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Joe DeSalvo

Joe DeSalvo

Cinematographer

Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 25 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

What are Joe DeSalvo's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 90th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th 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
Self
40%
Bonds
18%
Society
16%
Morality
15%
Survival
9%
Power
3%
Purpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 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 5 · Serious 3 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 9 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 10 · Intense 1

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 2

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 9 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 6 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Melancholic
6
Contemplative
4
Warm
4
Joyful
3
Other
11

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous3
  • 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 Joe DeSalvo's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Joe DeSalvo'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

25 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page.

  • Bruce Springsteen's Letter to You(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Western Stars(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

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

    Cinematographer

  • Mike Epps: Only One Mike(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Springsteen on Broadway(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • For The Love of a Chanel Bag (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Cinematographer

  • The Girl Who Invented Kissing(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Anyone Can Quantum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Cinematographer

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

    Cinematographer

  • Smosh: The Movie(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Deep Web(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Alphabet Killer(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Fever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Cinematographer

  • Fall(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • All Over Me(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Wife(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Siao Yu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • Nobody's Girls: Five Women of the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • What Happened Was...(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Joey Breaker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Cinematographer

  • Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Cinematographer

  • Johnny Suede(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Zelda Catwoman of Queens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Cinematographer

  • Chains (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Cinematographer

  • Street Trash(1987)

    Gaffer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 23 titles from 1987 to 2019.

Biggest box office

Western Stars (2019)

$3.7M worldwide

Highest rated

Springsteen on Broadway (2018)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Alphabet Killer (2008)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography22 of 23: 22 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score59thOther crew1 of 23: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1980s2 · crew1990s11 · crew2000s1 · crew2010s9 · 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 Joe DeSalvo's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 14 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · cinematographer

Smosh: The Movie (2015)

92nd percentile spread · 60% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Springsteen on Broadway (2018)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 62/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 39. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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 Joe DeSalvo's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 51 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Joe DeSalvo work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joe DeSalvo's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Thom Zimny shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Producers