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Michael Burgess

Cinematographer

Michael Burgess is an American cinematographer. He is best known for his work in horror films such as The Curse of La Llorona (2019), Annabelle Comes Home (2019), The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), Malignant (2021) and Salem's Lot (2024).

Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
30 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 29% in 30 days

What are Michael Burgess' films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
37%
Survival
29%
Self
13%
Morality
13%
Society
9%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 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 2 · Serious 0 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 2 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 1 · Intense 5

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

Steady 1 · Shifting 4 · 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 4 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 5 · 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 4 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Dread
5
Tense
5
Thrilling
3
Joyful
2
Absurd
1
Other
2

How their films linger

Cathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet3

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 Michael Burgess' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 30 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Michael Burgess' 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

32 credits, 30 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Family Plan 2(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Salem's Lot(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom(2023)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Family Plan(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Malignant(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Annabelle Comes Home(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Curse of La Llorona(2019)

    "A" Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Aquaman(2018)

    "B" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Nun(2018)

    Additional Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Public Disturbance(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Wonder(2017)

    "B" Camera Operator · Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Same Kind of Different as Me(2017)

    "B" Camera Operator · Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Logan(2017)

    "B" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Monster Trucks(2016)

    Additional Director of Photography · Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Conjuring 2(2016)

    "B" Camera Operator · Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Skateboarding's First Wave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Cinematographer

  • Bosch(2014)

    Show 3 episodes · "B" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1(2014)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • When the Game Stands Tall(2014)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Muppets Most Wanted(2014)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Divergent(2014)

    "B" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • 42(2013)

    "B" Camera Operator · Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Rock of Ages(2012)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Avengers(2012)

    Additional Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Flight(2012)

    "B" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Muppets(2011)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Priest(2011)

    Second Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Lincoln Lawyer(2011)

    Second Assistant "A" Camera

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Book of Eli(2010)

    Shading

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Aliens in the Attic(2009)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Trap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Camera Operator

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles from 2007 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

$231M worldwide

Highest rated

Malignant (2021)

Midcredits 55th

Most popular right now

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography18 of 32: 12 only cinematography, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdOther crew20 of 32: 14 only other crew, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score69th

32 titles, 6 with more than one role — other crew and cinematography overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

2000s2 · crew2010s24 · crew2020s6 · 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 Michael Burgess' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 29; across their 7 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 7

Approval · how many liked their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 30 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 30 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · cinematographer

Public Disturbance (2018)

92nd percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Avengers (2012)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 62/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 69, detractors 48. 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 Michael Burgess' work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films and sex & nudity and alcohol & drugs lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles59–85 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles10–28 · median 12 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles29–61 · median 46 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles4–30 · median 22 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles55–86 · median 81 · severeheavier 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 Michael Burgess work with?

People who share at least 2 of Michael Burgess' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; James Wan shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers