Skip to content
MovieCove
Shane Black

Shane Black

Writer, director, actor and producer · Born December 16, 1961 (64) · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Cannes award nominee

Shane Black (born December 16, 1961) is an American filmmaker and actor who has written such films as Lethal Weapon, The Monster Squad, The Last Boy Scout, Last Action Hero, and The Long Kiss Goodnight. He is also known as the original creator of the Lethal Weapon franchise. As an actor, Black is best known for his role as Rick Hawkins in Predator (1987). He made his directorial debut with the film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in 2005. Black went on to write and direct Iron Man 3 (2013), The Nice Guys (2016), and The Predator (2018).

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 16, 1961 (64)
From
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Writer, director, actor and producer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 29 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 26Up 10% in 30 days

What are Shane Black's films like?

Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th 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
Morality
31%
Bonds
22%
Self
14%
Ideas
11%
Society
9%
Survival
8%
Power
4%
Justice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 21 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 12 · Serious 6 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 7 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 5

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 4 · Intense 12

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 5

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

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 7

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 5 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 10

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

Casual 9 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 18 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
15
Tense
10
Absurd
9
Contemplative
6
Warm
7
Other
9

How their films linger

Fun13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet8
  • 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 Shane Black's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Shane Black'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

29 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page; 19 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Play Dirty(2025)

    Director · Executive Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

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

    Thanks

  • The Predator(2018)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Swing State(2017)

    as Luke

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Lethal Weapon(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • The Nice Guys(2016)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Edge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer

  • Edge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Executive Producer · Teleplay

  • Any Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Gino

  • Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter(2013)

    as Disembodied Voice (voice)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Iron Man 3(2013)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Kiss Kiss Bang Bang(2005)

    Director · Screenplay · Screenstory

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Lethal Weapon 4(1998)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • As Good as It Gets(1997)

    as Cafe 24 Manager

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Long Kiss Goodnight(1996)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Last Action Hero(1993)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • RoboCop 3(1993)

    as Donnelly

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Lethal Weapon 3(1992)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Last Boy Scout(1991)

    Executive Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Hunt for Red October(1990)

    as Crewman, USS Reuben James (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Lethal Weapon 2(1989)

    Characters · Story

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Dead Heat(1988)

    as Patrolman

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Monster Squad(1987)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Predator(1987)

    as Rick Hawkins

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Lethal Weapon(1987)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Bannerman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · Writer

  • Cold Warrior (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Lethal Weapon 5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Characters

  • The Executioner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 29 titles, 25 of them dated from 1987 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Iron Man 3 (2013)

$1.2B worldwide

Highest rated

Predator (1987)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting8 of 29: 8 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score89thDirecting10 of 29: 2 only directing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score78thWriting18 of 29: 8 only writing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score78thProducing6 of 29: 0 only producing, 6 with another roleOther crew1 of 29: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

29 titles, 10 with more than one role — writing and directing overlap on 8 of them.

By decade

1980s5 · 2 acting · 3 crew1990s8 · 3 acting · 5 crew2000s1 · crew2010s9 · 3 acting · 6 crew2020s2 · crew

Billing

usually 10th · top billed in 0% of 6 roles

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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

Awards

Nominated for a Cannes award in 2005.

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 Shane Black's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 21 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Reach · how many have seen their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · actor

Swing State (2017)

91st percentile spread · 65% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Predator (1987)

Midcredits 96th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 63/100 and the plot and story 44/100 in their films, across 17 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 Shane Black's work okay for kids?

Across up to 15 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles63–89 · median 80 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity15 titles20–69 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity14 titles54–91 · median 82 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles34–67 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense13 titles42–72 · median 62 · 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 Shane Black work with?

People who share at least 2 of Shane Black's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joel Silver shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles