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Tom Cross

Tom Cross

Editor · Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Oscar winner · 2 BAFTA Awards · 2 other major award bodies

Tom Cross is an American television and film editor. He is known for his collaborations with Damien Chazelle including Whiplash (2014) for which he won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing as well as La La Land (2016), and First Man (2018). Description above from the Wikipedia article Tom Cross, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

From
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Works as
Editor
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 23 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 26Down 26% in 30 days

What are Tom Cross' films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 91st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 91st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
Self
38%
Bonds
21%
Morality
18%
Society
10%
Survival
6%
Ideas
4%
Power
2%
Ambition6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 4 · Dark 7

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 4 · Intense 6

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 3

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

A split, not a type: Casual 3 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 5

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 0 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 5

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 6 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
8
Dread
3
Contemplative
3
Triumphant
4
Other
13

How their films linger

Bittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • 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 Tom Cross' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Tom Cross' 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

23 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page.

  • Michael(2026)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Arctic Adventure: Ultimate Survival (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Producer

  • Babylon(2022)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • No Time to Die(2021)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • First Man(2018)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Hostiles(2017)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Greatest Showman(2017)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • La La Land(2016)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Joy(2015)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Driftless Area(2015)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Whiplash(2014)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Time Lapse(2014)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Whiplash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Editor

  • Any Day Now(2012)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Space Between(2010)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Switch(2010)

    Additional Editor

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Two Lovers(2008)

    Additional Editor · First Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • We Own the Night(2007)

    First Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Turistas(2006)

    First Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Wrong Turn(2003)

    First Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • W.I.S.O.R. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Editor

  • Poison(1991)

    as Baton Inmate ("Homo")

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Sacrifice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Editor

Career shape

A full career of 23 titles, 22 of them dated from 1991 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Michael (2026)

$1B worldwide

Highest rated

Whiplash (2014)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 23: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleProducing1 of 23: 1 only producing, 0 with another roleEditing18 of 23: 17 only editing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score88thOther crew4 of 23: 3 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s5 · crew2010s12 · crew2020s4 · crew

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.

Awards

an Oscar, 2 BAFTA Awards and 3 other major awards from 11 major nominations, 2015–2023.

WinNomination
  1. 2023
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Editing
  2. 2022
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Editing
  3. 2019
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Editing
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Editing
  4. 2017
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Film Editing
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Editing
  5. 2016
    • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Editing
  6. 2015
    • Oscar, won · Best Achievement in Film Editing
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Editing
    • +2 other major bodies · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Editing
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Editing

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 Tom Cross' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 82nd percentile, the median of all 19; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 86th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · editor

The Space Between (2010)

62nd percentile spread · 14% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · editor

Whiplash (2014)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 53, detractors 31. The element that speaks to their work as an editor.

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 Tom Cross' work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, frightening / intense runs heavier than most films and sex & nudity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles2–85 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles5–38 · median 14 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles27–92 · median 46 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles21–66 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense9 titles13–74 · median 56 · moderateheavier 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 Tom Cross work with?

People who share at least 2 of Tom Cross' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Damien Chazelle shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles