Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, and Steve Jobs. In 2009, Slumdog Millionaire won Boyle the Academy Award for Best Director, and the film won Best Picture. In 2012, Boyle was the artistic director for Isles of Wonder, the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in London, which was widely praised.
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Biography from TMDB.
- October 20, 1956 (70)
- Manchester, England, UK
- Director, producer and actor, also writer
- 24 on MovieCove · 53 credits in all
What are Danny Boyle's films like?
Across their 22 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
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 5 · Earnest 17
A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 3 · Dark 11
Grounded 5 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 8
A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 4 · Intense 14
Steady 4 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 7
Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 1
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 8
Casual 5 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 6
A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 12
Resolved 13 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet12
- Ambiguous5
- Other1
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 Danny Boyle's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (4).
- BritBox
Subscription and free streaming for Danny Boyle'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
53 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 23 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Ink(2026)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Southbank at 75: You Are Here (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
28 Years Later(2025)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Free Your Mind: The Matrix Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Off the Rails: The Making of “Trainspotting” (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Pistol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Creation Stories(2021)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Yesterday(2019)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Trust(2018)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows
Battle of the Sexes(2017)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
T2 Trainspotting(2017)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
One Night In 2012 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Steve Jobs(2015)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Babylon(2014)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows
Trance(2013)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Happy and Glorious (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
National Theatre Live: Frankenstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
127 Hours(2010)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Slumdog Millionaire(2008)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Alien Love Triangle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
British Film Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
28 Weeks Later(2007)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Sunshine(2007)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Millions(2004)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The Hollow Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
28 Days Later(2002)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Strumpet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Alan Clarke: His Own Man(2000)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Beach(2000)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
A Life Less Ordinary(1997)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Twin Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Trainspotting(1996)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Digging Your Own Grave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Shallow Grave(1994)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all filmsNot Even God Is Wise Enough (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Mr. Wroe's Virgins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Arise and Go Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
For the Greater Good (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
The Nightwatch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
The Hen House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Monkeys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Elephant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
The Rockingham Shoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
The Venus de Milo Instead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Scout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Inspector Morse(1987)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
ScreenPlay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
28 Years Later: Part III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Antarctica (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 53 titles, 50 of them dated from 1986 to 2026.
Biggest box office
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Highest rated
Trainspotting (1996)
Most popular right now
28 Years Later (2025)
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.
Awards
an Oscar, a Primetime Emmy, a Golden Globe, 2 BAFTA Awards and 2 other major awards from 26 major nominations, 1994–2026.
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Outstanding British Film of the Year
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Venice award, nominated · Best Film
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Art Direction for Variety or Nonfiction Programming
- Oscar, nominated · Best Motion Picture of the Year
- Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Director
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay (Adapted)
- BAFTA Award, nominated
+4 other major bodies · 6 nominations
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Screenplay, Adapted
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Director
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature
- Oscar, won · Best Achievement in Directing
- Golden Globe, won · Best Director - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, won · Best Director
- BAFTA Award, nominated
+2 other major bodies · 2 wins
- Directors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
- Critics Choice Award, won · Best Director
- Berlinale award, nominated
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Foreign Film
- BAFTA Award, nominated
- BAFTA Award, won
Show 1 earlier yearShow fewer
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Drama Serial
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Danny Boyle's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 21; across their 22 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 80th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up10
- 50th to 74th13
- 25th to 49th1
Shape of the crowd
15 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved5
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser15
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the atmosphere 72/100 and the pacing 57/100 in their films, across 21 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 Danny Boyle's work okay for kids?
Across up to 17 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 Danny Boyle work with?
People who share at least 2 of Danny Boyle's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Andrew Macdonald shares the most, 10.
Writers
- John HodgeShared titles: T2 Trainspotting (2017), Trance (2013), The Beach (2000), A Life Less Ordinary (1997), Trainspotting (1996), Shallow Grave (1994)See all 6 shared titles with John Hodge
- Alex GarlandShared titles: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026), 28 Years Later (2025), 28 Weeks Later (2007), Sunshine (2007), 28 Days Later (2002), The Beach (2000)See all 6 shared titles with Alex Garland
- Irvine WelshShared titles: Creation Stories (2021), T2 Trainspotting (2017), Trainspotting (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Irvine Welsh
- Simon BeaufoyShared titles: Battle of the Sexes (2017), 127 Hours (2010), Slumdog Millionaire (2008)See all 3 shared titles with Simon Beaufoy
Actors
- Ewan McGregorShared titles: T2 Trainspotting (2017), A Life Less Ordinary (1997), Trainspotting (1996), Shallow Grave (1994)See all 4 shared titles with Ewan McGregor
- Robert CarlyleShared titles: T2 Trainspotting (2017), 28 Weeks Later (2007), The Beach (2000), Trainspotting (1996)See all 4 shared titles with Robert Carlyle
- Ewen BremnerShared titles: Creation Stories (2021), T2 Trainspotting (2017), Trainspotting (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Ewen Bremner
- Cillian MurphyShared titles: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026), 28 Years Later (2025), Sunshine (2007), 28 Days Later (2002)See all 4 shared titles with Cillian Murphy
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Anthony Dod MantleShared titles: 28 Years Later (2025), T2 Trainspotting (2017), Trance (2013), 127 Hours (2010), Millions (2004), 28 Days Later (2002), Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise (2001)See all 7 shared titles with Anthony Dod Mantle
- Jon HarrisShared titles: 28 Years Later (2025), Yesterday (2019), T2 Trainspotting (2017), Trance (2013), 127 Hours (2010)See all 5 shared titles with Jon Harris
- Chris GillShared titles: 28 Weeks Later (2007), Sunshine (2007), Millions (2004), 28 Days Later (2002), Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise (2001)See all 5 shared titles with Chris Gill
- John MurphyShared titles: 28 Weeks Later (2007), Sunshine (2007), Millions (2004), 28 Days Later (2002), Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise (2001)See all 5 shared titles with John Murphy
Producers
- Andrew MacdonaldShared titles: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026), 28 Years Later (2025), T2 Trainspotting (2017), 28 Weeks Later (2007), Sunshine (2007), 28 Days Later (2002), The Beach (2000), A Life Less Ordinary (1997), Trainspotting (1996), Shallow Grave (1994)See all 10 shared titles with Andrew Macdonald
- Bernard BellewShared titles: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026), 28 Years Later (2025), Yesterday (2019), T2 Trainspotting (2017), Trance (2013), 127 Hours (2010), 28 Weeks Later (2007), Sunshine (2007)See all 8 shared titles with Bernard Bellew
- Christian ColsonShared titles: Battle of the Sexes (2017), T2 Trainspotting (2017), Steve Jobs (2015), Trance (2013), 127 Hours (2010), Slumdog Millionaire (2008)See all 6 shared titles with Christian Colson
- Cameron McCrackenShared titles: Trance (2013), 127 Hours (2010), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Millions (2004)See all 4 shared titles with Cameron McCracken
Mixed roles
- A.R. RahmanShared titles: Jai Ho (2015), 127 Hours (2010)See all 2 shared titles with A.R. Rahman
