José Luis Cuerda became a radio and television technician after leaving law school. In 1969 he joined Televisión Española, making reports and documentaries for the news services. Between 1985 and 1987 he was a professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Salamanca. After shooting several short films, in 1982 he directed his first feature film.
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Biography from TMDB.
- February 18, 1947
- February 4, 2020 (aged 72)
- Albacete, Spain
- Director, writer and producer
- 6 on MovieCove · 26 credits in all
What are José Luis Cuerda's films like?
Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 5
Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 4
Grounded 2 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2
Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 4
A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 1
A split, not a type: Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1
Casual 0 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 2
A split, not a type: Easy watch 1 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 5
Resolved 1 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Bittersweet4
- Ambiguous2
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 José Luis Cuerda's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 6 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for José Luis Cuerda'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
26 credits, 6 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Un país para reírlo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Some Time Later (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Todo es silencio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Los girasoles ciegos(2008)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
The Education of Fairies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
With Good Reason (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Howard Hawks, San Sebastián 1972 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
The Others(2001)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all filmsPrimer amor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Butterfly(1999)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Open Your Eyes(1997)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Thesis(1996)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
On Earth as It Is in Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Makinavaja: La Serie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Tocando fondo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
The Sow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
The Dumbfounded King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
La viuda del capitán Estrada (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Amanece, que no es poco(1989)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
The Enchanted Forest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Total (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Pares y nones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Too Much for Galvez (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
El hombre de moda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
The Tunnel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Mala Racha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Career shape
A full career of 26 titles from 1977 to 2021.
Biggest box office
The Others (2001)
Highest rated
Open Your Eyes (1997)
Most popular right now
The Others (2001)
Film career
- 1991Screen debut· The Dumbfounded King
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 José Luis Cuerda's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 94th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 92nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up5
- 50th to 74th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 6 titles divides audiences: 4 are Universally Loved.
- Universally Loved4
- Crowd Pleaser2
Reviewers score the atmosphere 77/100 and the pacing 50/100 in their films, across 6 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 José Luis Cuerda's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does José Luis Cuerda work with?
People who share at least 2 of José Luis Cuerda's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alejandro Amenábar shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Alejandro AmenábarShared titles: The Others (2001), Butterfly (1999), Open Your Eyes (1997), Thesis (1996)See all 4 shared titles with Alejandro Amenábar
Writers
- Rafael AzconaShared titles: Los girasoles ciegos (2008), Butterfly (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Rafael Azcona
- Mateo GilShared titles: Open Your Eyes (1997), Thesis (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Mateo Gil
Actors
- Eduardo NoriegaShared titles: Open Your Eyes (1997), Thesis (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Eduardo Noriega
- Fele MartínezShared titles: Open Your Eyes (1997), Thesis (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Fele Martínez
- Paco HernándezShared titles: Thesis (1996), Amanece, que no es poco (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Paco Hernández
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Hans BurmannShared titles: Los girasoles ciegos (2008), Open Your Eyes (1997), Thesis (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Hans Burmann
- Nacho Ruiz CapillasShared titles: Los girasoles ciegos (2008), The Others (2001), Butterfly (1999)See all 3 shared titles with Nacho Ruiz Capillas
- María Elena Sáinz de RozasShared titles: Open Your Eyes (1997), Thesis (1996)See all 2 shared titles with María Elena Sáinz de Rozas
- Mariano MarínShared titles: Open Your Eyes (1997), Thesis (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Mariano Marín
Producers
- Fernando BovairaShared titles: Los girasoles ciegos (2008), The Others (2001), Butterfly (1999), Open Your Eyes (1997)See all 4 shared titles with Fernando Bovaira
- Emiliano OteguiShared titles: Los girasoles ciegos (2008), The Others (2001), Thesis (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Emiliano Otegui