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John Mackenzie

John Mackenzie

Director · Died June 8, 2011, aged 78 · Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

John Mackenzie was a Scottish film director perhaps best known for the 1980 gangster film The Long Good Friday. Born in Edinburgh, Mackenzie worked in British film from the late 1960s, first as an assistant director to Ken Loach on productions such as Up the Junction and Cathy Come Home, before becoming an independent director himself, going on to work in both the UK and the US.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 16, 1932
Died
June 8, 2011 (aged 78)
From
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Works as
Director
Titles
11 on MovieCove · 52 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 31% in 30 days

What are John Mackenzie's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Genres

Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: 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
Morality
39%
Power
23%
Survival
18%
Self
8%
Society
7%
Bonds
6%
Justice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this themePower3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 3 · Dark 8

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

Grounded 10 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 7

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

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 5 · 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 1 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Melancholic
4
Dread
3
Contemplative
3
Thrilling
2
Other
2

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic3
  • 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 Mackenzie's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for John Mackenzie'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

52 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Paul McCartney: The McCartney Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • British Film Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Quicksand(2003)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • When the Sky Falls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director

  • Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director

  • Looking After Jo Jo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Deadly Voyage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • The Infiltrator(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Voyage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director

  • Speaking our Language (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 18 episodes · Director · Editor

  • Sean Connery: Private (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Editor

  • Ruby(1992)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • The Last of the Finest(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Late Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Fourth Protocol(1987)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Act of Vengeance(1986)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • A Sense of Freedom(1981)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Innocent(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Screen Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Beyond the Limit(1983)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Paul McCartney - Take It Away (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director

  • Say No to Strangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Director

  • The Long Good Friday(1980)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Racing Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Just a Boys' Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • Red Shift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • Talkin' Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director

  • The Elephants' Graveyard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director

  • Double Dare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director

  • A Passage to England (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • The Wild West Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • Just Another Saturday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Taking Leave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • Shut Down (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director

  • Centre Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Black Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director

  • Made (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • Country Matters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Unman, Wittering and Zigo(1971)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

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

    Director

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

    Show 9 episodes · Director

  • Softly Softly: Task Force (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • There Is Also Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • W. Somerset Maugham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • ITV Saturday Night Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Jazz Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Mrs. Lawrence Will Look After It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • The Voices in the Park (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Thirty-Minute Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Newcomers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

  • The Wednesday Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Production Assistant

Career shape

A full career of 52 titles from 1964 to 2007.

Biggest box office

The Fourth Protocol (1987)

$12M worldwide

Highest rated

The Long Good Friday (1980)

Midcredits 95th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 52: 2 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting49 of 52: 47 only directing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score39thEditing2 of 52: 1 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 52: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1960s10 · crew1970s19 · crew1980s10 · 1 acting · 9 crew1990s9 · crew2000s4 · 1 acting · 3 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 Mackenzie's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 39th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 11 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · director

The Innocent (1985)

73rd percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

The Long Good Friday (1980)

Midcredits 95th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 68/100 and the pacing 50/100 in their films, across 10 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 Mackenzie's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 54 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does John Mackenzie work with?

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

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors