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Nicholas Josef von Sternberg

Cinematographer

Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
22 on MovieCove · 45 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 31% in 30 days

What are Nicholas Josef von Sternberg's films like?

Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 8th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 10th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 9th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 15th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Horror movies
Mystery2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 3rd percentile
: browse their Mystery 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
Survival
37%
Morality
18%
Bonds
15%
Self
14%
Power
9%
Society
6%
Survival12 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 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 9 · Serious 6 · Dark 4

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

Grounded 14 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 7 · Charged 9 · Intense 3

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 0

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 9 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 3

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 9 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 14 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
14
Absurd
7
Thrilling
8
Dread
7
Joyful
3
Other
7

How their films linger

Fun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical1

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 Nicholas Josef von Sternberg's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (15).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Nicholas Josef von Sternberg'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

45 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Air America: Operation Jaguar(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Crime and Punishment(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Killing Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Cinematographer

  • Papertrail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Cinematographer

  • Stargames (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Cinematographer

  • Mike Hammer, Private Eye(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • Legend of the Lost Tomb(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Virus(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Cheyenne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • Hungry for You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • Encounters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • Club V.R. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • Solitaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • Body Shot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Cinematographer

  • Dark Future (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Cinematographer

  • Life on the Edge(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Texasville (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Cinematographer

  • Sight Unseen(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • The Closer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Camera Operator

  • Ghost Writer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Cinematographer

  • Dr. Alien (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Cinematographer

  • Skinheads(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Dangerous Love(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Uninvited(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Slaughterhouse Rock(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • No Retreat, No Surrender 2(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Valet Girls(1986)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Appointment with Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • Final Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Down on Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Jungle Warriors(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Joysticks(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Wacko (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • Pink Motel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • X-Ray(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Gas Pump Girls(1979)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Mistress of the Apes(1979)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • On the Air Live with Captain Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Cinematographer

  • Tourist Trap(1979)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Death Drug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Cinematographer

  • Hughes and Harlow: Angels in Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Cinematographer

  • Petey Wheatstraw(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Alex Joseph and His Wives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Cinematographer

  • The Human Tornado(1976)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Dolemite(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 44 titles from 1975 to 2003.

Biggest box office

Joysticks (1983)

$4M worldwide

Highest rated

Tourist Trap (1979)

Midcredits 45th

Most popular right now

Mike Hammer, Private Eye (1997)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography42 of 44: 42 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score10thOther crew2 of 44: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s10 · crew1980s16 · crew1990s16 · crew2000s2 · 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 Nicholas Josef von Sternberg's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 10th percentile, the median of all 21; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 14th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

14thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

11thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th14

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 22 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Panned3
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · cinematographer

Air America: Operation Jaguar (2003)

91st percentile spread · 63% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Mike Hammer, Private Eye (1997)

Midcredits 55th · 75% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 35/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 50, detractors 25. 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 Nicholas Josef von Sternberg's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and sex & nudity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles33–77 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles21–62 · median 54 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles20–71 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles18–61 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles14–66 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all 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 Nicholas Josef von Sternberg work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nicholas Josef von Sternberg's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Greydon Clark shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers