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Nico Muhly

Nico Muhly

Composer, also actor · Born August 26, 1981 (45) · Randolph, Vermont, USA

Nico Muhly was born on 26 August 1981 in Randolph, Vermont, USA. He is a composer, known for The Reader (2008), The Manchurian Candidate (2004) and Notes on a Scandal (2006).

Biography from IMDb.

Born
August 26, 1981 (45)
From
Randolph, Vermont, USA
Works as
Composer, also actor
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 26 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 157 days to Oct 28Down 33% in 30 days

What are Nico Muhly's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th 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
Bonds
31%
Morality
21%
Power
13%
Self
11%
Society
11%
Survival
7%
Ideas
5%
Family bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 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 2 · Serious 3 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 6 · 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 4 · Intense 5

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 2 · 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 6 · Full focus 2

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 2 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 7

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

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Melancholic
5
Contemplative
3
Bittersweet
4
Hopeful
3
Other
8

How their films linger

Thought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

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 Nico Muhly's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Nico Muhly'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

26 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Librarians(2025)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • National Theatre Live: Dear Octopus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Composer

  • Pachinko(2022)

    Show 16 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Humans(2021)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Gift of Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Composer

  • Worth(2020)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Far From the Tree(2017)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Metropolitan Opera: Marnie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Composer

  • The Seagull(2018)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Howards End(2017)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • How to Talk to Girls at Parties(2017)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Contemporary Color(2016)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Me and Earl and the Dying Girl(2015)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Mozart in the Jungle(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Nico Muhly

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Kill Your Darlings(2013)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Me @ the Zoo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Composer

  • Paris Opera Ballet: Tribute to Jerome Robbins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Composer

  • Margaret(2011)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Everything, Everywhere, All the Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Composer

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

    Composer

  • In the Crack of the Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Composer

  • The Reader(2008)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Swollen Archive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Composer

  • Joshua(2007)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Notes on a Scandal(2006)

    Conductor · Other

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Wonder Showzen(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 26 titles from 2005 to 2025.

Biggest box office

The Reader (2008)

$109M worldwide

Highest rated

The Librarians (2025)

Midcredits 93rd

Most popular right now

The Reader (2008)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 26: 2 only acting, 0 with another roleMusic23 of 26: 23 only music, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndOther crew1 of 26: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

2000s7 · crew2010s13 · 2 acting · 11 crew2020s6 · 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 Nico Muhly's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 17 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Contemporary Color (2016)

64th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 70/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

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 Nico Muhly's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles24–68 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles41–79 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles39–71 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian 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 Nico Muhly work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nico Muhly's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Stephen Karam shares the most, 2.

Writers

Editors

Producers