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John Duigan

John Duigan

Director and writer · Born June 19, 1949 (77) · Hampshire, England, UK

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Duigan, (born 19 June 1949 in Hampshire, England, UK) is an Australian film director. Duigan emigrated to Australia in 1961, having been born to an Australian father. He is related to many Australian performers, being the brother of Virginia Duigan (wife of director Bruce Beresford) and uncle of Trilby Beresford. Duigan has directed 23 films, including Romero, Lawn Dogs, The Parole Officer, Sirens, and Head in the Clouds. He intended his magnum opus to be The Danny Embling Trilogy, three films centered around the character Danny Embling, an artistic youth growing up in 1960s Australia whose life is influenced by the socially changing world around him and a series of doomed love affairs. The first two films in the series were the critically acclaimed The Year My Voice Broke, and Flirting, both of which won the Australian Film Institute awards for best picture the years they were released. Description above from the Wikipedia article John Duigan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 19, 1949 (77)
From
Hampshire, England, UK
Works as
Director and writer
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 31 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 4% in 30 days

What are John Duigan's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography 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
29%
Morality
24%
Self
20%
Society
12%
Survival
8%
Power
5%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFaith2 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 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 4 · Serious 2 · Dark 6

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

Grounded 9 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 7 · Intense 2

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

A split, not a type: Steady 6 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 3 · 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 4 · Engaged 8 · 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 3 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 6

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

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
7
Romantic
3
Contemplative
4
Hopeful
3
Other
8

How their films linger

Bittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous1

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 Duigan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Duigan'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

31 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page.

  • Sight(2023)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Careless Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Writer

  • The Engagement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Additional Music · Producer · Writer

  • Head in the Clouds(2004)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Appointment with Dr. Terrible (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Interviewee – Actor

  • Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Lift Attendant

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • The Parole Officer(2001)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Paranoid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Writer

  • Molly(1999)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Lawn Dogs(1997)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Leading Man(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Journey of August King(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Sirens(1994)

    Director · Screenplay · as Earnest Minister

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Wide Sargasso Sea(1993)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Flirting(1991)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Romero(1989)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Fragments of War: The Story of Damien Parer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director · Writer

  • The Year My Voice Broke(1987)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Vietnam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · Story · as French Club Patron

  • Vietnam(1987)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Room to Move (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director · Writer

  • One Night Stand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director · Writer

  • Far East (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director · Writer

  • Winter of Our Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Director · Writer

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

    Director

  • Mouth to Mouth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director · Writer

  • The Trespassers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director · Writer

  • The Firm Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director · Composer · Producer · Writer · as Diner

  • Dalmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Film Director

  • Bonjour Balwyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

  • Brake Fluid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

Career shape

A full career of 31 titles from 1971 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Sirens (1994)

$7.8M worldwide

Highest rated

Lawn Dogs (1997)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

Head in the Clouds (2004)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting8 of 31: 5 only acting, 3 with another roleDirecting25 of 31: 8 only directing, 17 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rdWriting18 of 31: 1 only writing, 17 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stProducing2 of 31: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleMusic2 of 31: 0 only music, 2 with another role

31 titles, 17 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 17 of them.

By decade

1970s7 · 4 acting · 4 crew1980s9 · 1 acting · 9 crew1990s7 · 1 acting · 7 crew2000s5 · 2 acting · 3 crew2010s2 · crew2020s1 · 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 John Duigan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 12; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th4

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 14 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · writer

Sight (2023)

60th percentile spread · 12% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Lawn Dogs (1997)

Midcredits 90th · 80% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 70/100 and the pacing 45/100 in their films, across 12 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 John Duigan's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity7 titles44–72 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32

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 Duigan work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Duigan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Humphrey Dixon shares the most, 5.

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers