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Nick Cave

Nick Cave

Composer, actor and writer, also director · Born September 22, 1957 (69) · Warracknabeal, Victoria, Australia

Oscar nominee · Golden Globe nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 3 other major award bodies

Nicholas Edward Cave is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, author, screenwriter, composer and film actor, best known as the frontman of the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. He has appeared in some 15 feature films and video shorts, plus a heap of documentaries. Nick Cave has also composed a large number of scores, some of them with his musical partner Warren Ellis.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 22, 1957 (69)
From
Warracknabeal, Victoria, Australia
Works as
Composer, actor and writer, also director
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 62 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 156 days to Oct 27Down 51% in 30 days

What are Nick Cave's films like?

Across their 31 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Genres

Documentary12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 96th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 93rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Music2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 99th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Music 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
28%
Society
20%
Ideas
16%
Survival
12%
Morality
11%
Bonds
8%
Power
7%
Identity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt8 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame5 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 29 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 7 · Serious 7 · Dark 15

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

Grounded 11 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 6

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 8 · Charged 9 · Intense 12

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

Steady 17 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 26 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 9 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 5

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 7 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 14

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 14 · Open-ended 12 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.

Hero
2 of 4
Trickster
1 of 4
Shapeshifter
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
24
Tense
16
Contemplative
17
Dread
6
Warm
5
Other
17

How their films linger

Thought-provoking13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet16
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous7
  • 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 Nick Cave's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Nick Cave'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

62 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page; 87 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Death of Bunny Munro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer · Creator · Executive Producer · Novel

  • Train Dreams(2025)

    Songs · Vocals

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Reality Is Not Enough(2025)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: The Wild God Tour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Author · Composer · Compositor · as Self

  • The Making of Wild God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Nick Cave

  • Memoir of a Snail(2024)

    as Bill Clarke (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • But We Had Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as (Voice)

  • Back to Black(2024)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The New Boy(2023)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • DAHMER - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 10 episodes · Composer

  • Blonde(2022)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Live in Montreux 2022 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Actor

  • This Much I Know to Be True(2022)

    Composer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Monster(2022)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • The Velvet Queen(2021)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Electrical Life of Louis Wain(2021)

    as H.G. Wells

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Idiot Prayer(2020)

    Director · as Self

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Private Death of Lizzy Siddal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Mr. Invisible

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

    as Truck Driver (voice)

  • Kings(2017)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Wind River(2017)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • War Machine(2017)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Do You Pray? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Narrator

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

    as Narrator

  • One More Time with Feeling(2016)

    Composer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Nocturama(2016)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Hell or High Water(2016)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Prophet's Prey(2015)

    Composer · Writer · as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Far from Men(2014)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • 20,000 Days on Earth(2014)

    Composer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Tender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Composer

  • West of Memphis(2012)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • A Few Hours of Spring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Composer

  • Lawless(2012)

    Composer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Submission (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Composer

  • Millhaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Author

  • The Road(2009)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • On/Off: Mark Stewart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • The Cat Piano (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Narrator

  • Angel of the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Composer

  • The Assassination of Jesse James: Death of an Outlaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Composer

  • The English Surgeon(2007)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford(2007)

    Composer · as Bowery Saloon Singer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Seele Brennt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Nick Cave

  • The Proposition(2005)

    Composer · Screenplay · Vocals

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Goddess: How I Fell in Love. Film about the film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Composer

  • Winged Migration(2001)

    Theme Song Performance

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Listen with Pain: 20 Years of Einstürzende Neubauten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Actor

  • Expelling the Demon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Composer

  • Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: The Videos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Composer · as Self

  • Rhinoceros Hunting in Budapest(1997)

    as Jerry

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • To Have and to Hold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Composer

  • Baby Trouble Hole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Singer

  • Just Visiting This Planet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Composer

  • Johnny Suede(1991)

    as Freak Storm

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • IDn2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Entry

  • Dandy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Composer · Writer · as Maynard

  • Dogs in Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Thanks

  • Before They Were Gods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as (voice)

  • The Circumventing Mind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Composer

  • Woyzeck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Composer

Career shape

Star power in the 88th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 61 titles, 58 of them dated from 1986 to 2025; peak year 2008.

Biggest box office

Lawless (2012)

$55M worldwide

Highest rated

Idiot Prayer (2020)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Wind River (2017)

Film career

19862025

Peak 2008 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1988Screen debut· Ghosts... of the Civil Dead
  • 2009First top-billed film· The Cat Piano

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting23 of 61: 20 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score79thDirecting1 of 61: 1 only directing, 0 with another roleWriting7 of 61: 1 only writing, 6 with another roleProducing1 of 61: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleMusic35 of 61: 27 only music, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score89thOther crew7 of 61: 4 only other crew, 3 with another role

61 titles, 8 with more than one role — music and acting overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1980s3 · 2 acting · 2 crew1990s8 · 4 acting · 4 crew2000s12 · 5 acting · 8 crew2010s18 · 4 acting · 15 crew2020s17 · 7 acting · 10 crew

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 17% of 6 roles

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.

Awards

1 major award from 6 major nominations, 2006–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Original Music, Fiction
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Song
  2. 2022
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Recording Package
  3. 2006
    • Venice award, won

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 Nick Cave's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 89th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 29 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 87th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Approval · how many liked their films

90thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Reach · how many have seen their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up20
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 29 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved11
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Rhinoceros Hunting in Budapest (1997)

93rd percentile spread · 36% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director

Idiot Prayer (2020)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 69/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 52. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

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 Nick Cave's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore11 titles40–93 · median 74 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles19–79 · median 48 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles48–85 · median 77 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs11 titles31–87 · median 46 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense11 titles55–90 · median 70 · 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 Nick Cave work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nick Cave's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Warren Ellis shares the most, 21.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles