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Roger Deakins

Roger Deakins

Cinematographer, also actor · Born May 24, 1949 (77) · Torquay, Devon, England, UK

2 Oscars · 5 BAFTA Awards · 3 other major award bodies

Sir Roger Alexander Deakins ASC, BSC (born 24 May 1949) is an English cinematographer. He is the recipient of five BAFTA Awards for Best Cinematography and two Academy Awards for Best Cinematography from sixteen nominations. He has collaborated multiple times with directors such as the Coen brothers, Sam Mendes, and Denis Villeneuve. His best-known works include The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Fargo (1996), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Skyfall (2012), Sicario (2015), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), and 1917 (2019), the last two of which earned him Academy Awards. He is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential cinematographers in mainstream cinema. An alumnus of the National Film and Television School, Deakins was named and serves as an Honorary Fellow of the school in recognition of his "outstanding contribution[s] to ... British film". He is a member of the British Society of Cinematographers and the American Society of Cinematographers, and in 2011 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the latter organization. Deakins was bestowed a CBE by the Palace for his services to film in 2013 and was knighted as a Knight Bachelor in the 2021 New Year Honours. Description above from the Wikipedia article Roger Deakins, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 24, 1949 (77)
From
Torquay, Devon, England, UK
Works as
Cinematographer, also actor
Titles
62 on MovieCove · 81 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 26% in 30 days

What are Roger Deakins' films like?

Across their 60 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama18 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Biography5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile
: browse their Documentary movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure 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
Morality
29%
Self
17%
Power
14%
Society
13%
Bonds
13%
Survival
8%
Ideas
6%
Justice13 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity10 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception11 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption9 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity9 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 59 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 13 · Serious 10 · Dark 36

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 32 · Stylized 14 · Heightened 13

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 27 · Intense 24

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

Steady 23 · Shifting 31 · Whiplash 5

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 42 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 8

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 30 · Even-paced 27 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 14 · Engaged 32 · Full focus 13

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 13 · Heavy 33

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 31 · Open-ended 15 · Ambiguous 13

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
43
Melancholic
32
Contemplative
27
Dread
13
Absurd
9
Other
41

How their films linger

Thought-provoking30 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 13 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet32
  • Tragic8
  • Ambiguous11

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 Roger Deakins' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 39 of their 62 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Roger Deakins' 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

81 credits, 62 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Empire of Light(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Esther's Choice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Thanks

  • 1917(2019)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Goldfinch(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Blade Runner 2049(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Hail, Caesar!(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Sicario(2015)

    "A" Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Unbroken(2014)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Prisoners(2013)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Skyfall(2012)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • In Time(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Rango(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • True Grit(2010)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Company Men(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • A Serious Man(2009)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Revolutionary Road(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Doubt(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Reader(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • No Country for Old Men(2007)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford(2007)

    "A" Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • In the Valley of Elah(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Jarhead(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Village(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Ladykillers(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • House of Sand and Fog(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Intolerable Cruelty(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Levity(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • A Beautiful Mind(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Wasn't There(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Dinner with Friends(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • O Brother, Where Art Thou?(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Anywhere But Here(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Hurricane(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Smiling Fish & Goat On Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Thanks

  • The Siege(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Big Lebowski(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Kundun(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Courage Under Fire(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Fargo(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Dead Man Walking(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Shawshank Redemption(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Hudsucker Proxy(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Secret Garden(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Passion Fish(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Thunderheart(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Barton Fink(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Homicide(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Long Walk Home(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Air America(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Mountains of the Moon(1990)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Pascali's Island(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Stormy Monday(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Kitchen Toto(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Woman in the Moon(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • White Mischief(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Personal Services(1987)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Sid and Nancy(1986)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Defense of the Realm(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Shadey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • The Innocent(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • 1984(1984)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Return to Waterloo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • The House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • The Cinema of Stephen Dwoskin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Another Time, Another Place(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Alan Bush: A Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Cinematographer

  • Of Muppets & Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Camera Operator

  • Towers of Babel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Camera Operator

  • Van Morrison in Ireland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Cinematographer

  • Wolcott(1981)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Box On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Cinematographer

  • Blue Suede Shoes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Cinematographer

  • Champions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Cinematographer

  • Steppin' Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Cinematographer

  • Around the World with Ridgway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Camera Operator

  • British Hustle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • Chimurenga - The War in Zimbabwe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Cinematographer

  • Before Hindsight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Cinematographer

  • Marquis de Sade's Justine(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Welcome to Britain(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Empty Hand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 80 titles from 1976 to 2022.

Biggest box office

Skyfall (2012)

$1.1B worldwide

Highest rated

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography75 of 80: 62 only cinematography, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score81stOther crew18 of 80: 5 only other crew, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score94th

80 titles, 13 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 13 of them.

By decade

1970s9 · crew1980s21 · crew1990s19 · crew2000s17 · crew2010s12 · crew2020s2 · 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.

Awards

2 Oscars, 5 BAFTA Awards and 6 other major awards from 40 major nominations, 1992–2023.

WinNomination
  1. 2023
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  2. 2020
    • Oscar, won · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Cinematography
  3. 2018
    • Oscar, won · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Cinematography
  4. 2016
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  5. 2015
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 wins and 1 nomination
      • Cannes award, won · Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography Award
      • Cannes award, won · Cinematographer
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  6. 2014
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  7. 2013
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  8. 2011
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
Show 9 earlier years
  1. 2010
    • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Cinematography
  2. 2009
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  3. 2008
    • Oscar, nominated ×2 · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Cinematography
  4. 2002
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Cinematography
  5. 2001
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  6. 1998
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Cinematography
  7. 1997
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Cinematography
  8. 1995
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Cinematography
  9. 1992
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Cinematography

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 Roger Deakins' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 81st percentile, the median of all 61; across their 59 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 78th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 59

Approval · how many liked their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 59

Reach · how many have seen their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 59

Midcredits score across 62 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up36
  • 50th to 74th16
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

30 of their 62 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved21
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser30
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · cinematographer

Woman in the Moon (1988)

79th percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Midcredits 99th · 96% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 81/100 in their films, across 53 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 67. 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 Roger Deakins' work okay for kids?

Across up to 42 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore39 titles24–85 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity42 titles11–68 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity40 titles19–89 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs37 titles28–60 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense36 titles32–86 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

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 Roger Deakins work with?

People who share at least 2 of Roger Deakins' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ethan Coen shares the most, 13.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers