Skip to content
MovieCove
Michael Seresin

Michael Seresin

Cinematographer, also director and producer · Born July 17, 1942 (84) · Wellington, New Zealand

BAFTA Award nominee

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Michael Stephen Seresin, ONZM, (born 17 July 1942) is a New Zealand cinematographer, best known for several collaborations with the British director Alan Parker. As a film director, Seresin directed the Mickey Rourke film Homeboy. In addition to his work in film, Seresin is a winemaker, having founded Seresin Estate in Marlborough in 1992. Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael Seresin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 17, 1942 (84)
From
Wellington, New Zealand
Works as
Cinematographer, also director and producer
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 32 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 156 days to Oct 27Up 24% in 30 days

What are Michael Seresin's films like?

Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th 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
Self
25%
Morality
25%
Bonds
23%
Survival
11%
Power
7%
Ideas
6%
Society
4%
Justice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 25 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 5 · Dark 17

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 12 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 5

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 8 · Intense 16

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 4

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

Straight-faced 20 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 18 · 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 7 · 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 3 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 15

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

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
22
Melancholic
10
Dread
9
Bittersweet
9
Hopeful
5
Other
17

How their films linger

Haunting9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet14
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous2

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 Michael Seresin's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Michael Seresin'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

32 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page.

  • Gunpowder Milkshake(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • War for the Planet of the Apes(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Gravity(2013)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Cab-Ride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer

  • All Good Things(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Married Himself (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Cinematographer

  • Step Up(2006)

    Cinematographer · as Custodian

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Paris, Je T'aime(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Life of David Gale(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Domestic Disturbance(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Angela's Ashes(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Mercury Rising(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • City Hall(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Come See the Paradise(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Samaritans - Scream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director

  • Homeboy(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Rambo III(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Angel Heart(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Birdy(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Shoot the Moon(1982)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Tattoo(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Fame(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Foxes(1980)

    Associate Producer · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Midnight Express(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Sleeping Dogs(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Bugsy Malone(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • No Hard Feelings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

  • The Probability Factor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

  • Let's Make a Dirty Movie(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 31 titles from 1976 to 2021.

Biggest box office

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

$811M worldwide

Highest rated

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 31: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting2 of 31: 2 only directing, 0 with another roleProducing1 of 31: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography28 of 31: 26 only cinematography, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score69thOther crew1 of 31: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s6 · crew1980s8 · crew1990s4 · crew2000s5 · 1 acting · 5 crew2010s7 · 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.

Awards

Nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2000, Best Cinematography.

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 Michael Seresin's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 25 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Reach · how many have seen their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

None of their 27 titles divides audiences: 15 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed3

Most loved · cinematographer

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 70/100 in their films, across 22 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 53. 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 Michael Seresin's work okay for kids?

Across up to 20 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 & Gore17 titles33–87 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity20 titles6–72 · median 23 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity18 titles22–73 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs17 titles25–67 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense16 titles39–79 · median 63 · 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 Michael Seresin work with?

People who share at least 2 of Michael Seresin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alan Parker shares the most, 9.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles