Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is an English director and producer. He has directed numerous acclaimed films since the early 1980s, including My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), The Grifters (1990), High Fidelity (2000), The Queen (2006), Philomena (2013), Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), and Victoria & Abdul (2017). He has received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director. Frears is also known for his work on various television programs, including Fail Safe (2000), The Deal (2003), Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013), A Very English Scandal (2018), State of the Union (2019), and Quiz (2020). He has received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations, with one win. In 2008, The Daily Telegraph named Frears among the 100 most influential people in British culture.
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Biography from TMDB.
- June 20, 1941 (85)
- Leicester, England, UK
- Director, actor and producer, also writer
- 37 on MovieCove · 99 credits in all
What are Stephen Frears' films like?
Across their 40 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 2 · Wry 2 · Earnest 32
A split, not a type: Light 16 · Serious 6 · Dark 14
Grounded 29 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 2
Gentle 12 · Charged 15 · Intense 9
Steady 21 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 3
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 19 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 5
A split, not a type: Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 16 · Relentless 1
Casual 14 · Engaged 18 · Full focus 4
A split, not a type: Easy watch 15 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 11
Resolved 27 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
- Heraldas Narrator in Howard Hawks: American Artist (1997)
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet25
- Tragic7
- Ambiguous4
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 Stephen Frears' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 37 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).
- Howdy, show their 3 titles on Howdy
- Lionsgate+, show their 3 titles on Lionsgate+
- Acorn TV, show their 2 titles on Acorn TV
- Sundance Now, show their 2 titles on Sundance Now
- Best of British Television, show their title on Best of British Television
- Fox Nation, show their title on Fox Nation
- PBS Masterpiece, show their title on PBS Masterpiece
Subscription and free streaming for Stephen Frears' 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
99 credits, 37 with a MovieCove page; 30 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Angela Allen: The Woman Who Saw Everything (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
Brian and Maggie(2025)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows
The Regime(2024)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows
The Lost King(2022)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Short Cuts: Dangerous Liaisons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Quiz(2020)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all showsRevisiting The Man in the White Suit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
The Loudest Voice(2019)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
State of the Union(2019)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
Seduction. Betrayal. Murder: The Making of The Grifters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
A Very English Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
She's French (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Victoria & Abdul(2017)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Florence Foster Jenkins(2016)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
The Program(2015)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Reflecting on My Beautiful Laundrette: A Conversation between Stephen Frears and Colin MacCabe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Henri Langlois vu par... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Night Will Fall(2014)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Philomena(2013)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
30 Years of Comic Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Lay the Favorite(2012)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all filmsMy Friend Sam: Living for the Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Tamara Drewe(2010)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Jean Charles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Chéri(2009)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
The Queen(2006)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Le court des grands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Mrs. Henderson Presents(2005)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Eletrodoméstica (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Michael Powell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
The Route V50 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
The Deal(2003)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Dirty Pretty Things(2002)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
All About Desire: The Passionate Cinema of Pedro Almodovar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Liam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Fail Safe(2000)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
High Fidelity(2000)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
The Hi-Lo Country(1998)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Beyond Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
The Van(1996)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Mary Reilly(1996)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Typically British: A Personal History of British Cinema (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
The Snapper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Hero(1992)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Director: Alan Clarke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
The Grifters(1990)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Dangerous Liaisons(1988)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Mr Jolly Lives Next Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Sammy and Rosie Get Laid(1987)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Prick Up Your Ears(1987)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Song of Experience (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
My Beautiful Laundrette(1985)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Screen Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
December Flower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
The Bullshitters: Roll Out the Gunbarrel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
The Hit(1984)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Saigon: Year of the Cat(1983)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Walter and June (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
The Comic Strip Presents... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Walter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
The Tractor Factor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Going Gently (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Bloody Kids (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Long Distance Information (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
One Fine Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Afternoon Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Doris and Doreen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Me! I'm Afraid of Virginia Woolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Long Shot(1978)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all filmsCold Harbour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
A Visit from Miss Prothero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Black Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Able's Will (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
BBC2 Play of the Week (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Last Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Play Things (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Early Struggles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Three Men in a Boat(1975)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Sunset Across the Bay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Match of the Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Sporting Scenes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Second City Firsts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
A Day Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Full House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Gumshoe(1971)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Follyfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Incident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Play for Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Parkin's Patch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Tom Grattan's War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
The Burning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
ITV Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Morgan!(1966)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Wilder & Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 99 titles, 98 of them dated from 1966 to 2026.
Biggest box office
The Queen (2006)
Highest rated
Night Will Fall (2014)
Most popular right now
The Regime (2024)
Film career
- 2009Screen debut· Chéri
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 Stephen Frears' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 32; across their 36 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up16
- 50th to 74th12
- 25th to 49th7
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
23 of their 37 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved5
- Crowd Pleaser23
- Broadly Agreed4
- Mixed5
Reviewers score the atmosphere 72/100 and the pacing 50/100 in their films, across 29 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 Stephen Frears' work okay for kids?
Across up to 17 MovieCove titles with content scores, frightening / intense runs lighter than most films.
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 Stephen Frears work with?
People who share at least 2 of Stephen Frears' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mick Audsley shares the most, 11.
Writers
- Christopher HamptonShared titles: Chéri (2009), Mary Reilly (1996), Dangerous Liaisons (1988)See all 3 shared titles with Christopher Hampton
- Steve CooganShared titles: Brian and Maggie (2025), The Lost King (2022), Philomena (2013)See all 3 shared titles with Steve Coogan
- James GrahamShared titles: Brian and Maggie (2025), Quiz (2020)See all 2 shared titles with James Graham
- Jeff PopeShared titles: The Lost King (2022), Philomena (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Jeff Pope
Actors
- Michael SheenShared titles: Quiz (2020), The Queen (2006), The Deal (2003), Mary Reilly (1996)See all 4 shared titles with Michael Sheen
- Judi DenchShared titles: Victoria & Abdul (2017), Philomena (2013), Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005), Saigon: Year of the Cat (1983)See all 4 shared titles with Judi Dench
- Glenn CloseShared titles: A Look Through His Lens (2024), Mary Reilly (1996), Dangerous Liaisons (1988)See all 3 shared titles with Glenn Close
- Hans ZimmerShared titles: Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel (2022), Hans Zimmer - Der Sound für Hollywood (2011), My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)See all 3 shared titles with Hans Zimmer
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Mick AudsleyShared titles: Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013), Tamara Drewe (2010), Dirty Pretty Things (2002), High Fidelity (2000), The Van (1996), The Grifters (1990), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Prick Up Your Ears (1987), Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987), My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), The Hit (1984)See all 11 shared titles with Mick Audsley
- Alexandre DesplatShared titles: The Lost King (2022), Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), Philomena (2013), Tamara Drewe (2010), Chéri (2009), The Queen (2006)See all 6 shared titles with Alexandre Desplat
- Oliver StapletonShared titles: The Hi-Lo Country (1998), The Van (1996), The Grifters (1990), Prick Up Your Ears (1987), Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987), My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)See all 6 shared titles with Oliver Stapleton
- George FentonShared titles: Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013), Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005), Mary Reilly (1996), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Saigon: Year of the Cat (1983)See all 5 shared titles with George Fenton
Producers
- Tracey SeawardShared titles: The Regime (2024), Victoria & Abdul (2017), Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), Philomena (2013), Tamara Drewe (2010), Chéri (2009), The Queen (2006), Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005), Dirty Pretty Things (2002)See all 9 shared titles with Tracey Seaward
- Christine LanganShared titles: The Lost King (2022), Victoria & Abdul (2017), Philomena (2013), Tamara Drewe (2010), The Queen (2006), The Deal (2003)See all 6 shared titles with Christine Langan
- Tim BevanShared titles: Victoria & Abdul (2017), The Program (2015), High Fidelity (2000), The Hi-Lo Country (1998), Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987), My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)See all 6 shared titles with Tim Bevan
- Cameron McCrackenShared titles: The Lost King (2022), Philomena (2013), Chéri (2009), The Queen (2006), Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005)See all 5 shared titles with Cameron McCracken
Mixed roles
- James NaughtieShared titles: Tamara Drewe (2010), The Deal (2003)See all 2 shared titles with James Naughtie
- David HareShared titles: Alan Clarke: His Own Man (2000), Saigon: Year of the Cat (1983)See all 2 shared titles with David Hare
- Mark ShivasShared titles: Alan Clarke: His Own Man (2000), The Van (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Mark Shivas
- Alan BennettShared titles: Prick Up Your Ears (1987), Long Shot (1978)See all 2 shared titles with Alan Bennett
