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James Marsh

James Marsh

Director, producer and writer · Born April 30, 1963 (63) · Truro, Cornwall, England, UK

Oscar winner · 2 BAFTA Awards · Primetime Emmy nominee · 4 other major award bodies

James Marsh (born April 30, 1963 Truro, Cornwall) is a film director known for directing the cult film Wisconsin Death Trip starring Marcus Monroe and Sir Ian Holm. He won 2008 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for directing Man on Wire. Marsh lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, with his wife and two children. As an undergraduate, he studied at St. Catherine's College, Oxford. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Marsh(director), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 30, 1963 (63)
From
Truro, Cornwall, England, UK
Works as
Director, producer and writer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 37 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 19% in 30 days

What are James Marsh's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Documentary6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Drama 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
Morality
30%
Survival
19%
Bonds
15%
Self
12%
Power
9%
Ideas
8%
Society
7%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 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 4 · Dark 9

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

Grounded 10 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 8

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 8 · 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 2 · Engaged 8 · 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 2 · Heavy 9

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 5 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Dread
11
Melancholic
10
Contemplative
7
Cold
3
Other
9

How their films linger

Haunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous7

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 James Marsh's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Marsh'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

37 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • Real Madrid: The Weight of Greatness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director

  • Secret Service (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story(2026)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows

  • Rewriting Trump (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke(2025)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • A Deadly American Marriage(2025)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The End(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Dance First(2023)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Spector(2022)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • American Murder: The Family Next Door(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Into the Deep(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • King of Thieves(2018)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Mercy(2018)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist(2017)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • The Night Of(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Of the Unknown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Executive Producer

  • The Theory of Everything(2014)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Jack to a King: The Swansea Story(2014)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Shadow Dancer(2012)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Project Nim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980(2009)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Red Riding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Man on Wire(2008)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The King(2005)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Team (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Con Man(2003)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Wisconsin Death Trip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Producer · Sound Effects Designer · Writer

  • John Cale: An Exploration of His Life & Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Additional Camera

  • The Burger and the King: The Life & Cuisine of Elvis Presley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • Carrington(1995)

    First Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Animals on Trial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director

  • Agatha Christie - Unfinished Portrait (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director

  • Jan Švankmajer: The Animator of Prague (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director

  • Crusoe(1988)

    First Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Instrumental (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

  • The Girl with a Clock for a Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Screenplay

  • Untitled Aron Ralson Documentary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles, 29 of them dated from 1989 to 2026.

Biggest box office

The Theory of Everything (2014)

$124M worldwide

Highest rated

Man on Wire (2008)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story (2026)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing22 of 32: 18 only directing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thWriting4 of 32: 1 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing8 of 32: 7 only producing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndOther crew4 of 32: 2 only other crew, 2 with another role

32 titles, 4 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s7 · crew2000s5 · crew2010s8 · crew2020s8 · 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

an Oscar, 2 BAFTA Awards and 5 other major awards from 16 major nominations, 2001–2021.

WinNomination
  1. 2021
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Single Documentary
  2. 2017
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special
  3. 2015
    • BAFTA Award, won
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
  4. 2012
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Documentary Film
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Directors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
  5. 2011
    • Sundance award, won · World Cinema - Documentary
    • Sundance award, nominated · World Cinema - Documentary
  6. 2009
    • Oscar, won · Best Documentary, Features
    • BAFTA Award, won
    • +2 other major bodies · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Documentary
  7. 2008
    • Sundance award, won ×2 · World Cinema - Documentary
  8. 2005
    • Cannes award, nominated
Show 1 earlier year
  1. 2001
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Huw Wheldon Award for Specialised Programme or Series (Arts, History, Religion and Science)

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 James Marsh's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 16; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · producer

The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story (2026)

61st percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

The Night Of (2016)

Midcredits 97th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 71/100 and the pacing 40/100 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 James Marsh's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles15–44 · median 29 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles15–52 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles26–73 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles8–44 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles31–66 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all 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 James Marsh work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Marsh's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jinx Godfrey shares the most, 7.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers