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Robbie Ryan

Robbie Ryan

Cinematographer · Born January 1, 1970 (56) · Dublin, Ireland

Oscar nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 3 other major award bodies

Robbie Ryan (born 1970) is an Irish cinematographer whose work spans over 106 film projects, including feature-length, short films, commercials, and music videos. He is most known for his collaborations with film auteurs such as Andrea Arnold, Sally Potter, Stephen Frears, Ken Loach, Noah Baumbach, Yorgos Lanthimos and Mike Mills. He received Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography for Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite (2018) and Poor Things (2023). Description above from the Wikipedia article Robbie Ryan (cinematographer), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1970 (56)
From
Dublin, Ireland
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
36 on MovieCove · 74 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 21% in 30 days

What are Robbie Ryan's films like?

Across their 33 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary 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
Self
25%
Bonds
17%
Society
14%
Power
13%
Survival
12%
Morality
10%
Ideas
8%
Community7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 33 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 11 · Dark 18

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 20 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 6

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 13 · Intense 16

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

Steady 11 · Shifting 16 · Whiplash 6

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

Straight-faced 22 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 16 · 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 8 · Engaged 18 · Full focus 7

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 3 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 19

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 15 · Open-ended 11 · Ambiguous 7

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
22
Melancholic
16
Contemplative
10
Dread
9
Bittersweet
9
Other
25

How their films linger

Haunting13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet13
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous10
  • Cyclical1
  • Other1

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 Robbie Ryan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 36 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robbie Ryan'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

74 credits, 36 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • A Talent for Murder(2026)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • A Loud Piece of Armour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Cinematographer

  • Bugonia(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Nostalgie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Cinematographer

  • Tornado(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Bird(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Kinds of Kindness(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Bien Cuit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Cinematographer

  • Poor Things(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Old Oak(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Medusa Deluxe(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • F.O.G (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Cinematographer

  • The Severed Tail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Cinematographer

  • Look at Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Cinematographer

  • This Much I Know to Be True(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • C'mon C'mon(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Walk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Cinematographer

  • The Afterlight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Cinematographer

  • 2003 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Cinematographer

  • Idiot Prayer(2020)

    Director · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Roads Not Taken(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Bird Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Cinematographer

  • Best Before Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Cinematographer

  • Sorry We Missed You(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Marriage Story(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Favourite(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Trust(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • The Big Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Cinematographer

  • The Meyerowitz Stories(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Aamir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Cinematographer · Thanks

  • Blue Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Cinematographer

  • I, Daniel Blake(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • American Honey(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • I Am Not a Serial Killer(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Slow West(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Catch Me Daddy(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Jimmy's Hall(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Kármán Line (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Cinematographer

  • Philomena(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Summit(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Last Days on Mars(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Ginger & Rosa(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Angels' Share(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Loneliest Planet(2011)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Pitch Black Heist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer

  • Wuthering Heights(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • I Am Slave(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Patagonia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Cinematographer

  • The Scouting Book for Boys(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Fish Tank(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Uncle Bill's Barrel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

  • Carmo, Hit the Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

  • Brick Lane(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Mischief Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Cinematographer

  • Red Road(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Dust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • Isolation(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Antonio's Breakfast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • Knitting a Love Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Cinematographer

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

    Cinematographer

  • This Is Not a Love Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Camera Operator

  • Large (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Cinematographer

  • Ivor the Insomniac (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Cinematographer

  • A Man of Few Words (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Camera Operator

  • The Black Suit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • The Tale of the Rat That Wrote (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Cinematographer

  • Suede: Live at Perivale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Camera Operator

  • Blessed Fruit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Cinematographer

  • New Dawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Cinematographer

  • Retribution in the Year 2050 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Camera Operator

  • How to Cheat in the Leaving Certificate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Cinematographer

  • High End (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer

  • No Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer

  • Sapphire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 74 titles, 71 of them dated from 1998 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Poor Things (2023)

$118M worldwide

Highest rated

Idiot Prayer (2020)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Kinds of Kindness (2024)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 74: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleCinematography68 of 74: 66 only cinematography, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score77thOther crew7 of 74: 6 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1990s6 · crew2000s16 · crew2010s28 · crew2020s21 · 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.

Awards

1 major award from 8 major nominations, 2011–2024.

WinNomination
  1. 2024
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  2. 2019
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  3. 2017
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  4. 2011
    • Venice award, won · Outstanding Technical Contribution

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 Robbie Ryan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 35; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 76th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 36 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 36 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · cinematographer

Wuthering Heights (2011)

55th percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, cinematographer

Idiot Prayer (2020)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 74/100 in their films, across 31 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 55. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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 Robbie Ryan's work okay for kids?

Across up to 21 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 & Gore19 titles25–85 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity21 titles8–76 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity18 titles61–89 · median 76 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs18 titles6–65 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense17 titles27–77 · median 58 · moderateheavier 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 Robbie Ryan work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robbie Ryan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Andrew Lowe shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles