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William Goldenberg

William Goldenberg

Editor, also director · Born November 2, 1959 (66) · USA

Oscar winner · BAFTA Award winner · Primetime Emmy nominee · 1 other major award body

William Goldenberg (born November 2, 1959) is an American film editor and director. He has more than twenty film and television credits since 1992. He won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for the film Argo (2012) and has been nominated for The Insider (1999), Seabiscuit (2003), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), and The Imitation Game (2014). He has also received nominations for nine other editing-related awards. Goldenberg has had extended, notable collaborations with directors Michael Mann and Ben Affleck. Goldenberg has been elected to membership in the American Cinema Editors. He made his directorial debut with Unstoppable (2024). Description above from the Wikipedia article William Goldenberg, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 2, 1959 (66)
From
USA
Works as
Editor, also director
Titles
42 on MovieCove · 44 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 11% in 30 days

What are William Goldenberg's films like?

Across their 33 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Action14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
29%
Morality
26%
Bonds
17%
Survival
14%
Power
7%
Ideas
3%
Society
3%
Justice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice5 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 33 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 9 · Dark 15

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 14 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 6

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 11 · Intense 21

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

Steady 10 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 8

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 18 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 4

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 11

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 20 · Full focus 7

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 11 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 14

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

Resolved 26 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
26
Thrilling
9
Melancholic
13
Hopeful
11
Dread
6
Other
26

How their films linger

Hopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic1
  • 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 William Goldenberg's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 30 of their 42 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for William Goldenberg'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

44 credits, 42 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Animals(2026)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Uprising(2026)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Lost Bus(2025)

    Co-Producer · Editor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Unstoppable(2024)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Instigators(2024)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Transformers: Rise of the Beasts(2023)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Air(2023)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Outfit(2022)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • News of the World(2020)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • 6 Underground(2019)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • 22 July(2018)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Detroit(2017)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Live by Night(2016)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Concussion(2015)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Unbroken(2014)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Imitation Game(2014)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Transformers: Age of Extinction(2014)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Runner Runner(2013)

    Additional Editing

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Zero Dark Thirty(2012)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Argo(2012)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Transformers: Dark of the Moon(2011)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Sorcerer's Apprentice(2010)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Confessions of a Shopaholic(2009)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Tale of Despereaux(2008)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • National Treasure: Book of Secrets(2007)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Gone Baby Gone(2007)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Miami Vice(2006)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Domino(2005)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • National Treasure(2004)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Seabiscuit(2003)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Kangaroo Jack(2003)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Ali(2001)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Coyote Ugly(2000)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Insider(1999)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Pleasantville(1998)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Long Kiss Goodnight(1996)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Heat(1995)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Body Language (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Editor

  • Citizen X(1995)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Puppet Masters(1994)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Alive(1993)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Witness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Editor

  • Hook(1991)

    Additional Editing

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Three Fugitives(1989)

    Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 44 titles from 1989 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

$1.1B worldwide

Highest rated

The Imitation Game (2014)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Animals (2026)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 44: 1 only directing, 0 with another roleProducing1 of 44: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleEditing39 of 44: 38 only editing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thOther crew4 of 44: 4 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s10 · crew2000s11 · crew2010s13 · crew2020s9 · 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.

Awards

an Oscar, a BAFTA Award and 1 other major award from 13 major nominations, 1995–2024.

WinNomination
  1. 2024
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Editing
  2. 2015
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Film Editing
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Editing
  3. 2013
    • Oscar, won · Best Achievement in Film Editing
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Film Editing
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Editing
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Editing
    • +1 other major body · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Editing
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Editing
  4. 2004
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Film Editing
  5. 2002
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
  6. 2000
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Film Editing
  7. 1995
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Single Camera Production

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 William Goldenberg's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 42; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

97thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 42 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 42 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · editor

Kangaroo Jack (2003)

59th percentile spread · 46% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · editor

Heat (1995)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the pacing 49/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles; fans 58, detractors 30. The element that speaks to their work as an editor.

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 William Goldenberg's work okay for kids?

Across up to 32 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore31 titles26–90 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity32 titles7–51 · median 23 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity31 titles29–86 · median 54 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs30 titles6–51 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense30 titles27–84 · median 60 · 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 William Goldenberg work with?

People who share at least 2 of William Goldenberg's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ben Affleck shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers