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Len Deighton

Len Deighton

Writer, also producer · Died March 15, 2026, aged 97 · London, England, UK

Len Deighton was a thriller writer best known for his 1962 novel The Ipcress File.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 18, 1929
Died
March 15, 2026 (aged 97)
From
London, England, UK
Works as
Writer, also producer
Titles
9 on MovieCove · 13 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

What are Len Deighton's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
39%
Power
31%
Bonds
10%
Self
10%
Survival
9%
Justice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 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 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 2

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 6 · Intense 1

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 5 · 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 1 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 3

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

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Thrilling
5
Cold
3
Absurd
2
Contemplative
3
Other
3

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous3

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 Len Deighton's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 9 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Pluto TV (2).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Len Deighton'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

13 credits, 9 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Ipcress File(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Novel

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • SS-GB(2017)

    Show 5 episodes · Creator · Novel

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Midnight in Saint Petersburg(1996)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Bullet to Beijing(1995)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Game, Set, and Match (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 13 episodes · Novel

  • Spy Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Novel

  • Oh! What a Lovely War(1969)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Only When I Larf(1968)

    Novel · Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Billion Dollar Brain(1967)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Funeral in Berlin(1966)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Ipcress File(1965)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Long Past Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Writer

  • Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 13 titles from 1956 to 2022.

Biggest box office

The Ipcress File (1965)

$11K worldwide

Highest rated

The Ipcress File (1965)

Midcredits 85th

Most popular right now

SS-GB (2017)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing13 of 13: 10 only writing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score39thProducing1 of 13: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew2 of 13: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

13 titles, 3 with more than one role — writing and other crew overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1950s1 · crew1960s6 · crew1970s1 · crew1980s1 · crew1990s2 · crew2010s1 · crew2020s1 · 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 Len Deighton's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 39th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 45th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

33rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 9 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

None of their 9 titles divides audiences: 4 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed3

Most loved · writer

The Ipcress File (1965)

Midcredits 85th · 77% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 58/100 and the plot and story 42/100 in their films, across 7 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 Len Deighton work with?

People who share at least 2 of Len Deighton's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Caine shares the most, 5.

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles