Skip to content
MovieCove
Freddie Francis

Freddie Francis

Cinematographer and director, also actor and writer · Died March 17, 2007, aged 89 · Islington, London, England, UK

2 Oscars · BAFTA Award nominee

Frederick William (Freddie) Francis BSC (22 December 1917 – 17 March 2007) was an English cinematographer and film director. He achieved his greatest successes in the former, including winning two Academy Awards, for Sons and Lovers (1960) and Glory (1989). As a director, he has cult status on account of his association with the British production companies Amicus and Hammer in the 1960s and 1970s. Description above from the Wikipedia article Freddie Francis, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 22, 1917
Died
March 17, 2007 (aged 89)
From
Islington, London, England, UK
Works as
Cinematographer and director, also actor and writer
Titles
57 on MovieCove · 84 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 156 days to Oct 27Down 21% in 30 days

What are Freddie Francis' films like?

Across their 50 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Drama17 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Horror8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 97th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 15th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: 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
Self
24%
Morality
22%
Survival
17%
Bonds
16%
Power
11%
Society
7%
Ideas
3%
Identity10 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception9 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 50 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 14 · Serious 9 · Dark 27

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 24 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 11

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

Gentle 10 · Charged 22 · Intense 18

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

Steady 17 · Shifting 28 · Whiplash 5

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

Straight-faced 34 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 4

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

Slow burn 22 · Even-paced 26 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 17 · Engaged 26 · Full focus 7

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 19 · Affecting 15 · Heavy 16

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

Resolved 30 · Open-ended 14 · Ambiguous 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
36
Dread
20
Melancholic
21
Absurd
11
Contemplative
10
Other
36

How their films linger

Bittersweet23 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 14 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet25
  • Tragic7
  • Ambiguous8
  • Cyclical2

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 Freddie Francis' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 35 of their 57 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (22).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Freddie Francis' 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

84 credits, 57 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Amicus: House of Horrors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Actor

  • The Straight Story(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

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

    Cinematographer

  • Princess Caraboo(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror(1994)

    Thanks · as Self

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Calliope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Cinematographer

  • A Life in the Theatre(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • School Ties(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Cape Fear(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Man in the Moon(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Plot to Kill Hitler(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Glory(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Tales from the Crypt(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Brenda Starr(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Her Alibi(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Clara's Heart(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Dark Tower(1989)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • The Doctor and the Devils(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Code Name: Emerald(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Return to Oz(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Dune(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • What Waits Below (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Story

  • Memed My Hawk(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Jigsaw Man(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Executioner's Song(1982)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The French Lieutenant's Woman(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Elephant Man(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Golden Rendezvous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director

  • Star Maidens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

  • Legend of the Werewolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • The Ghoul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Craze(1974)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Son of Dracula (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • Tales That Witness Madness(1973)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Creeping Flesh(1973)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Black Beauty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

  • Tales from the Crypt(1972)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Vampire Happening(1971)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Trog(1970)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Girly(1970)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Dracula Has Risen from the Grave(1968)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Champions(1968)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Torture Garden(1967)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Man in a Suitcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • They Came from Beyond Space(1967)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Deadly Bees(1966)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Psychopath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • The Skull(1965)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Hysteria(1965)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Terror's House of Horrors(1965)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Traitor's Gate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • The Evil of Frankenstein(1964)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Night Must Fall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Cinematographer

  • Nightmare(1964)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Diary of a Bachelor(1964)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Paranoiac(1963)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Day of the Triffids(1963)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Saint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Brain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • Two and Two Make Six (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • The Innocents(1961)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Saturday Night and Sunday Morning(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Sons and Lovers(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Never Take Candy from a Stranger(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Battle of the Sexes(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Virgin Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • Room at the Top(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Next to No Time!(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Scamp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • Time Without Pity(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Hell in Korea(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Moby Dick(1956)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Monsieur Ripois (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Camera Operator

  • Beat the Devil(1953)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Twice Upon a Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Camera Operator

  • Moulin Rouge(1952)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • 24 Hours of a Woman's Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Camera Operator

  • Angels One Five (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Camera Operator

  • The Tales of Hoffmann(1951)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Golden Salamander (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Camera Operator

  • The Small Back Room(1949)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Nightbeat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Camera Operator

  • Mine Own Executioner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Camera Operator

  • The New Lot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Camera Operator

Career shape

A full career of 81 titles from 1943 to 2012.

Biggest box office

Cape Fear (1991)

$182M worldwide

Highest rated

The Elephant Man (1980)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Cape Fear (1991)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 81: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting33 of 81: 33 only directing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score46thWriting1 of 81: 1 only writing, 0 with another roleCinematography33 of 81: 33 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thOther crew13 of 81: 13 only other crew, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score84th

By decade

1940s4 · crew1950s15 · crew1960s23 · crew1970s13 · crew1980s15 · crew1990s10 · crew2010s1 · acting

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

2 Oscars from 6 major nominations, 1961–1993.

WinNomination
  1. 1993
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  2. 1991
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  3. 1990
    • Oscar, won · Best Cinematography
  4. 1982
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  5. 1981
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  6. 1961
    • Oscar, won · Best Cinematography, Black-and-White

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 Freddie Francis' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 55; across their 50 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 51st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 50

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 50

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 50

Midcredits score across 57 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up20
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th16
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

25 of their 57 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Universally Panned2
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser25
  • Broadly Agreed13
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · cinematographer

Memed My Hawk (1984)

83rd percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Elephant Man (1980)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 73/100 in their films, across 46 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 59. 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 Freddie Francis' work okay for kids?

Across up to 19 MovieCove titles with content scores, frightening / intense runs heavier than most films and sex & nudity and profanity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore12 titles10–84 · median 47 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity19 titles6–53 · median 20 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity13 titles2–65 · median 19 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs11 titles10–45 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense12 titles25–84 · median 71 · 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 Freddie Francis work with?

People who share at least 2 of Freddie Francis' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Peter Cushing shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles