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Jay Gruska

Composer · Born April 23, 1952 (74) · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Born
April 23, 1952 (74)
From
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Composer
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 27 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 29% in 30 days

What are Jay Gruska's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 15th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action 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
Bonds
44%
Survival
17%
Morality
13%
Self
11%
Ideas
6%
Society
6%
Power
2%
Romantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIllness and disability2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 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 6 · Serious 5 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 11 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 8 · Intense 2

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

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 8 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 9 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

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 7 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 2

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

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Warm
5
Melancholic
4
Hopeful
4
Thrilling
3
Other
14

How their films linger

Feel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

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 Jay Gruska's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jay Gruska'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

27 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Being Earnest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Composer · Orchestrator

  • Better Things(2016)

    Show 10 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Par 6 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Composer

  • The Long Kill(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Charmed(1998)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Waiting for Woody Allen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Compositor

  • Just in Time(1997)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Charlie Grace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 9 episodes · Composer

  • A Time to Heal(1994)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Trapped in Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Composer

  • Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas(1994)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Without Warning: Terror in the Towers(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Mo' Money(1992)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Baby of the Bride(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Child of Darkness, Child of Light(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Nightmare on the 13th Floor(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The World's Oldest Living Bridesmaid(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Wheels of Terror(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Beverly Hills, 90210(1990)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

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

    Composer

  • Shadow Dancing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Composer

  • Traxx (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Composer

  • The Principal(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • There Were Times, Dear(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Violets Are Blue...(1986)

    Songs

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Commando(1985)

    Music Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 24 titles from 1985 to 2021.

Biggest box office

Mo' Money (1992)

$40M worldwide

Highest rated

Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas (1994)

Midcredits 55th

Most popular right now

Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Music22 of 24: 21 only music, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score37thOther crew3 of 24: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1980s7 · crew1990s14 · crew2000s1 · 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 Jay Gruska's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 36th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 34th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

34thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

34thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 19 titles are Mixed.

  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · composer

There Were Times, Dear (1985)

81st percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

Better Things (2016)

Midcredits 83rd · 86% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 49/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 62, detractors 30. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

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 Jay Gruska's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Profanity3 titlesmedian 87 · severeMedian of all films: 36

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

Who does Jay Gruska work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jay Gruska's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Stanley M. Brooks shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Editors

Producers

Mixed roles