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David Leland

David Leland

Actor, writer and director · Died December 24, 2023, aged 76 · Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

David Leland (20 April 1947 - 24 December 2023) was a director, screenwriter and actor who came to international fame with his directorial debut Wish You Were Here in 1987.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 20, 1947
Died
December 24, 2023 (aged 76)
From
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Works as
Actor, writer and director
Titles
22 on MovieCove · 42 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 48% in 30 days

What are David Leland's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 22nd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama 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
31%
Survival
17%
Morality
16%
Self
16%
Power
12%
Society
8%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 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 3 · Dark 4

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

Grounded 8 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 7 · Intense 2

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

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

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 2

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 6 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 6 · Engaged 5 · 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 4 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 4

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

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
4
Warm
6
Melancholic
5
Joyful
2
Absurd
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Bittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • 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 David Leland's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Leland'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

42 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Borgias(2011)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Victoria Wood: Seen on TV (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Virgin Territory(2007)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Concert for George(2003)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Band of Brothers(2001)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Espionage Escapades (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Costume Designer

  • The White River Kid(1999)

    Screenplay · as Socrates Storekeeper

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Land Girls(1998)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • When Saturday Comes(1996)

    as Priest

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Costume Designer

  • Crossing the Line(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Checking Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • Wish You Were Here(1987)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Personal Services(1987)

    Writer · as Mr. Pilkington / Danielle

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Mona Lisa(1986)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Ligmalion: Or How to Help Yourself in Self-Help Britain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Writer · as Driver

  • Made in Britain(1983)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • R.H.I.N.O.; Really Here in Name Only (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Writer

  • Flying Into the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Writer

  • Birth of a Nation(1983)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Tales Out of School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 4 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • The Missionary(1982)

    as Long Haired Man at Gin Palace

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Psy-Warriors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Writer

  • Time Bandits(1981)

    as Puppeteer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Beloved Enemy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Screenplay

  • The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy(1981)

    Show 1 episode · as Majikthise

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Golden Gordon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Football Manager

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

    Show 1 episode · as Murray

  • The Love-Girl and the Innocent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Nemov

  • Gawain and the Green Knight(1973)

    as Humphrey

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Pied Piper(1972)

    as Officer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Van der Valk(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Madame Arthur

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • One Brief Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

  • The Last of the Mohicans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 8 episodes · as David Gamut

  • Scars of Dracula(1970)

    as First Officer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Play for Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

  • Julius Caesar(1970)

    as Plebian

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • 1917 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Felix, the Cook

  • Big Breadwinner Hog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 8 episodes · as Grange

  • Callan(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Sherlock Holmes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Running Wild (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 42 titles, 41 of them dated from 1964 to 2011.

Biggest box office

Mona Lisa (1986)

$5.8M worldwide

Highest rated

Concert for George (2003)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Virgin Territory (2007)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting24 of 42: 21 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score50thDirecting8 of 42: 3 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdWriting17 of 42: 9 only writing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdProducing1 of 42: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 42: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

42 titles, 9 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1960s3 · acting1970s12 · 11 acting · 1 crew1980s15 · 5 acting · 12 crew1990s5 · 3 acting · 3 crew2000s5 · 2 acting · 3 crew2010s1 · crew

Billing

usually 19th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do David Leland's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 17; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 22 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · director, writer

Virgin Territory (2007)

65th percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

Concert for George (2003)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

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 David Leland's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 44 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles33–68 · median 54 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 75 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 44 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 63 · 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 David Leland work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Leland's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ian Wilson shares the most, 4.

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers