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Russell Mulcahy

Russell Mulcahy

Director, also writer, producer and actor · Born June 23, 1953 (73) · Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Russell Mulcahy (born 23 June 1953 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian film director. His work is easily recognized by his use of fast cuts, tracking shots and use of glowing lights.   Description above from the Wikipedia article Russell Mulcahy, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 23, 1953 (73)
From
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Works as
Director, also writer, producer and actor
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 48 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 3% in 30 days

What are Russell Mulcahy's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Action15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 26th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st 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
Morality
30%
Survival
25%
Bonds
17%
Society
10%
Self
9%
Power
4%
Ideas
4%
Survival11 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMortality2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 26 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 9 · Dark 12

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 14 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 5

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 9 · Intense 15

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 4

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

Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 5

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

Casual 10 · Engaged 16 · 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 10 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 7

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

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
22
Thrilling
12
Melancholic
10
Dread
7
Hopeful
4
Other
16

How their films linger

Bittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet14
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous4

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 Russell Mulcahy's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 25 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Russell Mulcahy'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

48 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Teen Wolf: The Movie(2023)

    Director · Executive Producer · Story

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • In Like Flynn(2018)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • 13 Reasons Why(2017)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Eye Candy(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • Bait(2012)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Teen Wolf(2011)

    Show 40 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Prayers for Bobby(2009)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Malone(2009)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior(2008)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Crash and Burn(2008)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Resident Evil: Extinction(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Sitter(2006)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Curse of King Tut's Tomb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Curse of King Tut's Tomb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Jules Verne's Mysterious Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Jules Verne's Mysterious Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • AC/DC: Family Jewels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story(2004)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Skin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Swimming Upstream(2003)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • 1st to Die(2003)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Young Lions(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Jeremiah(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • The Lost Battalion(2001)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Queer as Folk(2000)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • On the Beach(2000)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • On the Beach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Resurrection(1999)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Tale of the Mummy(1998)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Hunger(1997)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows

  • Perversions of Science (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Silent Trigger(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Shadow(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Real McCoy(1993)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Blue Ice(1992)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Ricochet(1991)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Highlander II: The Quickening(1991)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Tales from the Crypt(1989)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Highlander(1986)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Arena (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director

  • As the Lights Go Down (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director

  • Duran Duran: The Making of Arena (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director

  • Razorback(1984)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Red Hot Rock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Elton John: Visions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Director

  • Derek and Clive Get the Horn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • Adam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Lighting Coordinator

  • The Savior (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 48 titles, 47 of them dated from 1976 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

$148M worldwide

Highest rated

Prayers for Bobby (2009)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Highlander (1986)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing46 of 48: 44 only directing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score46thWriting3 of 48: 1 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing1 of 48: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 48: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s2 · crew1980s8 · crew1990s10 · crew2000s21 · crew2010s5 · 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 Russell Mulcahy's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 41st percentile, the median of all 24; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 38th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Approval · how many liked their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th10

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 32 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned3
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · director, writer, producer

Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023)

83rd percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Prayers for Bobby (2009)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 59/100 and the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 25 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 Russell Mulcahy's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 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 & Gore10 titles75–94 · median 83 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles21–52 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles28–84 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles14–58 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles61–89 · median 71 · 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 Russell Mulcahy work with?

People who share at least 2 of Russell Mulcahy's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Peter Honess shares the most, 4.

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers