Russell Banks was an American writer of fiction and poetry. As a novelist, Banks was best known for his detailed accounts of domestic strife and the daily struggles of ordinary often-marginalized characters. His stories usually revolved around his own childhood experiences, and often reflect "moral themes and personal relationships."
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Biography from TMDB.
- March 28, 1940
- January 7, 2023 (aged 82)
- Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.A
- Writer and actor
- 3 on MovieCove · 7 credits in all
What are Russell Banks' films like?
Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
Light 1 · Serious 0 · Dark 3
A split, not a type: Grounded 3 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0
Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 1
Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0
Casual 0 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 0 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 3
Resolved 1 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
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 Russell Banks' films?
As of October 24, 2026, all 3 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Russell Banks' 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
7 credits, 3 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Oh, Canada(2024)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Nelson Algren Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Trailerpark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Affliction(1997)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
The Sweet Hereafter(1997)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
The Hidden Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
American Darling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 7 titles, 6 of them dated from 1991 to 2024.
Biggest box office
Affliction (1997)
Highest rated
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019)
Most popular right now
Affliction (1997)
Film career
- 1997Screen debut· The Sweet Hereafter
How do Russell Banks' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 3; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 85th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 25th to 49th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 3 titles divides audiences: 1 is Universally Loved.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser1
- Mixed1
Reviewers score the dialogue 56/100 and the plot and story 45/100 in their films, across 4 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 Russell Banks' 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 Russell Banks work with?
People who share at least 2 of Russell Banks' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Paul Schrader shares the most, 2.
Directors
- Paul SchraderShared titles: Oh, Canada (2024), Affliction (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Schrader
Cinematographers
- Paul SarossyShared titles: Affliction (1997), The Sweet Hereafter (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Sarossy
Mixed roles
- Caerthan BanksShared titles: Oh, Canada (2024), The Sweet Hereafter (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Caerthan Banks