Skip to content
MovieCove
Norm Li

Norm Li

Cinematographer, also producer · St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada

Independent Spirit Award nominee

Norm Li is a Canadian cinematographer. Known for his work on the film The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (2019), Li won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Cinematography. Li is most noted for his work on the film The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, for which he won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Cinematography at the 8th Canadian Screen Awards in 2020. He was previously nominated in the same category at the 6th Canadian Screen Awards in 2018 for Never Steady, Never Still, and won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Series at the 4th Canadian Screen Awards in 2016 for Tricks on the Dead: The Story of the Chinese Labour Corps in WWI. His other credits have included the films Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010), Below Zero (2011), In Their Skin (2012), Afflicted (2013), Cabin Fever: Patient Zero (2014), Edge of Winter (2016), Hollow in the Land (2017) and Same Old (2022).

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

From
St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada
Works as
Cinematographer, also producer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 30 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 156 days to Oct 27Up 18% in 30 days

What are Norm Li's films like?

Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.

Genres

Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Horror7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 12th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 11th percentile
: browse their Action 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
42%
Bonds
20%
Self
20%
Morality
9%
Power
6%
Society
3%
Survival8 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 20 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 2 · Serious 3 · Dark 15

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

Grounded 15 · Stylized 3 · 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 1 · Charged 9 · Intense 10

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

A split, not a type: Steady 9 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 5

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

Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 10 · 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 3 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 1

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 4 · Heavy 13

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

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Dread
9
Melancholic
10
Contemplative
4
Absurd
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Unsettling11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous11

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 Norm Li's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Norm Li'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

30 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • Lucky Lu(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Blue Sun Palace(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Volem la pilota (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Cinematographer

  • Seagrass(2023)

    Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Something You Said Last Night(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Same Old (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Cinematographer

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

    Cinematographer

  • Cosmic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Cinematographer

  • The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Last Sermon at George's Creek (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Cinematographer

  • Broken Bunny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Cinematographer

  • Hollow in the Land(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Never Steady, Never Still(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Kuso(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Edge of Winter(2016)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Air(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Pour Retourner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Cinematographer

  • Afflicted(2013)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Cabin Fever 3: Patient Zero(2014)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Grace: The Possession(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Haunting Melissa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Cinematographer

  • Tasmanian Devils(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • In Their Skin(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Sleeping Dogs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer

  • Dawn Rider(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Pressed(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Below Zero(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Beyond the Black Rainbow(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Altitude(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Scary Movie 4(2006)

    Camera Trainee

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 27 titles from 2006 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Afflicted (2013)

$121K worldwide

Highest rated

Lucky Lu (2025)

Midcredits 73rd

Most popular right now

Blue Sun Palace (2024)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography26 of 27: 23 only cinematography, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score37thOther crew4 of 27: 1 only other crew, 3 with another role

27 titles, 3 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

2000s1 · crew2010s18 · 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.

Awards

Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in 2026, Best Cinematography.

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 Norm Li's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 26th percentile, the median of all 21; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 31st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

31stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Approval · how many liked their films

28thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Reach · how many have seen their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th10

Shape of the crowd

17 of their 21 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed17

Most divisive · cinematographer

Kuso (2017)

81st percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (2019)

Midcredits 79th · 66% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 59/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 69, detractors 42. 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.

Is Norm Li's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 81 · severeMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles24–71 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 55 · moderateMedian of all films: 36

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 Norm Li work with?

People who share at least 2 of Norm Li's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Greg Ng shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles