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Matthew Irving

Matthew Irving

Cinematographer, also writer and producer · Born February 18, 1971 (55) · Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, USA

Matthew Irving has been the Cinematographer on 35+ feature films including the hit comedies Waitress (2007) staring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion (which was adapted into the Tony nominated Broadway musical) and Waiting (2005) starring Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris, which both cracked the "top ten" at the Box Office. His rave film Groove (2000) (starring Hamish Linklater) was an Independent Spirit Award nominee; and the thriller A Bit of Bad Luck (2014) (starring Cary Elwes), was awarded "Best Cinematography" by the Los Angeles Movie Awards. Five of his features have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, including the gritty spaghetti western Outlaws and Angels (2016), which was included in Variety's "21 Best Films of Sundance 2016". Irving grew up in the tiny town of Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, where he began shooting Super-8mm movies with his brother at the age of nine. He migrated west and earned his undergraduate degree at Stanford University, and an MFA from the University of Southern California's School of Cinema/Television. After his first feature "One" garnered wide-spread critical acclaim, Irving was named one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film" by Filmmaker Magazine. Since then, he has repeatedly earned accolades for his style of "precise framing and camera movement" and his "acute attention to color, lighting, and texture". In 2005, Irving married the love of his life, director/producer/actress Cindy Baer at the little chapel in Yosemite National Park.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 18, 1971 (55)
From
Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, USA
Works as
Cinematographer, also writer and producer
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 38 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 31% in 30 days

What are Matthew Irving's films like?

Across their 30 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Comedy11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 27th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 13th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 15th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

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

share of theme weight
Self
32%
Morality
21%
Bonds
21%
Survival
14%
Society
6%
Ideas
3%
Power
2%
Purpose9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 30 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 12 · Serious 4 · Dark 14

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 24 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 8 · Charged 13 · Intense 9

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 12 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 15 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 13 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 6

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 19 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Melancholic
13
Dread
10
Hopeful
11
Warm
6
Other
30

How their films linger

Hopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous5

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 Matthew Irving's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Matthew Irving'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

38 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page.

  • Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Sid Is Dead(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • A Country Christmas Harmony(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Explorer: The Last Tepui(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Space Between(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Becoming(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Psycho Escort(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Blood Brother(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Armed Response(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • My Many Sons(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Outlaws and Angels(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • How Sarah Got Her Wings(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • A Bit of Bad Luck(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Odd Brodsky(2014)

    Cinematographer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Always Woodstock(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Sins of Our Youth(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Geography Club(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Pardon(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Stash House(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Redemption Road(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Quarantine 2: Terminal(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • All Things Fall Apart(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Lee & Grant(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Waiting for Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Cinematographer

  • Table for Three(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Echo(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Under Still Waters(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Waitress(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Waiting...(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Daltry Calhoun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • Keep Your Distance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • Purgatory House(2004)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Monster Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Cinematographer

  • Speakeasy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • Thank You, Good Night(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • My Best Friend's Wife(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Magic of Marciano (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • Groove(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 31 titles from 2000 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Waitress (2007)

$22M worldwide

Highest rated

Waitress (2007)

Midcredits 82nd

Most popular right now

Waiting... (2005)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing1 of 31: 1 only writing, 0 with another roleCinematography30 of 31: 30 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score26th

By decade

2000s11 · crew2010s14 · crew2020s6 · crew

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 Matthew Irving's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 27th percentile, the median of all 32; across their 30 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 26th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

26thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Approval · how many liked their films

27thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Reach · how many have seen their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th12

Shape of the crowd

20 of their 32 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic5
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed20

Most divisive · cinematographer

My Many Sons (2016)

87th percentile spread · 70% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa (2023)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 53/100 in their films, across 20 reviewed titles; fans 68, detractors 36. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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 Matthew Irving's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 37 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 41 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 61 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 23 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 70 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Matthew Irving work with?

People who share at least 2 of Matthew Irving's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Gary Entin shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles