Skip to content
MovieCove
Jonas Åkerlund

Jonas Åkerlund

Director, editor, producer and writer · Born November 10, 1965 (60) · Bromma, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

3 Grammy Awards

Jonas Åkerlund (born November 10, 1965) is a Swedish film and music video director, and drummer. He is best known for his stylish music videos, which are often mock forms of movie trailers and short films. His video for Madonna's song "Ray of Light" won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form, and a record seven awards at 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, including the Video of the Year. He more recently directed the video for Britney Spears' 2011 single "Hold It Against Me".

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 10, 1965 (60)
From
Bromma, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden
Works as
Director, editor, producer and writer
Titles
18 on MovieCove · 38 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (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 Jonas Åkerlund's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Genres

Documentary8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 93rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Music3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 99th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Music movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th 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
Society
36%
Self
19%
Ideas
14%
Bonds
13%
Survival
10%
Morality
9%
Community5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame6 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFaith2 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 10 · Serious 4 · Dark 3

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 8

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 3 · Intense 11

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 3

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

Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 5

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

Casual 11 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1

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 8 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
7
Thrilling
7
Tense
5
Absurd
4
Warm
3
Other
19

How their films linger

Hopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2
  • 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 Jonas Åkerlund's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jonas Åkerlund'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

38 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page; 10 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Grindr Presents: Madonna LIVE in New York (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Creative Director

  • Billy Idol Should Be Dead(2025)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Metallica Saved My Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Ghost: Rite Here Rite Now(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Madonna: The Celebration Tour in Rio(2024)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • DuEls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Director

  • Clark(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • Polar(2019)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Lords of Chaos(2018)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Double Dutchess: Seeing Double (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • Rammstein: Paris(2017)

    Director · Editor

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Lemonade(2016)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Roxette Diaries(2016)

    Director · Editor

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour Live(2015)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Ozzy Osbourne: Memoirs of a Madman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay-Z (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • BEYONCÉ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • Leave the World Behind(2014)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Paul McCartney's Live Kisses(2012)

    Director · Editor

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Paul McCartney Live at Zócalo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • Small Apartments(2012)

    Director · Editor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Place (Ställe) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Pussy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Horsemen(2009)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Madonna: The Confessions Tour(2006)

    Director · Editor

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Blink 182: Greatest Hits(2005)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Blink-182: Greatest Hits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • I'm Going to Tell You a Secret(2005)

    Director · Editor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Blondie: Good Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Spun(2002)

    Director · Editor

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Smashing Pumpkins - Greatest Hits Video Collection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Try (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Madonna: The Video Collection 93:99 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • Turn the Page (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Writer

  • The Hidden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director

  • En film om Modstrilogin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Editor

  • GG Allin: Live. Fast. Die. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Heartbeats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 38 titles, 35 of them dated from 1997 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Ghost: Rite Here Rite Now (2024)

$4.8M worldwide

Highest rated

Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour Live (2015)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Polar (2019)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing34 of 38: 24 only directing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score82ndWriting4 of 38: 0 only writing, 4 with another roleProducing5 of 38: 2 only producing, 3 with another roleCinematography1 of 38: 1 only cinematography, 0 with another roleEditing5 of 38: 0 only editing, 5 with another roleOther crew2 of 38: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

38 titles, 10 with more than one role — directing and editing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1990s3 · crew2000s11 · crew2010s14 · 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.

Awards

3 major awards from 5 major nominations, 1999–2015.

WinNomination
  1. 2015
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Music Film
  2. 2014
    • Grammy Award, won · Best Music Film
  3. 2008
    • Grammy Award, won · Best Long Form Music Video
  4. 2007
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Long Form Music Video
  5. 1999
    • Grammy Award, won · Best Short Form Music Video

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 Jonas Åkerlund's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 89th percentile, the median of all 17; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 89th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 18 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · director, editor

Rammstein: Paris (2017)

98th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour Live (2015)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 71/100 and the pacing 49/100 in their films, across 13 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 Jonas Åkerlund's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles38–96 · median 94 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles36–81 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles73–93 · median 90 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 73 · intenseMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 72 · intenseMedian 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 Jonas Åkerlund work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jonas Åkerlund's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Eric Broms shares the most, 9.

Directors

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers