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Umberto Lenzi

Umberto Lenzi

Director, writer and actor · Died October 19, 2017, aged 86 · Massa Marittima, Grosseto, Italy

Umberto Lenzi (August 6, 1931—October 19, 2017) was an Italian film director who was very active in low budget crime films, peplums, Eurospy films, spaghetti westerns, Macaroni Combat movies, cannibal films and giallo murder mysteries (in addition to writing many of the screenplays himself).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 6, 1931
Died
October 19, 2017 (aged 86)
From
Massa Marittima, Grosseto, Italy
Works as
Director, writer and actor
Titles
35 on MovieCove · 81 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 26Up 58% in 30 days

What are Umberto Lenzi's films like?

Across their 34 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Action10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Crime7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 28th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 17th percentile
: browse their Adventure 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
Morality
36%
Survival
31%
Power
12%
Bonds
9%
Ideas
6%
Self
3%
Society
2%
Survival13 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge6 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 34 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 12 · Dark 13

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

Grounded 11 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 6

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 14 · Intense 19

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 26 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 20 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 20 · Relentless 9

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

Casual 12 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 1

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 17 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 28 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
30
Thrilling
20
Dread
12
Absurd
7
Melancholic
4
Other
10

How their films linger

Fun13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 10 with a twist

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet14
  • Tragic2
  • 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 Umberto Lenzi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 26 of their 35 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (23).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Umberto Lenzi'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

81 credits, 35 with a MovieCove page; 11 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Mondo Cannibale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Banned Alive! The Rise and Fall of Italian Cannibal Movies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Armed to the Teeth... Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Eaten Alive! The Rise and Fall of the Italian Cannibal Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Actor

  • Mean Tricks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Hunt for the Golden Scorpion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director · Screenstory

  • Black Demons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director · Camera Operator · Story

  • Detective Malone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Cop Target (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director · as Card Player in Casino

  • The Hell's Gate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director · Story · Writer

  • Nightmare Beach(1989)

    Director · Screenplay · Story · Technical Advisor

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Hitcher in the Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director · Screenstory

  • The House of Lost Souls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • The House of Witchcraft(1989)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Primal Rage(1988)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Ghosthouse(1988)

    Director · Story

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

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

    Writer

  • Wartime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · Screenplay · Screenstory

  • Bridge to Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director · Screenplay · Screenstory

  • The Wild Team(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Ironmaster(1983)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Fatty Girl Goes to New York (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director

  • Daughter of the Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director

  • Pierino the Pest to the Rescue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director

  • Cannibal Ferox(1981)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Nightmare City(1980)

    Director · as Reporter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Eaten Alive!(1980)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Scusi, lei è normale? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • From Corleone to Brooklyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • From Hell to Victory(1979)

    Director · Story

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Biggest Battle(1978)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Brothers Till We Die(1977)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist(1977)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Death Rage(1976)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Tough Ones(1976)

    Director · Story

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Tough Cop(1976)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Violent Naples(1976)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Syndicate Sadists(1975)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Manhunt in the City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • The Killer Must Kill Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Producer

  • Eyeball(1975)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Almost Human(1974)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Spasmo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Gang War in Milan(1973)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Knife of Ice(1972)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Man from Deep River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • Seven Blood-Stained Orchids(1972)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Oasis of Fear(1971)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • A Quiet Place to Kill(1970)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • So Sweet... So Perverse(1969)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Battle of the Commandos(1969)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Tarzan in the Golden Grotto(1969)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Paranoia(1969)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Pistol for a Hundred Coffins(1968)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Son of Black Eagle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Story

  • Go For Broke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • Desert Commandos(1967)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Kriminal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director · Screenplay

  • A Million Dollars for 7 Murders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Spy Who Loved Flowers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director · Screenplay · Screenstory

  • SuperSeven Calling Cairo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director · Novel

  • 008: Operation Exterminate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • Temple of a Thousand Lights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Three Sergeants of Bengal(1964)

    Director · Story

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • I pirati della Malesia(1964)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Messalina Against the Son of Hercules (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Temple of the White Elephant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director · Screenplay · Screenstory

  • Sandokan the Great (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director · Writer

  • Samson and the Slave Queen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • Slave Girls of Sheba (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Screenplay · Story

  • The Invincible Masked Rider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Catherine of Russia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • The Triumph of Robin Hood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • Duel of Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • The Adventures of Mary Read (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director

  • I Kiss... You Kiss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    First Assistant Director

  • Guns of the Black Witch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    First Assistant Director

  • Constantine and the Cross(1961)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Ragazzi di Trastevere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director · Script · Story

  • Amore e chiacchiere (Salviamo il panorama)(1958)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • An Italian in Greece (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director · Editor · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 81 titles from 1958 to 2016.

Highest rated

Almost Human (1974)

Midcredits 85th

Most popular right now

Cannibal Ferox (1981)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting7 of 81: 5 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting66 of 81: 21 only directing, 45 with another role · typical Midcredits score35thWriting48 of 81: 5 only writing, 43 with another role · typical Midcredits score28thProducing2 of 81: 2 only producing, 0 with another roleEditing1 of 81: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew6 of 81: 3 only other crew, 3 with another role

81 titles, 45 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 43 of them.

By decade

1950s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew1960s29 · crew1970s22 · crew1980s18 · 1 acting · 18 crew1990s5 · 1 acting · 5 crew2010s4 · acting

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 Umberto Lenzi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 34th percentile, the median of all 35; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 41st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Approval · how many liked their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Reach · how many have seen their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Midcredits score across 35 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th16

Shape of the crowd

18 of their 35 titles are Mixed.

  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Broadly Agreed9
  • Mixed18

Most divisive · director

The Wild Team (1985)

70th percentile spread · 42% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Almost Human (1974)

Midcredits 85th · 75% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 56/100 and the pacing 46/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

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 Umberto Lenzi's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and sex & nudity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore7 titles55–92 · median 78 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles19–67 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 43 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 51 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 78 · intenseMedian 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 Umberto Lenzi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Umberto Lenzi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Eugenio Alabiso shares the most, 12.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles