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Ben Wheatley

Ben Wheatley

Director, writer, producer, editor and actor, also composer · Born May 7, 1972 (54) · Billericay, Essex, England, UK

Ben Wheatley (born 1972) is an English filmmaker, film editor, and animator. Beginning his career in advertising, Wheatley first gained recognition and acclaim for his commercials and short films, before transitioning into feature films and television programmes. He is best known for his work in the thriller and horror genres, with his films frequently incorporating heavy elements of black comedy and satire. Wheatley has received numerous accolades for his work, including an Evening Standard British Film Award, five British Independent Film Award nominations, and numerous awards and honours from film festivals including South by Southwest, Karlovy Vary, Mar del Plata, Raindance, Toronto and Cannes.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 7, 1972 (54)
From
Billericay, Essex, England, UK
Works as
Director, writer, producer, editor and actor, also composer
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 40 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 Ben Wheatley's films like?

Across their 22 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 25th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
Survival
25%
Bonds
17%
Power
15%
Morality
15%
Ideas
15%
Self
12%
Society
2%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themePower3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal5 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 21 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 7 · Wry 2 · Earnest 11

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

Grounded 3 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 9

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 7 · Intense 12

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 9

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

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 3

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 10 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 4

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

Casual 4 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 7

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 9 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 11

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Dread
11
Absurd
14
Contemplative
5
Melancholic
3
Other
12

How their films linger

Unsettling12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous14
  • 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 Ben Wheatley's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ben Wheatley'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

40 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Normal(2025)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Bulk(2025)

    Director · Composer · Editor · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Generation Z(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all shows

  • Klokkenluider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Executive Producer

  • Meg 2: The Trench(2023)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • In the Earth(2021)

    Director · Editor · Executive Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

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

    Thanks

  • Rebecca(2020)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • In Fabric(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Happy New Year, Colin Burstead(2018)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Strange Angel(2018)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • The Ghoul(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Free Fire(2016)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Greasy Strangler(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • High-Rise(2015)

    Director · Editor

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Tank 432(2015)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Aaaaaaaah! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Executive Producer

  • The Duke of Burgundy(2014)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • An Appreciation by Ben Wheatley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Actor

  • ABCs of Death 2(2014)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who: Deep Breath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • A Field in England(2013)

    Director · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The ABCs of Death(2012)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Sightseers(2012)

    Director · Editor

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Kill List(2011)

    Director · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Inside Burge & Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • Burge & Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Editor

  • Down Terrace(2009)

    Director · Editor · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Steve Coogan: The Inside Story(2009)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Wrong Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Creator · Writer

  • Comedy Shuffle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Characters · as Amazing Wizard Ben

  • Time Trumpet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 2 episodes · Additional Writing · Writer

  • Modern Toss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

  • Rob Loves Kerry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · as Ben

  • Doctor Who(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Ideal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 14 episodes · Director · as Brother Ben

  • Cider with Rosie(1998)

    as Older Jack

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Freak Shift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Normal 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Wages of Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 40 titles, 37 of them dated from 1998 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

$399M worldwide

Highest rated

The Duke of Burgundy (2014)

Midcredits 68th

Most popular right now

Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting5 of 40: 2 only acting, 3 with another roleDirecting27 of 40: 11 only directing, 16 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdWriting13 of 40: 1 only writing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thProducing11 of 40: 8 only producing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score36thMusic1 of 40: 0 only music, 1 with another roleEditing9 of 40: 0 only editing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thOther crew4 of 40: 1 only other crew, 3 with another role

40 titles, 17 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 11 of them.

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s8 · 3 acting · 8 crew2010s20 · 1 acting · 19 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.

How do Ben Wheatley's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 45th percentile, the median of all 21; across their 21 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Reach · how many have seen their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 24 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · producer

The Greasy Strangler (2016)

68th percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Doctor Who (2005)

Midcredits 93rd · 89% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 67/100 and the pacing 40/100 in their films, across 19 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 Ben Wheatley's work okay for kids?

Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore13 titles23–95 · median 85 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity14 titles13–82 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity13 titles17–92 · median 70 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs13 titles25–75 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense13 titles42–86 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most 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 Ben Wheatley work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ben Wheatley's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Andrew Starke shares the most, 13.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles