Skip to content
MovieCove
Richard Christian Matheson

Richard Christian Matheson

Writer and producer · Born October 14, 1953 (73) · Santa Monica, California, USA

Born
October 14, 1953 (73)
From
Santa Monica, California, USA
Works as
Writer and producer
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 31 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 39 days to Oct 28Up 18% in 30 days

What are Richard Christian Matheson's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 27th percentile
: browse their Crime 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
Survival
28%
Morality
25%
Self
25%
Bonds
17%
Ideas
3%
Power
3%
Justice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 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 3 · 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 3 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 4 · Intense 4

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 5 · 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 5 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 2

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 6 · Full focus 2

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 3 · Heavy 4

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 6 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Dread
4
Absurd
4
Melancholic
4
Cathartic
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Fun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous3

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 Richard Christian Matheson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Richard Christian Matheson'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

31 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Shrinking Man(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Infinitesimal: Remembering the Shrinking Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Actor

  • Nightmare Cinema(2018)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Voices of Midway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Writer

  • Big Driver(2014)

    Co-Executive Producer · Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Happy Face Killer(2014)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

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

    Writer

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

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

  • The Damned Thing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Teleplay

  • Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Adaptation · Writer

  • Dance of the Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Teleplay

  • It Waits(2005)

    Producer · Story · Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Masters of Horror(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Mobius (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Writer

  • Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Executive Producer · Writer

  • Sole Survivor(2000)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Shining(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Hitman #1

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows

  • Full Eclipse(1993)

    Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Teech (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Loose Cannons(1990)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Tales from the Crypt(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • It Takes Two(1988)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Three O'Clock High(1987)

    Screenplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Amazing Stories(1985)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Hardcastle and McCormick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 4 episodes · Writer

  • The A-Team(1983)

    Show 8 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Knight Rider(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Powers of Matthew Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

  • Enos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Girl Who Saved the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Writer

  • The Incredible Hulk(1977)

    Show 71 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 31 titles from 1977 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Loose Cannons (1990)

$5.6M worldwide

Highest rated

Three O'Clock High (1987)

Midcredits 81st

Most popular right now

The Shrinking Man (2025)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 31: 2 only acting, 0 with another roleWriting28 of 31: 25 only writing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thProducing4 of 31: 1 only producing, 3 with another role

31 titles, 3 with more than one role — writing and producing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1970s2 · crew1980s9 · crew1990s4 · 1 acting · 3 crew2000s10 · crew2010s4 · crew2020s2 · 1 acting · 1 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 Richard Christian Matheson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 27th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 32nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

24thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · writer, producer

It Waits (2005)

58th percentile spread · 60% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Tales from the Crypt (1989)

Midcredits 90th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 43/100 and the plot and story 44/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Richard Christian Matheson's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity5 titles28–55 · median 43 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32

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 Richard Christian Matheson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Richard Christian Matheson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tom Szollosi shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers

Producers