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Lesley Barber

Lesley Barber

Composer · Guelph, Ontario, Canada

A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Class of 2016, film composer Lesley Barber writes music marked by intelligence and emotional depth. She has scored a string of award-winning and highly acclaimed projects, including Kenneth Lonergan's multi-award-winning and Oscar-nominated film, Manchester by the Sea. A multi-instrumentalist, conductor and pianist, Lesley's interest in modern electronic programming, loops, and effects adds dimension to her work, creating hybrid atmospheric scores with lush orchestration with an innate ability to bring the essential to light and avoid the cliche. Her distinguished list of credits include Lonergan's Oscar-winning You Can Count On Me, Jerry Rothwell's award-winning documentary How To Change The World, Patricia Rozema's Mansfield Park, Mira Nair's Golden Globe winning Hysterical Blindness, Marry Harron's Moth Diaries, the children's classic Little Bear with Maurice Sendak, Yo-Yo- Ma: Sex Gestures, Wiebke Von Carolsfeld's Marion Bridge, Allison Ander's Beaches, and the released powerhouse documentary The Apology by Tiffany Hsiung. Lesley is a proud and active member of the Alliance for Women Film Composers which has taken a leading role in the much-publicized diversity conversation now occurring in Hollywood. She has a passion for good food, great cities, and interesting company.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

From
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Works as
Composer
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 35 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 26Up 12% in 30 days

What are Lesley Barber's films like?

Across their 28 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Documentary 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
33%
Self
31%
Morality
12%
Survival
12%
Society
5%
Ideas
4%
Power
3%
Family bonds12 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth6 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 26 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 19 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 12 · Charged 8 · Intense 6

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

Steady 14 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 10 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 1

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

Easy watch 7 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 9

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 13 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
13
Tense
11
Contemplative
14
Warm
10
Bittersweet
10
Other
21

How their films linger

Bittersweet16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet15
  • Ambiguous7

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 Lesley Barber's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Lesley Barber'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

35 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Season(2026)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all shows

  • Bonjour Tristesse(2024)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Diane Warren: Relentless(2024)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Billy Knight(2025)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Maybe I Do(2023)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • American Woman(2019)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Late Night(2019)

    Composer · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Nappily Ever After(2018)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Boarding School(2018)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Irreplaceable You(2018)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Bird (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Composer

  • Beaches(2017)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Manchester by the Sea(2016)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Apology(2016)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • How to Change the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Composer

  • Pete's Christmas(2013)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Moth Diaries(2011)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • A Child's Garden of Poetry(2011)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Death in Love(2008)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • A Thousand Years of Good Prayers(2007)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Comeback Season(2006)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • We Don't Live Here Anymore(2004)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Marion Bridge(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Hysterical Blindness(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Little Bear Movie(2000)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • This Might Be Good (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • Luminous Motion(1998)

    Composer · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • You Can Count on Me(2000)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Mansfield Park(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • A Price Above Rubies(1998)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Los Locos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Composer

  • Little Bear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Composer

  • When Night Is Falling(1995)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Little Bear(1995)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • The Voice-Over Queen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Composer

Career shape

A full career of 31 titles from 1990 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

$79M worldwide

Highest rated

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Little Bear (1995)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Music31 of 31: 29 only music, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score49thOther crew2 of 31: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

By decade

1990s6 · crew2000s10 · crew2010s12 · crew2020s3 · 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 Lesley Barber's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 51st percentile, the median of all 27; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Reach · how many have seen their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 29 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Loved with Detractors2
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · composer

A Child's Garden of Poetry (2011)

97th percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 56/100 in their films, across 18 reviewed titles; fans 67, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

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 Lesley Barber's work okay for kids?

Across up to 12 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films and violence & gore and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles10–56 · median 33 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity12 titles20–62 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles23–70 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles32–48 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles13–77 · median 26 · mildlighter 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 Lesley Barber work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lesley Barber's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Boaz Yakin shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers