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Sam Riley

Sam Riley

Actor · Born January 8, 1980 (46) · Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK

BAFTA Award nominee

He is best known for playing the lead role of Ian Curtis in the movie Control, a biopic about the lead singer of the 1970s post-punk band Joy Division. His performance in the role won him the British Independent Film Award for "Most Promising Newcomer". He also won a Kermode for Best Actor 2007 for the film. Prior to his portrayal of Ian Curtis, Riley played The Fall frontman Mark E. Smith in the Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People, which details the Factory Records era. His scenes, however, were omitted from the final cut. In September 2007, Riley was cast in Gerald McMorrow's British science fiction film Franklyn. He will play a lead role in 13, an English-language remake of the French thriller 13 Tzameti. He is currently playing the role of Pinkie Brown in a remake of Brighton Rock alongside Helen Mirren.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 8, 1980 (46)
From
Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 33 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 157 days to Oct 28Down 21% in 30 days

What are Sam Riley's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Comedy 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
25%
Self
18%
Morality
16%
Survival
15%
Power
11%
Society
11%
Ideas
4%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 22 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 4

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 11

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 1

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 4 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 4

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 5 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 10

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 11 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 5

Roles they play

14 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 9 of 14 analyzed roles.

Hero
9 of 14
Ally
2 of 14
Shapeshifter
2 of 14
Shadow
1 of 14
Show the 14 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Melancholic
12
Dread
8
Contemplative
7
Hopeful
7
Other
15

How their films linger

Bittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet11
  • Tragic3
  • 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 Sam Riley's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sam Riley'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

33 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Mint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 8 episodes · as Dylan

  • Bulk(2025)

    as Corey Harlan

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Cezanne on Art (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Joachim Gasquet

  • Islands(2025)

    as Tom

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • John Cranko (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as John Cranko

  • Widow Clicquot(2023)

    as Louis Bohne

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Firebrand(2023)

    as Thomas Seymour

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • She Is Love(2022)

    as Idris

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Jack

  • The Vault(2021)

    as James

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Rebecca(2020)

    as Jack Favell

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Radioactive(2019)

    as Pierre Curie

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Maleficent: Mistress of Evil(2019)

    as Diaval

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Naked King - 18 Fragments on Revolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Narrator English (voice)

  • Sometimes Always Never(2018)

    as Peter

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Happy New Year, Colin Burstead(2018)

    as David Burstead

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Free Fire(2016)

    as Stevo

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • SS-GB(2017)

    Show 5 episodes · as Douglas Archer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Robby and Toby's Fantastic Voyager (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Brad Blutbad

  • Pride and Prejudice and Zombies(2016)

    as Fitzwilliam Darcy

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Suite Française(2014)

    as Benoit Labarie

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Maleficent(2014)

    as Diaval

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Dark Valley(2014)

    as Greider

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Byzantium(2012)

    as Darvell

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • On the Road(2012)

    as Sal Paradise / Jack Kerouac

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Woman in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Wagenmeister

  • Brighton Rock(2010)

    as Pinkie

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • 13(2010)

    as Vince

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Franklyn(2008)

    as Milo

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Control(2007)

    as Ian Curtis

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Lenny Blue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · as James Milton

  • Tough Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as James Milton

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · as Eric Bruney

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 33 titles from 1999 to 2026; peak year 2015.

Biggest box office

Maleficent (2014)

$760M worldwide

Highest rated

Control (2007)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Maleficent (2014)

Film career

19992026

Peak 2015 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 11 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting33 of 33: 33 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score54th

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s4 · acting2010s16 · acting2020s12 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 18% of 22 roles
071217

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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

Nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2008.

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Sam Riley's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 22; across their 22 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Reach · how many have seen their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th9

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

She Is Love (2022)

83rd percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Control (2007)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 22 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 54. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

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 Sam Riley's work okay for kids?

Across up to 17 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore13 titles17–88 · median 52 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity17 titles14–55 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity14 titles5–78 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles7–66 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense14 titles27–67 · median 49 · moderatenear the median of all 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 Sam Riley work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sam Riley's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ben Wheatley shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers