Konstantinos "Kostas" Gavras (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Γαβράς; born 12 February 1933), known professionally as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for political films, such as the political thriller Z (1969), which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Missing (1982), for which he won the Palme d'Or and an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Most of his films have been made in French, but six have been in English, including Hanna K.. Description above from the Wikipedia article Costa-Gavras, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- February 12, 1933 (93)
- Loutra-Iraias, Greece
- Director, writer, actor and producer, also editor
- 28 on MovieCove · 46 credits in all
Known for
What are Costa-Gavras' films like?
Across their 22 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Society.
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 18
Light 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 17
A split, not a type: Grounded 13 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 2
Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 14
A split, not a type: Steady 12 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 5
Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 1
A split, not a type: Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 1
Casual 2 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 9
A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 12
Resolved 8 · Open-ended 11 · Ambiguous 3
Moods and endings
- Bittersweet9
- Tragic3
- Ambiguous10
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 Costa-Gavras' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Costa-Gavras' 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
46 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 54 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Carolco, un rêve hollywoodien (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
La scripte (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
No Other Choice(2025)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Before What Comes After (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Morceaux de Cannes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Adults in the Room(2019)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
I Still Hide to Smoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Henri Langlois vu par... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Capital(2012)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Burke and Hare(2010)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Eden Is West(2009)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The Colonel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
The Ax(2005)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all filmsParthénon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Amen.(2002)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Mad City(1997)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The Stupids(1996)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Lumière and Company(1995)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Concerning Nice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Et avec la Lumière et la Mort sans cesse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
The Little Apocalypse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Lest We Forget (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Delicatessen(1991)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Music Box(1989)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Betrayed(1988)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Family Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Spies Like Us(1985)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Tea in the Harem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Hanna K. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Missing(1982)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Womanlight(1979)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Madame Rosa(1977)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Mr. Klein(1976)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Special Section(1975)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
State of Siege(1972)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Confession(1970)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Z(1969)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Shock Troops(1967)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
The Sleeping Car Murders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Backfire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Joy House(1964)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
The Day and the Hour(1963)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Bay of Angels(1963)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
A Monkey in Winter(1962)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Crésus(1960)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Les Ratés (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Career shape
A full career of 45 titles from 1958 to 2026.
Film career
- 1977Screen debut· Madame Rosa
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 Costa-Gavras' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 84th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 22 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up16
- 50th to 74th9
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
17 of their 28 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved7
- Divisive1
- Crowd Pleaser17
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed1
Reviewers score the atmosphere 72/100 and the pacing 53/100 in their films, across 22 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 Costa-Gavras' work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 4 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 Costa-Gavras work with?
People who share at least 2 of Costa-Gavras' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Françoise Bonnot shares the most, 6.
Writers
- Jean-Claude GrumbergShared titles: Capital (2012), Eden Is West (2009), The Ax (2005), Amen. (2002)See all 4 shared titles with Jean-Claude Grumberg
- Jorge SemprúnShared titles: Special Section (1975), The Confession (1970), Z (1969)See all 3 shared titles with Jorge Semprún
- Joe EszterhasShared titles: Music Box (1989), Betrayed (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Joe Eszterhas
- Romain GaryShared titles: Womanlight (1979), Madame Rosa (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Romain Gary
Actors
- Ulrich TukurShared titles: Adults in the Room (2019), Eden Is West (2009), The Ax (2005), Amen. (2002)See all 4 shared titles with Ulrich Tukur
- Yves MontandShared titles: Womanlight (1979), State of Siege (1972), The Confession (1970), Z (1969)See all 4 shared titles with Yves Montand
- Jacques PerrinShared titles: Special Section (1975), State of Siege (1972), Z (1969), Shock Troops (1967)See all 4 shared titles with Jacques Perrin
- Jonas MekasShared titles: Film: The Living Record of Our Memory (2021), What Is Cinema? (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Jonas Mekas
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Françoise BonnotShared titles: Missing (1982), Womanlight (1979), Special Section (1975), State of Siege (1972), The Confession (1970), Z (1969)See all 6 shared titles with Françoise Bonnot
- Patrick BlossierShared titles: The Ax (2005), Amen. (2002), Music Box (1989), Betrayed (1988)See all 4 shared titles with Patrick Blossier
- Armand AmarShared titles: Capital (2012), The Ax (2005), Amen. (2002)See all 3 shared titles with Armand Amar
- Yannick KergoatShared titles: The Ax (2005), Amen. (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Yannick Kergoat
Producers
- Michèle Ray-GavrasShared titles: Adults in the Room (2019), Capital (2012), The Ax (2005), Amen. (2002), Special Section (1975)See all 5 shared titles with Michèle Ray-Gavras
- Alexandre GavrasShared titles: Adults in the Room (2019), Capital (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Alexandre Gavras
- Hal W. PolaireShared titles: Music Box (1989), Betrayed (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Hal W. Polaire
- Irwin WinklerShared titles: Music Box (1989), Betrayed (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Irwin Winkler
Mixed roles
- Abbas KiarostamiShared titles: What Is Cinema? (2013), Lumière and Company (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Abbas Kiarostami
- David LynchShared titles: What Is Cinema? (2013), Lumière and Company (1995)See all 2 shared titles with David Lynch
