Eric Clifford Ambler OBE was an influential British author of thrillers, in particular spy novels who introduced a new realism to the genre. He also worked as a screenwriter.
Biography from TMDB.
- June 28, 1909
- October 22, 1998 (aged 89)
- London, England, UK
- Writer, also producer
- 17 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
What are Eric Ambler's films like?
Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality 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 0 · Wry 2 · Earnest 14
A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 5 · Dark 8
Grounded 11 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1
A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 7 · Intense 8
Steady 6 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1
Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 0
Casual 2 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 2
A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 6
Resolved 13 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy6
- Bittersweet5
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous3
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 Eric Ambler's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).
Subscription and free streaming for Eric Ambler'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, 17 with a MovieCove page.
The Care of Time(1990)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)A Quiet Conspiracy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Eine Art von Zorn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Journey into Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Love Hate Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Topkapi(1964)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Mutiny on the Bounty(1962)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Checkmate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
A Night to Remember(1958)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Battle Hell(1957)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Lease of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
The Purple Plain(1954)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Rough Shoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
The Cruel Sea(1953)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
The Card (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
The Magic Box (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
Encore(1951)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Highly Dangerous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
The Passionate Friends(1949)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Oliver Twist(1948)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
The October Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)
United States (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
The Mask of Dimitrios(1944)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
The Way Ahead(1944)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Hotel Reserve(1944)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Background to Danger(1943)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Journey Into Fear(1943)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
The New Lot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Career shape
A full career of 27 titles from 1943 to 1989.
Biggest box office
The Passionate Friends (1949)
Highest rated
A Night to Remember (1958)
Most popular right now
Oliver Twist (1948)
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 Eric Ambler's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up10
- 50th to 74th6
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
11 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved4
- Crowd Pleaser11
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed1
Reviewers score the dialogue 59/100 and the plot and story 57/100 in their films, across 15 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 Eric Ambler's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Eric Ambler work with?
People who share at least 2 of Eric Ambler's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Stanley Haynes shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Carol ReedShared titles: Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), The Way Ahead (1944)See all 2 shared titles with Carol Reed
- Michael AndersonShared titles: The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959), Battle Hell (1957)See all 2 shared titles with Michael Anderson
- David LeanShared titles: The Passionate Friends (1949), Oliver Twist (1948)See all 2 shared titles with David Lean
Writers
- Stanley HaynesShared titles: The Passionate Friends (1949), Oliver Twist (1948), The Way Ahead (1944)See all 3 shared titles with Stanley Haynes
- Ben HechtShared titles: Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), Journey Into Fear (1943)See all 2 shared titles with Ben Hecht
Actors
- Akim TamiroffShared titles: Topkapi (1964), Battle Hell (1957)See all 2 shared titles with Akim Tamiroff
- Noel PurcellShared titles: Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), Encore (1951)See all 2 shared titles with Noel Purcell
- Richard HarrisShared titles: Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Harris
- Trevor HowardShared titles: Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), The Passionate Friends (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Trevor Howard
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Clive DonnerShared titles: The Purple Plain (1954), The Passionate Friends (1949), The Way Ahead (1944)See all 3 shared titles with Clive Donner
- Guy GreenShared titles: The Passionate Friends (1949), Oliver Twist (1948), The Way Ahead (1944)See all 3 shared titles with Guy Green
- Geoffrey UnsworthShared titles: A Night to Remember (1958), The Purple Plain (1954)See all 2 shared titles with Geoffrey Unsworth
- William AlwynShared titles: A Night to Remember (1958), The Way Ahead (1944)See all 2 shared titles with William Alwyn
Producers
- Earl St. JohnShared titles: A Night to Remember (1958), The Purple Plain (1954), Encore (1951)See all 3 shared titles with Earl St. John
- Ronald NeameShared titles: The Passionate Friends (1949), Oliver Twist (1948)See all 2 shared titles with Ronald Neame
- Jack L. WarnerShared titles: The Mask of Dimitrios (1944), Background to Danger (1943)See all 2 shared titles with Jack L. Warner
Mixed roles
- Peter UstinovShared titles: Topkapi (1964), The Way Ahead (1944)See all 2 shared titles with Peter Ustinov
