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John Irvin

John Irvin

Director · Died August 11, 2026, aged 86 · Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, UK

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Irvin (7 May 1940 — 11 August 2026) was a British film director. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, he began his career by directing a number of documentaries and television works, including the BBC adaptation of John le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. He also made several action films in the 1980s including The Dogs of War (1980), Raw Deal (1986), Hamburger Hill (1987) and Next of Kin (1989). In the 1990s and 2000s, Irvin directed films such as Robin Hood (1991), When Trumpets Fade (1998), Shiner (2000) and The Moon and the Stars (2007). Description above from the Wikipedia article John Irvin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 7, 1940
Died
August 11, 2026 (aged 86)
From
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, UK
Works as
Director
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 46 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 63 days to Oct 26Down 9% in 30 days

What are John Irvin's films like?

Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: 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
Morality
36%
Bonds
23%
Survival
12%
Power
12%
Self
11%
Society
6%
Ideas
1%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 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 5 · Serious 4 · Dark 10

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

Grounded 13 · Stylized 6 · 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 3 · Charged 7 · Intense 9

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 7 · Engaged 12 · 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 6 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 10

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

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
14
Dread
8
Melancholic
11
Thrilling
5
Romantic
4
Other
15

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet12
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

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 Irvin's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Irvin'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

46 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Mandela's Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director

  • The Garden of Eden(2008)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Moon and the Stars(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Fine Art of Love: Mine Ha-Ha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Dot.Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • The Boys & Girl from County Clare(2003)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Fourth Angel(2001)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Shiner(2000)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Noah's Ark(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all shows

  • When Trumpets Fade(1998)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • City of Industry(1997)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Crazy Horse(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • A Month by the Lake(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Widows' Peak(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Freefall(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Robin Hood(1991)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Eminent Domain(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Next of Kin(1989)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Hamburger Hill(1987)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Raw Deal(1986)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Turtle Diary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director

  • Champions(1984)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Down at the Hydro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • All for Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Ghost Story(1981)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Dogs of War(1980)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 7 episodes · Director · Creator

  • You Are My Heart's Delight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • Life at Stake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Alphabetical Order (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • Hard Times(1977)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Sunday Drama (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Proofing Session (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director

  • Childhood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Haunted: The Ferryman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • The Nearly Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • Tomorrow Night in London (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • Medieval England: The Peasants' Revolt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director · Writer

  • ITV Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • One Pair of Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Bedtime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Mafia No! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Carousella (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Go Go Go Said the Bird (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Five More (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

  • Gala Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 46 titles from 1963 to 2016.

Biggest box office

Ghost Story (1981)

$23M worldwide

Highest rated

When Trumpets Fade (1998)

Midcredits 75th

Most popular right now

Raw Deal (1986)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing46 of 46: 42 only directing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score44thWriting3 of 46: 0 only writing, 3 with another roleOther crew1 of 46: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

46 titles, 4 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1960s10 · crew1970s10 · crew1980s9 · crew1990s9 · crew2000s7 · crew2010s1 · 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 Irvin's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · director

The Moon and the Stars (2007)

72nd percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

When Trumpets Fade (1998)

Midcredits 75th · 71% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 68/100 and the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 18 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 Irvin'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
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 86 · severeMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles13–66 · median 47 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 82 · severeMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 55 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 65 · intenseMedian 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 Irvin work with?

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

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers