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Ross McDonnell

Ross McDonnell

Cinematographer, director and producer, also writer · Died November 5, 2023, aged 44 · Dublin, Ireland

Ross Alexander McDonnell was an Emmy-winning Irish cinematographer and director, known for working on documentaries.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1979
Died
November 5, 2023 (aged 44)
From
Dublin, Ireland
Works as
Cinematographer, director and producer, also writer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 22 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 64 days to Oct 27Up 44% in 30 days

What are Ross McDonnell's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
33%
Self
19%
Survival
16%
Ideas
15%
Power
12%
Bonds
6%
Community5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeNature2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 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 0 · Dark 4

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

Grounded 5 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 1 · Intense 2

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

A split, not a type: Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

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

A split, not a type: Casual 2 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

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 2 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 3

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

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Contemplative
7
Warm
3
Hopeful
3
Dread
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet1
  • 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 Ross McDonnell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ross McDonnell'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

22 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page.

  • Gerry Adams: A Ballymurphy Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Producer

  • Omnivore(2024)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer · In Memory Of

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Photographer(2024)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Swift Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • Retrograde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Additional Photography

  • Edge of the Unknown with Jimmy Chin(2022)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • The First Wave(2021)

    Cinematographer · Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible(2021)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Love Yourself Today(2021)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Dissident(2020)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • One Million American Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Cinematographer

  • The Trade(2018)

    Show Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Elián(2017)

    Director · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Forever Pure(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Cartel Land(2015)

    Additional Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Obvious Child(2014)

    Set Photographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • What If(2013)

    Set Photographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Life's a Breeze(2013)

    Still Photographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Dollhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer

  • Remember Me, My Ghost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Colony(2009)

    Director · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Shrine of Santa Muerte (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 17 titles, 16 of them dated from 2009 to 2025.

Biggest box office

The First Wave (2021)

$65K worldwide

Highest rated

Forever Pure (2016)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

Omnivore (2024)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing5 of 17: 3 only directing, 2 with another roleProducing2 of 17: 1 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography7 of 17: 3 only cinematography, 4 with another roleOther crew7 of 17: 6 only other crew, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score74th

17 titles, 4 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

2000s1 · crew2010s8 · 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.

How do Ross McDonnell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 82nd percentile, the median of all 11; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 81st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

26thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th6

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · producer, cinematographer

The First Wave (2021)

72nd percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Cartel Land (2015)

Midcredits 92nd · 81% liked

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 Ross McDonnell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ross McDonnell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Pagan Danielle Harleman shares the most, 4.

Directors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers