Sidney Lumet (June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American director, producer and screenwriter with over 50 films to his name. He was nominated for the Academy Award as Best Director for 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982). He did not win an individual Academy Award, although he did receive an Academy Honorary Award and 14 of his films were nominated for various Oscars, such as Network, which was nominated for 10, winning 4. The Encyclopedia of Hollywood states that Lumet was one of the most prolific directors of the modern era, making more than one movie per year on average since his directorial debut in 1957. He was noted by Turner Classic Movies for his "strong direction of actors", "vigorous storytelling" and the "social realism" in his best work. Film critic Roger Ebert described him as having been "one of the finest craftsmen and warmest humanitarians among all film directors." Lumet was also known as an "actor's director," having worked with the best of them during his career, probably more than "any other director." Lumet began his career as an Off-Broadway director, then became a highly efficient TV director. His first movie was typical of his best work: a well-acted, tightly written, deeply considered "problem picture," 12 Angry Men (1957). From that point on Lumet divided his energies among other idealistic problem pictures along with literate adaptations of plays and novels, big stylish pictures, New York-based black comedies, and realistic crime dramas, including Serpico and Prince of the City. As a result of directing 12 Angry Men, he was also responsible for leading the first wave of directors who made a successful transition from TV to movies. In 2005, Lumet received an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement for his "brilliant services to screenwriters, performers, and the art of the motion picture." Two years later, he concluded his career with the acclaimed drama Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007). Description above from the Wikipedia article Sidney Lumet, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- June 25, 1924
- April 9, 2011 (aged 86)
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Director and producer, also writer and actor
- 45 on MovieCove · 87 credits in all
What are Sidney Lumet's films like?
Across their 46 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.
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 3 · Wry 1 · Earnest 41
Light 7 · Serious 9 · Dark 30
Grounded 31 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 3
Gentle 4 · Charged 21 · Intense 21
Steady 15 · Shifting 25 · Whiplash 6
Straight-faced 33 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 1
Slow burn 22 · Even-paced 24 · Relentless 0
Casual 5 · Engaged 25 · Full focus 16
A split, not a type: Easy watch 7 · Affecting 15 · Heavy 24
A split, not a type: Resolved 22 · Open-ended 16 · Ambiguous 8
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet19
- Tragic13
- Ambiguous10
- 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 Sidney Lumet's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 45 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).
- 12 Angry Men (1957) · director · free
- Fail Safe (1964) · director, producer · free
- Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) · director · free
- The Fugitive Kind (1960) · director · free
- The Offence (1973) · director · free
- Q&A (1990) · director, writer · free
- The Group (1966) · director · free
- Garbo Talks (1984) · director · free
- The Wiz (1978) · director · free
- Critical Care (1997) · director, producer · free
- Gloria (1999) · director · free
Subscription and free streaming for Sidney Lumet'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
87 credits, 45 with a MovieCove page; 37 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
In Her Skin(2009)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Find Me Guilty(2006)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all filmsRachel, When the Lord (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
The Manchurian Candidate(2004)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Strip Search(2004)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
100 Centre Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Gloria(1999)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Critical Care(1997)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Night Falls on Manhattan(1996)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Guilty as Sin(1993)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
A Stranger Among Us(1992)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Q&A(1990)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Family Business(1989)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Running on Empty(1988)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
The Morning After(1986)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Power(1986)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Garbo Talks(1984)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Daniel(1983)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
The Verdict(1982)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Deathtrap(1982)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Prince of the City(1981)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
The Wiz(1978)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Equus(1977)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Network(1976)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Dog Day Afternoon(1975)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Lovin' Molly(1974)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Serpico(1973)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Offence(1973)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Child's Play(1972)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The Anderson Tapes(1971)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
The Appointment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
The Sea Gull(1968)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Bye Bye Braverman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
The Deadly Affair(1967)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
The Group(1966)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
The Hill(1965)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Pawnbroker(1964)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Fail Safe(1964)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
A View from the Bridge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
Play of the Week: Rashomon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
The Iceman Cometh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
John Brown's Raid(1960)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Dybbuk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Beyond the Time Barrier(1960)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
The Fugitive Kind(1960)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Playhouse 90: The Hiding Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Play of the Week (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
NBC Sunday Showcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Sunday Showcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
That Kind of Woman(1959)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all filmsThe Count of Monte Cristo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
All the King's Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Stage Struck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Three Plays by Tennessee Williams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
The Seven Lively Arts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
DuPont Show of the Month (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
Mr. Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
12 Angry Men(1957)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Playhouse 90 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Tragedy in a Temporary Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
The Alcoa Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Frontier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Star Stage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
The Challenge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Producers' Showcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
The Elgin Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
The Best of Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
The United States Steel Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
You Are There (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
CBS Television Workshop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Goodyear Television Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Casey, Crime Photographer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Danger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Mama (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)
Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
Kraft Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)
The 400 Million (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
One Third of a Nation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Career shape
A full career of 87 titles from 1939 to 2009.
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.
How do Sidney Lumet's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 45; across their 46 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up19
- 50th to 74th11
- 25th to 49th9
- Below 25th6
Shape of the crowd
18 of their 45 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved10
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser18
- Broadly Agreed7
- Mixed9
Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 42 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 Sidney Lumet's work okay for kids?
Across up to 25 MovieCove titles with content scores, 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 Sidney Lumet work with?
People who share at least 2 of Sidney Lumet's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Andrzej Bartkowiak shares the most, 11.
Writers
- Jay Presson AllenShared titles: Deathtrap (1982), The Verdict (1982), Prince of the City (1981), Just Tell Me What You Want (1980)See all 4 shared titles with Jay Presson Allen
- Walter BernsteinShared titles: By Sidney Lumet (2015), The Tramp and the Dictator (2002), Fail Safe (1964), That Kind of Woman (1959)See all 4 shared titles with Walter Bernstein
- Robert DaleyShared titles: Night Falls on Manhattan (1996), Prince of the City (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Daley
- Frank PiersonShared titles: Dog Day Afternoon (1975), The Anderson Tapes (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Frank Pierson
Actors
- Sean ConneryShared titles: Family Business (1989), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Offence (1973), The Anderson Tapes (1971), The Hill (1965)See all 5 shared titles with Sean Connery
- James MasonShared titles: The Verdict (1982), Child's Play (1972), The Sea Gull (1968), The Deadly Affair (1967), John Brown's Raid (1960)See all 5 shared titles with James Mason
- Jack WardenShared titles: Guilty as Sin (1993), The Verdict (1982), That Kind of Woman (1959), 12 Angry Men (1957)See all 4 shared titles with Jack Warden
- Edward BinnsShared titles: The Verdict (1982), Lovin' Molly (1974), Fail Safe (1964), 12 Angry Men (1957)See all 4 shared titles with Edward Binns
Cinematographers and editors
- Andrzej BartkowiakShared titles: Guilty as Sin (1993), A Stranger Among Us (1992), Q&A (1990), Family Business (1989), Power (1986), The Morning After (1986), Garbo Talks (1984), Daniel (1983), Deathtrap (1982), The Verdict (1982), Prince of the City (1981)See all 11 shared titles with Andrzej Bartkowiak
- Boris KaufmanShared titles: The Group (1966), The Pawnbroker (1964), Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962), The Fugitive Kind (1960), That Kind of Woman (1959), 12 Angry Men (1957)See all 6 shared titles with Boris Kaufman
- Andrew MondsheinShared titles: A Stranger Among Us (1992), Family Business (1989), Running on Empty (1988), Power (1986), Garbo Talks (1984)See all 5 shared titles with Andrew Mondshein
- Tom SwartwoutShared titles: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007), Strip Search (2004), Gloria (1999), Critical Care (1997)See all 4 shared titles with Tom Swartwout
Producers
- Burtt HarrisShared titles: A Stranger Among Us (1992), Q&A (1990), Family Business (1989), Running on Empty (1988), Garbo Talks (1984), Daniel (1983), Deathtrap (1982), The Verdict (1982), Prince of the City (1981), Just Tell Me What You Want (1980)See all 10 shared titles with Burtt Harris
- Lilith JacobsShared titles: Guilty as Sin (1993), A Stranger Among Us (1992), Q&A (1990)See all 3 shared titles with Lilith Jacobs
- George JustinShared titles: The Anderson Tapes (1971), The Fugitive Kind (1960), 12 Angry Men (1957)See all 3 shared titles with George Justin
- Robert GreenhutShared titles: Find Me Guilty (2006), Dog Day Afternoon (1975)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Greenhut
