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Christopher Messina

Christopher Messina

Cinematographer and editor

Grammy Award nominee

Works as
Cinematographer and editor
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 35 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 1% in 30 days

What are Christopher Messina's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Power.

Genres

Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st 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
26%
Power
24%
Bonds
14%
Morality
12%
Survival
12%
Society
7%
Ideas
7%
Friendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession4 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMental illness2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 4

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2

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 1 · Intense 5

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 3

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 3 · 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 3 · Full focus 3

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 2 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Contemplative
10
Absurd
5
Dread
4
Melancholic
3
Other
8

How their films linger

Thought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet2
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous7
  • 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 Christopher Messina's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Christopher Messina'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

35 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • Mirage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Cinematographer

  • Our Hero, Balthazar(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Monsters of God(2026)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • The Widower: 'Til Death Do Us Part(2026)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • If I Had Legs I'd Kick You(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Doomed and Famous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Colorist

  • Deepfaking Sam Altman(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders(2024)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows

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

    Cinematographer

  • Chimp Crazy(2024)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God(2023)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Telemarketers(2023)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Funny Pages(2022)

    "B" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Chillin Island(2021)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer · Editor

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all shows

  • Editing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Cinematographer

  • Pigface (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Cinematographer

  • Golden Arm(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Caterina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Cinematographer

  • Foreign Powers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Cinematographer

  • Fourteen(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • East of the River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Cinematographer

  • Alt-Right: Age of Rage(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Good Time(2017)

    Camera Operator · Still Photographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • I Was There When House Took Over the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

  • The New Radical (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Cinematographer

  • Toback Vs. Mailer: The Incident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Cinematographer

  • Dear Renzo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Cinematographer

  • If There's a Hell Below(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Motivation 2.0: Real American Skater: The Chris Cole Story(2015)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Heaven Knows What(2014)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Day the Series Stopped (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Additional Camera

  • For the Plasma(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Swim Little Fish Swim(2013)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Sea Pig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Assistant Camera

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles, 29 of them dated from 2014 to 2026.

Biggest box office

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (2025)

$1.7M worldwide

Highest rated

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (2025)

Midcredits 71st

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography22 of 30: 22 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdOther crew8 of 30: 8 only other crew, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score75th

By decade

2010s15 · crew2020s14 · 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

2 major nominations and no wins, 2020.

  1. 2020
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Album of the Year
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Record of the Year

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 Christopher Messina's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 15; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · cinematographer

Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh (2025)

91st percentile spread · 43% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Our Hero, Balthazar (2025)

Midcredits 73rd · 62% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 60/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 44. 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 Christopher Messina work with?

People who share at least 2 of Christopher Messina's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Josh Safdie shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Cinematographers and editors

Producers