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James Mather

Cinematographer, also director and writer · UK

BAFTA Award winner

From
UK
Works as
Cinematographer, also director and writer
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 28 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 3% in 30 days

What are James Mather's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 20th percentile
: 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
Self
32%
Survival
29%
Morality
17%
Bonds
14%
Power
4%
Ideas
3%
Society
1%
Coming of age5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAddiction2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 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 3 · Serious 3 · Dark 6

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

Grounded 5 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 6 · Intense 3

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 6 · 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 7 · 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 8 · Even-paced 3 · 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 5 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 0

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 3 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Melancholic
8
Absurd
8
Dread
6
Warm
3
Other
14

How their films linger

Fun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous5

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 James Mather's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Mather'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

28 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page.

  • Jimmy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Cinematographer

  • Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever(2025)

    Additional Camera

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue(2025)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Stags(2024)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all shows

  • The Velveteen Rabbit(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Obituary(2023)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Shadows(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Joyride(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Zone 414(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Here Are the Young Men(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Frank of Ireland(2021)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • The Racer(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Extra Ordinary(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Dublin Murders(2019)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • Don't Go(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Krypton(2018)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • A Different Kind of Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Cinematographer

  • Gustav (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Cinematographer

  • Nails(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Frank(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Inside No. 9(2014)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Lockout(2012)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Dental Breakdown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Cinematographer

  • The Wonderful Story of Kelvin Kind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Cinematographer

  • Adam & Paul(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Prey Alone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

  • Riblock Foundation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Cinematographer

  • My Dinner With Oswald (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 24 titles, 23 of them dated from 1997 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Lockout (2012)

$33M worldwide

Highest rated

Adam & Paul (2004)

Midcredits 83rd

Most popular right now

Lockout (2012)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing2 of 24: 0 only directing, 2 with another roleWriting2 of 24: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleCinematography23 of 24: 21 only cinematography, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thOther crew1 of 24: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1990s1 · crew2000s5 · crew2010s9 · crew2020s8 · 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

Won a BAFTA Award in 2025, Children’s Craft Team Award.

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 James Mather's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 41st percentile, the median of all 13; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 41st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 20 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · cinematographer

Stags (2024)

79th percentile spread · 43% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Inside No. 9 (2014)

Midcredits 97th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 63/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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 James Mather's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles50–74 · median 71 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles24–51 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles58–73 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles32–67 · median 45 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles43–71 · median 51 · moderateheavier 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 James Mather work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Mather's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ed Guiney shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers