Henry Kenneth Alfred 'Ken' Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was an English film director. He is known for his pioneering work in television and film, and for his controversial style. He has been criticized as being over-obsessed with sexuality and the church. His subject matter is often about famous composers, or based on other works of art which he adapts loosely. Russell began directing for the BBC, where he did creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for studios. Among his best known works are the Oscar-winning romantic drama Women in Love (1969), the notoriously controversial psychological horror The Devils (1971), the rock musical Tommy (1975), and the science fiction film Altered States (1980). One noted admirer, British film critic Mark Kermode, attempting to sum up the director's achievement, called Russell; "somebody who proved that British cinema didn't have to be about kitchen-sink realism – it could be every bit as flamboyant as Fellini. He now makes very strange experimental films like Lion's Mouth and Revenge of the Elephant Man, and they are as edgy and out there as the work he made in the 1970s."
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Biography from TMDB.
- July 3, 1927
- November 27, 2011 (aged 84)
- Southampton, Hampshire, England, UK
- Director, writer, actor and producer
- 28 on MovieCove · 101 credits in all
What are Ken Russell's films like?
Across their 26 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
A split, not a type: Ironic 5 · Wry 7 · Earnest 14
Light 5 · Serious 13 · Dark 8
A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 15
A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 6 · Intense 15
Steady 8 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 6
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 4
Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 1
Casual 3 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 7
Easy watch 8 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 8
A split, not a type: Resolved 13 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 10
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet8
- Tragic4
- Ambiguous10
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 Ken Russell's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).
- Altered States (1980) · director · free
- Salome's Last Dance (1988) · actor, director, writer · free
- Crimes of Passion (1984) · director · free
- Mr. Nice (2010) · actor · free
- The Rainbow (1989) · director, writer, producer · free
- The Lair of the White Worm (1988) · actor, director, writer, producer · free
- Valentino (1977) · actor, director, writer · free
- The Russia House (1990) · actor · free
- Color Me Kubrick (2005) · actor · free
- Gothic (1986) · actor, director · free
- Billion Dollar Brain (1967) · director · free
- Aria (1987) · director, writer · free
- +2 more
- BritBox
- Lionsgate+, show their 3 titles on Lionsgate+
- BFI Player, show their 2 titles on BFI Player
- Howdy, show their 2 titles on Howdy
- Midnight Pulp, show their 2 titles on Midnight Pulp
- Acorn TV, show their title on Acorn TV
- Dox, show their title on Dox
- IndieFlix, show their title on IndieFlix
- Magnolia Selects, show their title on Magnolia Selects
- MovieSphere+, show their title on MovieSphere+
- PBS Masterpiece, show their title on PBS Masterpiece
- ScreenPix, show their title on ScreenPix
- Sony Pictures Core, show their title on Sony Pictures Core
Subscription and free streaming for Ken Russell'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
101 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 19 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Twiggy(2024)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Kitsune (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
The Devils Original on-set footage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Mr. Nice(2010)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all filmsBoudica Bites Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
A Kitten for Hitler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Watch the Birdie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Trapped Ashes(2006)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all filmsCharlotte Brontë Enters the Big Brother House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Color Me Kubrick(2005)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all filmsThe Miners' Picnic by Ken Russell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Agatha Christie's Marple(2004)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all showsRevenge of the Elephant Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Elgar: Fantasy on a Composer on a Bicycle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
The Fall of the Louse of Usher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Waking the Dead(2000)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all showsLion's Mouth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Dogboys(1998)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
In Search of the English Folk Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Mindbender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Tales of Erotica (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Treasure Island(1995)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Alice in Russialand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Erotic Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Lady Chatterley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
The Secret Life of Arnold Bax (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
The Mystery of Dr Martinu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Prisoner of Honor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Whore(1991)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all filmsRoad to Mandalay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
The Russia House(1990)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all filmsThe Strange Affliction of Anton Bruckner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all filmsPlunder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
The Rainbow(1989)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
A British Picture: Portrait of an Enfant Terrible (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Il Mefistofele (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Salome's Last Dance(1988)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Ken Russell's ABC of British Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Your Honour, I Object! Guccione V Russell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Aria(1987)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Gothic(1986)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Faust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Crimes of Passion(1984)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Vaughan Williams: A Symphonic Portrait (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
The Planets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Altered States(1980)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all filmsClouds of Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
The South Bank Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Valentino(1977)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Lisztomania(1975)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Tommy(1975)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Mahler(1974)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Savage Messiah(1972)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The Boy Friend(1971)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
The Devils(1971)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
The Music Lovers(1971)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Dance of the Seven Veils (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Women in Love(1969)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Song of Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
Dante's Inferno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Billion Dollar Brain(1967)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Don’t Shoot the Composer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Russell at Work (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Always on Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
The Debussy Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Six (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
The Diary of a Nobody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Bela Bartók (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
French Dressing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Elgar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
Mr Chesher’s Traction Engines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
The Preservation Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
Pop Goes the Easel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
The Lonely Shore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
London Moods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Old Battersea House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Walk With The Damned (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Lotte Lenya Sings Kurt Weill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Prokofiev (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Antonio Gaudí (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
The Light Fantastic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Shelagh Delaney's Salford (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
A House in Bayswater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
A Bedlington Miners' Picnic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Journey Into a Lost World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Scottish Painters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Portrait of a Goon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
From Spain to Streatham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Variations on a Mechanical Theme (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Gordon Jacob (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
John Betjeman: A Poet in London (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Amelia and the Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Monitor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Lourdes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Peepshow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Knights on Bikes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
PuzzleFace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 101 titles, 100 of them dated from 1956 to 2025.
Film career
- 1972Screen debut· Savage Messiah
By role
Billing
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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Ken Russell's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 26; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up10
- 50th to 74th9
- 25th to 49th6
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
13 of their 28 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Divisive1
- Crowd Pleaser13
- Broadly Agreed3
- Mixed9
Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 40/100 in their films, across 22 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 Ken Russell's work okay for kids?
Across up to 17 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
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 Ken Russell work with?
People who share at least 2 of Ken Russell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Bradsell shares the most, 9.
Writers
- D.H. LawrenceShared titles: The Rainbow (1989), Women in Love (1969)See all 2 shared titles with D.H. Lawrence
- Vivian RussellShared titles: The Rainbow (1989), Salome's Last Dance (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Vivian Russell
Actors
- Georgina HaleShared titles: Hell on Earth: The Desecration and Resurrection of 'The Devils' (2002), Treasure Island (1995), Mahler (1974), The Boy Friend (1971), The Devils (1971)See all 5 shared titles with Georgina Hale
- Christopher GableShared titles: The Rainbow (1989), The Boy Friend (1971), The Music Lovers (1971), Women in Love (1969)See all 4 shared titles with Christopher Gable
- Glenda JacksonShared titles: The Rainbow (1989), Salome's Last Dance (1988), The Music Lovers (1971), Women in Love (1969)See all 4 shared titles with Glenda Jackson
- Roger DaltreyShared titles: The Who: Pile et faces (2022), Lisztomania (1975), Tommy (1975)See all 3 shared titles with Roger Daltrey
Cinematographers and editors
- Michael BradsellShared titles: Hell on Earth: The Desecration and Resurrection of 'The Devils' (2002), Aria (1987), Gothic (1986), Mahler (1974), Savage Messiah (1972), The Boy Friend (1971), The Devils (1971), The Music Lovers (1971), Women in Love (1969)See all 9 shared titles with Michael Bradsell
- Dick BushShared titles: The Lair of the White Worm (1988), Crimes of Passion (1984), Tommy (1975), Mahler (1974), Savage Messiah (1972)See all 5 shared titles with Dick Bush
- Billy WilliamsShared titles: Women and Men: Stories of Seduction (1990), The Rainbow (1989), Women in Love (1969), Billion Dollar Brain (1967)See all 4 shared titles with Billy Williams
- Stuart BairdShared titles: Altered States (1980), Valentino (1977), Lisztomania (1975), Tommy (1975)See all 4 shared titles with Stuart Baird
Producers
- Roy BairdShared titles: Lisztomania (1975), Mahler (1974), The Devils (1971), The Music Lovers (1971), Women in Love (1969)See all 5 shared titles with Roy Baird
- Dan IrelandShared titles: Whore (1991), The Rainbow (1989), Salome's Last Dance (1988), The Lair of the White Worm (1988)See all 4 shared titles with Dan Ireland
- Ronaldo VasconcellosShared titles: Whore (1991), The Rainbow (1989), Salome's Last Dance (1988), The Lair of the White Worm (1988)See all 4 shared titles with Ronaldo Vasconcellos
- Harry BennShared titles: Valentino (1977), Tommy (1975), Savage Messiah (1972), The Boy Friend (1971)See all 4 shared titles with Harry Benn
Mixed roles
- Keith MoonShared titles: The Who: Pile et faces (2022), Tommy (1975)See all 2 shared titles with Keith Moon
- Christopher LogueShared titles: Savage Messiah (1972), The Devils (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Christopher Logue