Skip to content
MovieCove
Jim Thompson

Jim Thompson

Writer · Died April 7, 1977, aged 70 · Anadarko, Oklahoma Territory, USA

James Myers Thompson (September 27, 1906 – April 7, 1977) was an American novelist and screenwriter, known for his hardboiled crime fiction. Notable works include The Grifters, After Dark, My Sweet and The Killer Inside Me From Wikipedia.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 27, 1906
Died
April 7, 1977 (aged 70)
From
Anadarko, Oklahoma Territory, USA
Works as
Writer
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 17 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 33% in 30 days

What are Jim Thompson's films like?

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

Genres

Crime7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action 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
30%
Survival
22%
Power
18%
Bonds
18%
Self
10%
Ideas
2%
Betrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence2 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 1 · Dark 10

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

Grounded 4 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 1 · Intense 10

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 9 · 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 2 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 2

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 1 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 7

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 6 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Dread
5
Melancholic
4
Cold
3
Thrilling
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Unsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic4
  • 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 Jim Thompson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jim Thompson'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

17 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Killer Inside Me(2010)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • This World, Then the Fireworks(1997)

    Short Story

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Hit Me(1996)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Getaway(1994)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Fallen Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · Story

  • After Dark, My Sweet(1990)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Grifters(1990)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Kill-Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Novel

  • Coup de torchon(1981)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Serie Noire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Novel

  • The Killer Inside Me(1976)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Farewell, My Lovely(1975)

    as Mr. Grayle

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Getaway(1972)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Paths of Glory(1957)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Killing(1956)

    Dialogue

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Pop. 1280 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Novel

  • The Getaway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Novel

Career shape

A full career of 17 titles, 15 of them dated from 1956 to 2010.

Biggest box office

The Getaway (1994)

$30M worldwide

Highest rated

Paths of Glory (1957)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 17: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleWriting16 of 17: 16 only writing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score65th

By decade

1950s2 · crew1970s4 · 1 acting · 3 crew1980s2 · crew1990s6 · 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 Jim Thompson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 12; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th5

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 12 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · writer

This World, Then the Fireworks (1997)

53rd percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Paths of Glory (1957)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 59/100 and the plot and story 52/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Thompson's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles56–83 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles13–69 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles24–58 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles34–50 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles48–81 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian 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 Jim Thompson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jim Thompson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Stanley Kubrick shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers