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John Schwartzman

John Schwartzman

Cinematographer · Born October 18, 1960 (66) · Los Angeles, California, USA

Oscar nominee

John Leonard Schwartzman, A.S.C., is an American cinematographer who is best known for his work on Jurassic World, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Rock and Seabiscuit, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography. Description above from the Wikipedia article John Schwartzman, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 18, 1960 (66)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
46 on MovieCove · 49 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 20% in 30 days

What are John Schwartzman's films like?

Across their 35 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 28th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
Bonds
34%
Morality
24%
Self
18%
Survival
11%
Power
7%
Ideas
4%
Society
3%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 34 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 14 · Serious 13 · Dark 7

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 13 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 11

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 18 · Intense 12

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 18 · Whiplash 7

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

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 14 · Funny 8

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

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 6

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

Casual 15 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 4

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 14 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 9

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

Resolved 26 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
24
Thrilling
11
Melancholic
12
Absurd
8
Joyful
8
Other
35

How their films linger

Feel-good14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet17
  • 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 John Schwartzman's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 37 of their 46 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Schwartzman'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

49 credits, 46 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Housemaid(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Ella McCay(2025)

    Additional Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Talamasca: The Secret Order(2025)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Another Simple Favor(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Jackpot!(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Atlas(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The School for Good and Evil(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Harrigan's Phone(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Jurassic World: Dominion(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Little Things(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Last Christmas(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Highwaymen(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Unicorn(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • A Simple Favor(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Fifty Shades Freed(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Book of Henry(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Fifty Shades Darker(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Founder(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Jurassic World(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Dracula Untold(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Saving Mr. Banks(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Amazing Spider-Man(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Red Dawn(2012)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Green Hornet(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Bucket List(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • National Treasure: Book of Secrets(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Meet the Fockers(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Seabiscuit(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Rookie(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Pearl Harbor(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Edtv(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Armageddon(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Conspiracy Theory(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Rock(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Wrong(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • A Pyromaniac's Love Story(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Airheads(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Benny & Joon(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Rockula(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Red Surf(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Heathers(1989)

    Additional Camera

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Waxwork(1988)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • You Can't Hurry Love(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Rad(1986)

    Title Designer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Last Chance Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Camera Operator

  • Monsanto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer

  • Video Valentino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 49 titles, 47 of them dated from 1984 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Jurassic World (2015)

$1.7B worldwide

Highest rated

Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Midcredits 92nd

Most popular right now

Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography45 of 49: 45 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score50thOther crew4 of 49: 4 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1980s6 · crew1990s10 · crew2000s7 · crew2010s14 · crew2020s10 · 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

Nominated for an Oscar in 2004, 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 John Schwartzman's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 45; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 47th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Reach · how many have seen their films

97thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Midcredits score across 46 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

23 of their 46 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser23
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · cinematographer

Fifty Shades Darker (2017)

79th percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Midcredits 92nd · 83% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 63/100 in their films, across 26 reviewed titles; fans 69, detractors 50. 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 John Schwartzman's work okay for kids?

Across up to 29 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore26 titles24–69 · median 54 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity29 titles10–57 · median 24 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity27 titles25–76 · median 47 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs26 titles8–48 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense26 titles20–66 · median 48 · moderatenear the median of all 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 John Schwartzman work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Schwartzman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Lee Hancock shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles