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Geoff Murphy

Geoff Murphy

Director, writer and producer · Died December 3, 2018, aged 72 · Wellington, North Island, New Zealand

Geoff Murphy was a successful New Zealand filmmaker best-known for his work during the renaissance of New Zealand cinema that began in the last half of the 1970s. He directed a string of big-budget Hollywood features during the 1990s, before returning to New Zealand as second unit director on all three movies of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. He has also worked as a scriptwriter, assistant director, special effects man, schoolteacher and trumpet player. Description above from the Wikipedia article Geoff Murphy, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 13, 1946
Died
December 3, 2018 (aged 72)
From
Wellington, North Island, New Zealand
Works as
Director, writer and producer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 31 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 65 days to Oct 28Down 35% in 30 days

What are Geoff Murphy's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th 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
29%
Bonds
27%
Survival
20%
Self
10%
Power
8%
Society
4%
Ideas
2%
Survival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 7

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

Steady 1 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 2 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Thrilling
6
Dread
5
Melancholic
3
Contemplative
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Cathartic4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet4
  • 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 Geoff Murphy's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Geoff Murphy'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

31 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Pork Pie(2017)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • xXx: State of the Union(2005)

    Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Spooked (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Land Has Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Post Production Supervisor

  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(2001)

    Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Race Against Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director

  • Fortress 2: Re-Entry(2000)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • The Magnificent Seven(1998)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Dante's Peak(1997)

    Associate Producer · Second Unit

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Don't Look Back(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Under Siege 2: Dark Territory(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Last Outlaw(1993)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Blind Side(1993)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Freejack(1992)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Young Guns II(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Red King, White Knight(1989)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Never Say Die (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · as Jack

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

    Associate Producer · First Assistant Director · as Mr Semmens

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

    as Subject

  • Mr. Wrong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Screenplay

  • The Quiet Earth(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Utu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Wagon Driver

  • Goodbye Pork Pie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Director · Author · Producer

  • The Last Outlaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 4 episodes · Special Effects

  • Sleeping Dogs(1977)

    Special Effects

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • A State of Siege (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Assistant Director

  • Dagg Day Afternoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director · Writer · as Man in the Street

  • Wild Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director · Writer · as Printer

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

    Director

  • Tank Busters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • Hurry Hurry Faster Faster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director · Writer · Actor

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles from 1965 to 2005.

Biggest box office

Dante's Peak (1997)

$178M worldwide

Highest rated

The Quiet Earth (1985)

Midcredits 72nd

Most popular right now

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)

Film career

  • 1983Screen debut· Utu

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting7 of 30: 1 only acting, 6 with another roleDirecting20 of 30: 13 only directing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score34thWriting8 of 30: 1 only writing, 7 with another roleProducing5 of 30: 0 only producing, 5 with another roleOther crew8 of 30: 6 only other crew, 2 with another role

30 titles, 9 with more than one role.

By decade

1960s1 · 1 acting · 1 crew1970s6 · 2 acting · 6 crew1980s9 · 4 acting · 8 crew1990s8 · crew2000s6 · 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 Geoff Murphy's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 41st percentile, the median of all 14; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 40th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

None of their 15 titles divides audiences: 6 are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed6

Most loved · director

The Quiet Earth (1985)

Midcredits 72nd · 63% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 61/100 and the pacing 52/100 in their films, across 11 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 Geoff Murphy's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 58 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles34–53 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 29 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian 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 Geoff Murphy work with?

People who share at least 2 of Geoff Murphy's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jonathan Banks shares the most, 3.

Actors

Producers