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Jim McKay

Jim McKay

Director, producer and writer, also editor · Born January 1, 1962 (64) · Englewood, New Jersey, USA

2 Sundance awards · Independent Spirit Award winner

Jim McKay is an American director, producer and writer for film and television.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1962 (64)
From
Englewood, New Jersey, USA
Works as
Director, producer and writer, also editor
Titles
43 on MovieCove · 50 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 155 days to Oct 26

What are Jim McKay's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 98th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
Self
31%
Survival
20%
Society
18%
Bonds
17%
Morality
11%
Power
4%
Community4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 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 4

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

Grounded 10 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 5 · Intense 0

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 1 · 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 3 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
8
Melancholic
8
Tense
5
Hopeful
4
Warm
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Thought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet8
  • Ambiguous4

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 Jim McKay's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 35 of their 43 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jim McKay'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

50 credits, 43 with a MovieCove page.

  • Smoke(2025)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Tulsa King(2022)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Black Bird(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Consulting Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • American Rust(2021)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: Organized Crime(2021)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Home Before Dark(2020)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • FBI: Most Wanted(2020)

    Show 15 episodes · Director · Co-Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • Evil(2019)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • En el séptimo día(2017)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Instinct(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • For the People(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • The Good Fight(2017)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • BrainDead(2016)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Shades of Blue(2016)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Quantico(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all shows

  • Mr. Robot(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Better Call Saul(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Bosch(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Rectify(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Zero Hour(2013)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • The Americans(2013)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Mosquita y Mari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Executive Producer

  • Boss(2011)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Blue Bloods(2010)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Treme(2010)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Good Wife(2009)

    Show 11 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Hung(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • In Treatment(2008)

    Show 10 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Breaking Bad(2008)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Gossip Girl(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Life Support(2007)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Big Love(2006)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Angel(2005)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Executive Producer

  • Johnny Berlin(2005)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Everyday People(2004)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Brother to Brother(2004)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Wire(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Stranger Inside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Producer

  • The Sleepy Time Gal(2001)

    Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Our Song(2000)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • American Movie(1999)

    Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Girls Town(1996)

    Director · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • R.E.M.: Parallel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director · Producer

  • R.E.M. - This Film Is On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • R.E.M. Tourfilm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 7 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Lighthearted Nation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 49 titles from 1989 to 2025.

Biggest box office

American Movie (1999)

$1.2M worldwide

Highest rated

American Movie (1999)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

In Treatment (2008)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing42 of 49: 32 only directing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score81stWriting6 of 49: 1 only writing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score67thProducing14 of 49: 6 only producing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score79thEditing1 of 49: 0 only editing, 1 with another role

49 titles, 10 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 8 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s7 · crew2000s16 · crew2010s18 · crew2020s7 · 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.

Awards

3 major awards from 8 major nominations, 1996–2019.

WinNomination
  1. 2019
    • Independent Spirit Award, won
  2. 2005
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Feature
  3. 2001
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature - Under $500,000
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated
  4. 2000
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic
  5. 1996
    • Sundance award, won · Dramatic
    • Sundance award, won
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Jim McKay's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 71st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 43 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up27
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th6

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 43 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved15
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · director, writer

Angel (2005)

78th percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Better Call Saul (2015)

Midcredits 99th · 96% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 74/100 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 Jim McKay's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Profanity3 titlesmedian 78 · intenseMedian of all films: 36

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

Who does Jim McKay work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jim McKay's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Stipe shares the most, 6.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles