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John Banas

John Banas

Writer · Wellington, New Zealand

John Banas is a New Zealander writer, director, actor and teacher who has, for over forty years, worked extensively in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. He began as an actor, writer and director in Kiwi theatre during the 1970s, Banas increasingly focused on dramatic writing for television from the 80s on. After relocating to Australia, he established himself as a prolific TV screenwriter with a string of iconic shows, including Blue Heelers and City Homicide. His many New Zealand scripts include Bombshell and award-winning telemovies Siege and How to Murder Your Wife.

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Biography from TMDB.

From
Wellington, New Zealand
Works as
Writer
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 37 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 38 days to Oct 27Up 53% in 30 days

What are John Banas' films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 32nd 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
Survival
27%
Bonds
25%
Self
22%
Morality
15%
Society
11%
Purpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 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 1 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 4 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 1 · Intense 1

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 3 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 1

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 2 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 1

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

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
2
Hopeful
3
Melancholic
2
Joyful
2
Dread
1
Other
4

How their films linger

Hopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet1
  • Ambiguous1

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 John Banas' films?

As of October 24, 2026, all 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Banas' 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

37 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page.

  • Packed Away (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Dad / Clown Dad

  • A Remarkable Place to Die(2024)

    Show Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • The Lost Boys of Dilworth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Script Editor

  • The Red Shoes: Next Step(2023)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Destination Love(2021)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Love Knots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Writer

  • A Love Yarn(2021)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Toke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Writer

  • Ablaze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Writer

  • Straight Forward (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 1 episode · Creator · Writer

  • Kiwi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Writer

  • In a Flash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Writer

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

    Writer

  • Pike River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Writer

  • Bombshell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Screenplay

  • The Monster of Mangatiti (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Writer

  • Venus and Mars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • How to Murder Your Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Writer

  • Siege (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Writer

  • Safe House(2012)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Tricky Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries(2012)

    Show 4 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Underbelly NZ: Land of the Long Green Cloud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 6 episodes · Writer

  • City Homicide(2006)

    Show Creator

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • headLand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

  • All Saints(1998)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Mirror, Mirror II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Water Rats(1996)

    Show 6 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Mirror, Mirror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • E Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 39 episodes · Director · Co-Producer · Script Editor · Story · Writer · as Zoran

  • Emma: Queen of the South Seas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Rafferty's Rules (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Ken Bascomb

  • Nearly No Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Patch

  • Strata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Steve

  • Bad Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Macko Hager

  • Battletruck(1982)

    as Reuben

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Phone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Actor

Career shape

A full career of 36 titles from 1974 to 2025.

Biggest box office

The Red Shoes: Next Step (2023)

$96K worldwide

Highest rated

A Remarkable Place to Die (2024)

Midcredits 49th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting8 of 36: 7 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting5 of 36: 4 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting23 of 36: 21 only writing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thProducing1 of 36: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew3 of 36: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s7 · 6 acting · 2 crew1990s4 · crew2000s2 · crew2010s15 · crew2020s7 · 1 acting · 6 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 John Banas' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 33rd percentile, the median of all 5; across a limited sample of 4 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 4

Approval · how many liked their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

35thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 10 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · writer

The Red Shoes: Next Step (2023)

73rd percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012)

Midcredits 94th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 48/100 and the plot and story 38/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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.

Who does John Banas work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Banas' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bridget Bourke shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers