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Brett Wiley

Brett Wiley

Cinematographer, also director

Brett Wiley is a documentary cinematographer. His studies in the visual arts found a home in documentaries where he collaborates in telling stories that can shape the way we see, and change the way we think. Brett has contributed to award winning films, including projects selected and honored at the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca, SXSW, Critics Choice, and the Academy Awards. His work can be seen on HBO, Showtime, HULU, and Apple TV+. His cinematography has appeared on Frontline, Independent Lens, American Masters, BBC, National Geographic, Discovery, and CNN. Some of Brett's recent work appeared in films at Tribeca 2023 (The Big Payback) (This Is Not Financial Advice), and in two films at Sundance 2024, credited with Director of Photography on "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeves Story". Brett is particularly inspired by up close and personal vérité portraits of humans as they face a challenge, or search for meaning. He brings a sensitivity to cinematic elements and visual dynamics to both his handheld work, and formal interviews. Brett Wiley has a BFA in Sculpture, and has worked as a Director of Photography since the 1990's. He has filmed in several countries on four continents, and is based in Washington DC.

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Biography from IMDb.

Works as
Cinematographer, also director
Titles
35 on MovieCove · 42 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 18% in 30 days

What are Brett Wiley's films like?

Across their 29 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Power and Survival.

Themes

share of theme weight
Power
24%
Survival
18%
Morality
16%
Ideas
15%
Self
11%
Society
11%
Bonds
6%
Truth9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themePower5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy5 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 6 · Dark 9

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

Grounded 16 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 9 · Intense 3

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

Steady 13 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

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 9 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 3 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 6

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

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
21
Contemplative
18
Melancholic
8
Cold
6
Dread
4
Other
9

How their films linger

Thought-provoking22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous18
  • Cyclical1

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 Brett Wiley's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 35 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Brett Wiley'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

42 credits, 35 with a MovieCove page.

  • Bodyguard of Lies(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • History's Most Shocking(2025)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • No Baby on Board(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • War Game(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th(2024)

    Additional Camera

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Admissions Granted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Cinematographer

  • The Super Models(2023)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks(2023)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Big Payback(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Thief Collector(2022)

    Additional Camera

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Anthrax Attacks(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Crime of the Century(2021)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Agents of Chaos(2020)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • The Perfect Weapon(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • George Stevens Jr. On 'Swing Time' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Camera Operator

  • The First Angry Man(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Cold Hearted(2018)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Get Me Roger Stone(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • American Jihad(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Parched(2017)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Zero Days(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Okinawa: Urizun no ame(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Indian Point(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • When Ghosts Attack(2013)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Panic 9-1-1(2012)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • Nightmare Next Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 1 episode · Additional Photography

  • Doomsday Preppers(2011)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • Eames: The Architect & The Painter(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets(2011)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Prison Wives(2010)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Cowboys & Outlaws(2009)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story(2008)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • American Teen(2008)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Sound and Fury 6 Years Later (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Cinematographer

  • Bullrider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Cinematographer

  • Why We Fight(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Let the Church Say, Amen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Cinematographer

  • Sound and Fury(2000)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Great Depression: A Job at Ford's (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Camera Operator

  • National Geographic Explorer(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Additional Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 22 titles from 1985 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Why We Fight (2005)

$1.4M worldwide

Highest rated

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Super Models (2023)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography14 of 22: 14 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score85thOther crew8 of 22: 8 only other crew, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rd

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s1 · crew2000s8 · crew2010s5 · crew2020s7 · 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 Brett Wiley's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 83rd percentile, the median of all 21; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 82nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

37thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 35 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 35 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive3
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · cinematographer

The Big Payback (2023)

96th percentile spread · 55% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 60/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 65, detractors 40. 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.

Who does Brett Wiley work with?

People who share at least 2 of Brett Wiley's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alex Gibney shares the most, 6.

Directors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles