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Sean S. Cunningham

Sean S. Cunningham

Producer, director, writer and actor · Born December 31, 1941 (84) · New York City, New York, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Sean Sexton Cunningham (born December 31, 1941, in New York City) is an American film director, producer, and writer. He is best known for creating the Friday the 13th series of horror films, which introduced the fictional killer Jason Voorhees. He also produced many horror films, such as Wes Craven's debut feature and House film series. Description above from the Wikipedia article Sean S. Cunningham, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 31, 1941 (84)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Producer, director, writer and actor
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 46 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 24% in 30 days

What are Sean S. Cunningham's films like?

Across their 28 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Horror14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 27th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 14th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 96th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Fantasy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 4th percentile
: browse their Fantasy 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
52%
Morality
16%
Bonds
13%
Self
9%
Society
6%
Ideas
2%
Power
1%
Survival15 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma8 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 28 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 7 · Dark 12

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 15 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 6 · Charged 2 · Intense 20

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 5

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 15 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 16 · Relentless 5

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

Casual 17 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 25 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
19
Dread
17
Thrilling
10
Absurd
9
Joyful
5
Other
13

How their films linger

Fun14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 9 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous12

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 Sean S. Cunningham's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on AMC+ (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sean S. Cunningham'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

46 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 26 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Thanks

  • Friday the 13th: Origin of Evil - Part 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Characters

  • Friday the 13th: Origin of Evil - Part 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Characters

  • Friday the 13th: Origin of Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Characters

  • The Story Of The '80s Slasher Craze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Actor

  • Never Hike Alone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Characters

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

    as Jonathan

  • Ding Dong, You're Dead! The Making of "House" (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Actor

  • Home Deadly Home: The Making of "House IV" (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Actor

  • His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th(2009)

    Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Last House on the Left(2009)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Friday the 13th(2009)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Surviving Sid(2008)

    as Glyptodon Boy (voice)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Trapped Ashes(2006)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Freddy vs. Jason(2003)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Terminal Invasion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • Jason X(2001)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • XCU: Extreme Close Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Producer

  • Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday(1993)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • My Boyfriend's Back(1993)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • House IV(1992)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • House III: The Horror Show(1989)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • DeepStar Six(1989)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • A Taste of Hemlock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Presenter

  • Friday the 13th: The New Blood(1988)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • House II: The Second Story(1987)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives(1986)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • House(1985)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Friday the 13th: A New Beginning(1985)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The New Kids(1985)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter(1984)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Spring Break(1983)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • A Stranger Is Watching(1982)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Friday the 13th: Part 3(1982)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Friday the 13th: Part 2(1981)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Friday the 13th(1980)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Here Come the Tigers(1978)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Manny's Orphans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director · Producer

  • The People Who Own the Dark(1976)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Fireworks Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Producer

  • The Case of the Smiling Stiffs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director · Producer

  • The Last House on the Left(1972)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Together(1971)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Art of Marriage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • The Night Driver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

Career shape

A full career of 40 titles, 38 of them dated from 1970 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

$117M worldwide

Highest rated

In Search of Darkness (2019)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Friday the 13th (1980)

Film career

  • 2008Screen debut· Surviving Sid

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting5 of 40: 5 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting13 of 40: 2 only directing, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score20thWriting7 of 40: 5 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing26 of 40: 15 only producing, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score30thOther crew2 of 40: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

40 titles, 11 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 11 of them.

By decade

1970s7 · crew1980s10 · crew1990s3 · crew2000s8 · 1 acting · 7 crew2010s5 · 3 acting · 2 crew2020s5 · 1 acting · 4 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 Sean S. Cunningham's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 29th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 28 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 31st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

31stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Approval · how many liked their films

29thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Reach · how many have seen their films

90thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th11

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 28 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed19

Most divisive · director, writer, producer

Together (1971)

79th percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, producer

His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th (2009)

Midcredits 73rd · 68% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 53/100 and the pacing 44/100 in their films, across 27 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 Sean S. Cunningham's work okay for kids?

Across up to 21 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 & Gore16 titles76–95 · median 89 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity21 titles13–77 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity16 titles54–86 · median 71 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs16 titles28–73 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense16 titles64–89 · median 81 · severeheavier 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 Sean S. Cunningham work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sean S. Cunningham's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Harry Manfredini shares the most, 17.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles