Januszczak was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire, to Polish refugees who had arrived in England after the Second World War. After studying history of art at the University of Manchester, Januszczak became an art critic – and then arts editor – of The Guardian. In 1990 he was appointed head of arts at the UK's Channel 4 television and in 1992 he became art critic for The Sunday Times. He has been voted Critic of the Year twice by the Press Association. Januszczak has been described as "a passionate art lover, art critic and writer. His presentation style is casual but informed, enthusiastic, evocative and humorous. He bumbles about on our TV screens, doing for art what David Attenborough has done for the natural world," and someone who acts out of "a refusal to present art as elitist in any way. He makes it utterly accessible and understandable."
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Biography from TMDB.
- January 12, 1954 (72)
- Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, UK
- Director, actor, writer and producer
- 8 on MovieCove · 29 credits in all
Known for
What are Waldemar Januszczak's films like?
Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Ideas and Society.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 3
Light 2 · Serious 1 · Dark 0
Grounded 3 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0
Gentle 2 · Charged 1 · Intense 0
Steady 3 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0
Casual 2 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 3 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 0
Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Bittersweet2
- Ambiguous5
- 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 Waldemar Januszczak's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Waldemar Januszczak'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
29 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
The Mystery of the Nativity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Waldemar Januszcak: My Ukrainian Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
The Art Mysteries with Waldemar Januszczak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Handmade in Bolton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Big Sky, Big Dreams, Big Art: Made in the USA (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows
Holbein: Eye of the Tudors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Rubens: An Extra Large Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows
The Lost Genius of British Art: William Dobson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
William Dobson: The Lost Genius of Baroque (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Ugly Beauty(2010)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Manet: The Man Who Invented Modern Art (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Baroque! From St Peter's to St Paul's (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Sickert vs Sargent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Travels with My Camera: The Happy Dictator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Hawkwind: Do Not Panic(2007)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Toulouse-Lautrec: The Full Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
The Michelangelo Code: Lost Secrets of the Sistine Chapel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Beijing Swings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Gauguin: The Full Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Picasso: Magic, Sex & Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Puppy Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
The Lost Supper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Arthouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Career shape
A full career of 28 titles from 1997 to 2024.
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 Waldemar Januszczak's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 46th percentile, the median of all 3; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 35th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up6
- 25th to 49th2
Shape of the crowd
3 of their 8 titles are Universally Loved.
- Universally Loved3
- Divisive1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser3
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 Waldemar Januszczak work with?
People who share at least 2 of Waldemar Januszczak's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Simon Russell shares the most, 5.
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Simon RussellShared titles: Art's Wildest Movement: Mannerism (2024), Mary Magdalene: Art's Scarlet Woman (2017), The Renaissance Unchained (2016), Rococo: Travel, Pleasure, Madness (2014), The Dark Ages: An Age of Light (2012)See all 5 shared titles with Simon Russell
- Kirsi PyyShared titles: Mary Magdalene: Art's Scarlet Woman (2017), The Renaissance Unchained (2016), The Dark Ages: An Age of Light (2012)See all 3 shared titles with Kirsi Pyy
- Matt ConwayShared titles: The Renaissance Unchained (2016), Rococo: Travel, Pleasure, Madness (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Matt Conway
- Matthew C. HartShared titles: The Impressionists: Painting and Revolution (2011), Ugly Beauty (2010)See all 2 shared titles with Matthew C. Hart
Producers
- Lidia CiszewskaShared titles: Mary Magdalene: Art's Scarlet Woman (2017), The Renaissance Unchained (2016), Rococo: Travel, Pleasure, Madness (2014), The Dark Ages: An Age of Light (2012)See all 4 shared titles with Lidia Ciszewska
- Peter GrimsdaleShared titles: Mary Magdalene: Art's Scarlet Woman (2017), The Renaissance Unchained (2016), The Dark Ages: An Age of Light (2012)See all 3 shared titles with Peter Grimsdale
- Mark BellShared titles: The Renaissance Unchained (2016), The Dark Ages: An Age of Light (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Mark Bell
- Susan DoyonShared titles: The Impressionists: Painting and Revolution (2011), Ugly Beauty (2010)See all 2 shared titles with Susan Doyon