- Producer and director
- 19 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
What are John Smithson's films like?
Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Society.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 16
Light 2 · Serious 2 · Dark 12
A split, not a type: Grounded 10 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1
A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 6 · Intense 8
Steady 8 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0
Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1
Casual 2 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 10
Resolved 10 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Bittersweet9
- Tragic3
- Ambiguous2
- 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 John Smithson's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (5).
Subscription and free streaming for John Smithson'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
30 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page.
Cecil(2025)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Positive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
River(2021)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
A Year Of British Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Man Made Planet: Earth from Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Jungle Shark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Hitler(2016)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
Sherpa(2015)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Mayday: The Passenger Who Landed a Plane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Ultimate Airport Dubai(2013)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows
Stephen Hawking's Grand Design (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
127 Hours(2010)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
U Be Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
The Beckoning Silence(2007)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Clapham Junction(2007)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Futureshock: Comet(2007)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Deep Water(2006)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
9/11: The Falling Man(2006)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
I Shouldn't Be Alive(2005)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows
The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Einstein's Big Idea(2005)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Line of Fire: The Somme(2005)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Touching the Void(2003)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
The Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Children of God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 22 titles from 1992 to 2026.
Biggest box office
127 Hours (2010)
Highest rated
Touching the Void (2003)
Most popular right now
127 Hours (2010)
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 John Smithson's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 84th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 86th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up14
- 50th to 74th4
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
8 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved7
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser8
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the atmosphere 75/100 and the pacing 60/100 in their films, across 14 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 John Smithson's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does John Smithson work with?
People who share at least 2 of John Smithson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Steven Mackintosh shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Jennifer PeedomShared titles: River (2021), Sherpa (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Jennifer Peedom
- Louise OsmondShared titles: The Beckoning Silence (2007), Deep Water (2006)See all 2 shared titles with Louise Osmond
Actors
- Steven MackintoshShared titles: The Codebreaker Who Hacked Hitler (2015), 9/11: Phone Calls from the Towers (2009), The Beckoning Silence (2007), 9/11: The Falling Man (2006)See all 4 shared titles with Steven Mackintosh
- James WilbyShared titles: Clapham Junction (2007), Futureshock: Comet (2007)See all 2 shared titles with James Wilby
- Tilda SwintonShared titles: Deep Water (2006), Line of Fire: The Somme (2005)See all 2 shared titles with Tilda Swinton
Cinematographers and editors
- Ben LesterShared titles: 9/11: Phone Calls from the Towers (2009), The Beckoning Silence (2007), Deep Water (2006)See all 3 shared titles with Ben Lester
- Renan OzturkShared titles: River (2021), Sherpa (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Renan Ozturk
- Anne DummettShared titles: Hitler (2016), The Codebreaker Who Hacked Hitler (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Anne Dummett
- Rick AplinShared titles: Einstein's Big Idea (2005), Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Rick Aplin
Producers
- Julian WareShared titles: The Beckoning Silence (2007), 9/11: The Falling Man (2006), Line of Fire: The Somme (2005)See all 3 shared titles with Julian Ware
- David GrossShared titles: River (2021), Sherpa (2015)See all 2 shared titles with David Gross
- Cameron McCrackenShared titles: 127 Hours (2010), Deep Water (2006)See all 2 shared titles with Cameron McCracken
- François IvernelShared titles: 127 Hours (2010), Deep Water (2006)See all 2 shared titles with François Ivernel