Resent It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Big Breadwinner Hog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
ITV Saturday Night Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Your Name's Not God, It's Edgar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
Number Ten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
There's a Hole in Your Dustbin, Delilah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
It’s Dearer After Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
Who Pays? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
Son of the City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
City '68 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
ITV Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Escape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Thirty-Minute Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Seven Up! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
The Up Series (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Married in America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Section 1591 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 99 titles, 97 of them dated from 1964 to 2019.
Biggest box office
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)
Highest rated
42 Up (1998)
Most popular right now
Dracula (1992)
Film career
- 1970Screen debut· 7 Plus Seven
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Michael Apted's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 34; across their 36 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up17
- 50th to 74th12
- 25th to 49th9
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
21 of their 39 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved10
- Crowd Pleaser21
- Broadly Agreed4
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the atmosphere 70/100 and the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Michael Apted's work okay for kids?
Across up to 16 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Michael Apted work with?
People who share at least 2 of Michael Apted's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Rick Shaine shares the most, 6.
Directors
- Paul AlmondShared titles: 56 Up (2012), 49 Up (2005)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Almond
Writers
- Thomas RickmanShared titles: The River Rat (1984), Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)See all 2 shared titles with Thomas Rickman
Actors
- Liam NeesonShared titles: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), Nell (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Liam Neeson
- Billy CampbellShared titles: Enough (2002), Dracula (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Billy Campbell
- Fred WardShared titles: Enough (2002), Thunderheart (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Fred Ward
- Maria Grazia CucinottaShared titles: The World Is Not Enough: James Bond Down River (2000), The World Is Not Enough (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Maria Grazia Cucinotta
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Rick ShaineShared titles: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), Amazing Grace (2006), Enough (2002), Enigma (2001), Extreme Measures (1996), Blink (1994)See all 6 shared titles with Rick Shaine
- Kim HortonShared titles: 56 Up (2012), 49 Up (2005), 42 Up (1998), 35 Up (1991), 28 Up (1984)See all 5 shared titles with Kim Horton
- David ArnoldShared titles: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), Amazing Grace (2006), Enough (2002), The World Is Not Enough: James Bond Down River (2000), The World Is Not Enough (1999)See all 5 shared titles with David Arnold
- George Jesse TurnerShared titles: 56 Up (2012), 49 Up (2005), 42 Up (1998), 35 Up (1991)See all 4 shared titles with George Jesse Turner
Producers
- Robert LarsonShared titles: Critical Condition (1987), The River Rat (1984), Gorky Park (1983), Continental Divide (1981), Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)See all 5 shared titles with Robert Larson
- Claire LewisShared titles: 56 Up (2012), 49 Up (2005), 42 Up (1998), 35 Up (1991)See all 4 shared titles with Claire Lewis
- Jeanney KimShared titles: Amazing Grace (2006), Enough (2002), Enigma (2001), Extreme Measures (1996)See all 4 shared titles with Jeanney Kim
- Cort KristensenShared titles: Unlocked (2017), Bending the Light (2014), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)See all 3 shared titles with Cort Kristensen
Mixed roles
- Douglas BlushShared titles: Hillbilly (2018), Bending the Light (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Douglas Blush
- Michael G. WilsonShared titles: The World Is Not Enough: James Bond Down River (2000), The World Is Not Enough (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Michael G. Wilson
- Jack RosenthalShared titles: Kipperbang (1982), Continental Divide (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Jack Rosenthal