Joel T. Schumacher (August 29, 1939 – June 22, 2020) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and costume designer. He was raised in New York City by his mother and suffered from substance abuse at a young age. He became a fashion designer after graduating from Parsons School of Design, but would continue suffering from substance abuse and high levels of debt until the early 1970s. He first entered film-making as a production and costume designer before gaining writing credits on Car Wash, Sparkle, and The Wiz. He received little attention for his initial theatrically released films, The Incredible Shrinking Woman and D.C. Cab, but rose to prominence after directing St. Elmo's Fire (1985), The Lost Boys (1987), and The Client (1994). Schumacher was selected to replace Tim Burton as director of the Batman franchise and oversaw Batman Foreve (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997). After the Batman franchise Schumacher directed smaller-budgeted films, including Tigerland (2000) and Phone Booth (2002). He directed The Phantom of the Opera, which was released to mixed reviews in 2004. His final directorial work was for two episodes of House of Cards (2013).
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Biography from TMDB.
- August 29, 1939
- June 22, 2020 (aged 80)
- New York City, New York, USA
- Director, writer and producer, also actor
- 39 on MovieCove · 47 credits in all
What are Joel Schumacher's films like?
Across their 31 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 2 · Earnest 27
A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 8 · Dark 13
Grounded 13 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 5
Gentle 5 · Charged 13 · Intense 13
Steady 8 · Shifting 19 · Whiplash 4
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 5
Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 20 · Relentless 1
Casual 12 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 4
A split, not a type: Easy watch 10 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 12
Resolved 21 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 3
Moods and endings
- Happy8
- Bittersweet16
- Tragic1
- 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 Joel Schumacher's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 39 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).
- Interiors (1978) · costume design · free
- Tigerland (2000) · director · free
- Flatliners (1990) · director · free
- Flawless (1999) · director, writer, producer · free
- The Wiz (1978) · writer · free
- Sparkle (2012) · writer · free
- Twelve (2010) · director · free
- Blood Creek (2009) · director · free
- Trespass (2011) · director · free
Subscription and free streaming for Joel Schumacher'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
47 credits, 39 with a MovieCove page; 18 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
The Binge(2020)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Do Not Disturb: Hotel Horrors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
House of Cards(2013)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Sparkle(2012)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Trespass(2011)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Man in the Mirror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Twelve(2010)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Blood Creek(2009)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
The Number 23(2007)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Holy the Sabbath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
The Phantom of the Opera(2004)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Veronica Guerin(2003)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Phone Booth(2002)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Bad Company(2002)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Welcome to Hollywood(1998)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Tigerland(2000)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Gossip(2000)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Flawless(1999)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
8MM(1999)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Batman & Robin(1997)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
A Time to Kill(1996)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
The Babysitter(1995)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Batman Forever(1995)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
The Client(1994)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Falling Down(1993)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
2000 Malibu Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Dying Young(1991)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Flatliners(1990)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Cousins(1989)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Lost Boys(1987)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Slow Burn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
St. Elmo's Fire(1985)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Code Name: Foxfire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
D.C. Cab(1983)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
The Wiz(1978)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Interiors(1978)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Car Wash(1976)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Sparkle(1976)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Virginia Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Killer Bees (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Sleeper(1973)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Blume in Love(1973)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The Last of Sheila(1973)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Play It As It Lays(1972)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 46 titles from 1972 to 2020.
Biggest box office
Batman Forever (1995)
Highest rated
A Time to Kill (1996)
Most popular right now
Batman Forever (1995)
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 Joel Schumacher's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 38; across their 31 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up11
- 50th to 74th13
- 25th to 49th7
- Below 25th8
Shape of the crowd
18 of their 39 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved4
- Universally Panned2
- Cult Classic3
- Crowd Pleaser18
- Broadly Agreed3
- Mixed9
Reviewers score the atmosphere 62/100 and the pacing 49/100 in their films, across 31 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 Joel Schumacher's work okay for kids?
Across up to 24 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, 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 Joel Schumacher work with?
People who share at least 2 of Joel Schumacher's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mark Stevens shares the most, 8.
Writers
- Akiva GoldsmanShared titles: Batman & Robin (1997), A Time to Kill (1996), Batman Forever (1995), The Client (1994)See all 4 shared titles with Akiva Goldsman
- Howard RosenmanShared titles: Sparkle (2012), Sparkle (1976)See all 2 shared titles with Howard Rosenman
- Bob KaneShared titles: Batman & Robin (1997), Batman Forever (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Bob Kane
- John GrishamShared titles: A Time to Kill (1996), The Client (1994)See all 2 shared titles with John Grisham
Actors
- Kiefer SutherlandShared titles: Phone Booth (2002), A Time to Kill (1996), Flatliners (1990), The Lost Boys (1987)See all 4 shared titles with Kiefer Sutherland
- Emily MeadeShared titles: Trespass (2011), Twelve (2010)See all 2 shared titles with Emily Meade
- Nico TortorellaShared titles: Trespass (2011), Twelve (2010)See all 2 shared titles with Nico Tortorella
- Nicolas CageShared titles: Trespass (2011), 8MM (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Nicolas Cage
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Mark StevensShared titles: Blood Creek (2009), The Number 23 (2007), Phone Booth (2002), Tigerland (2000), 8MM (1999), Flawless (1999), Batman & Robin (1997), Batman Forever (1995)See all 8 shared titles with Mark Stevens
- Robert BrownShared titles: The Client (1994), Dying Young (1991), Flatliners (1990), Cousins (1989), The Lost Boys (1987)See all 5 shared titles with Robert Brown
- Harry Gregson-WilliamsShared titles: Twelve (2010), The Number 23 (2007), Veronica Guerin (2003), Phone Booth (2002)See all 4 shared titles with Harry Gregson-Williams
- Andrzej BartkowiakShared titles: Trespass (2011), Gossip (2000), Falling Down (1993)See all 3 shared titles with Andrzej Bartkowiak
Producers
- Eli RichbourgShared titles: Blood Creek (2009), The Number 23 (2007), Veronica Guerin (2003), Bad Company (2002), Phone Booth (2002), Tigerland (2000), Flawless (1999)See all 7 shared titles with Eli Richbourg
- Arnon MilchanShared titles: Tigerland (2000), A Time to Kill (1996), The Client (1994), Falling Down (1993)See all 4 shared titles with Arnon Milchan
- Aaron CooleyShared titles: Twelve (2010), Blood Creek (2009)See all 2 shared titles with Aaron Cooley
- Jeff LevineShared titles: Blood Creek (2009), 8MM (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Jeff Levine
Mixed roles
- Guy FerlandShared titles: The Babysitter (1995), The Client (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Guy Ferland
- Michael DouglasShared titles: Falling Down (1993), Flatliners (1990)See all 2 shared titles with Michael Douglas
