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James Hawes

James Hawes

Director and producer · Wimbledon, London, England, UK

BAFTA Award nominee

James Hawes is a British television director. He has worked in British television drama since the mid-1990s and has also produced documentaries for British and American television networks. His work has ranged across high-end period pieces and prime-time adventure drama, including the re-launch of Doctor Who and Enid, a biopic starring Helena Bonham Carter about the celebrated children's author Enid Blyton, which won Hawes a BAFTA nomination as Best Director at the 2010 ceremony. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Hawes, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

From
Wimbledon, London, England, UK
Works as
Director and producer
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 36 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 18% in 30 days

What are James Hawes' films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama 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
Morality
35%
Bonds
21%
Power
14%
Survival
13%
Society
8%
Ideas
6%
Self
4%
Justice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 1 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 3 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 5 · Intense 1

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 1 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

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

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Dread
5
Melancholic
6
Contemplative
5
Warm
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic2
  • 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 James Hawes' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Hawes' 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

36 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page.

  • Lanterns(2026)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Lanterns - “Pilot” (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director

  • The Amateur(2025)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • One Life(2023)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Slow Horses(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Raised by Wolves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Snowpiercer(2020)

    Show 40 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • The Alienist(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • The Mist(2017)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Undercover(2016)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Penny Dreadful(2014)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Mill(2013)

    Show 10 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Challenger Disaster(2013)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Black Mirror(2011)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Murder at Road Hill House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • Mad Dogs(2011)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Pulse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director

  • Enid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Producer

  • The 39 Steps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Merlin(2008)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Kafka Uncovered (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Writer · as Self

  • Fanny Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • Fanny Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Miss Marie Lloyd(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Chatterley Affair(2006)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who(2005)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Actor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Doctor Who Confidential (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 5 episodes · Actor

  • A Line in the Sand(2004)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Sea of Souls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Lawrence of Arabia, the battle for the Arab world (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Creator · Producer · Writer

  • Lawrence of Arabia: The Battle for the Arab World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Egypt's Golden Empire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Without Motive(2000)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Always and Everyone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries(1998)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • The Bill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · Director

Career shape

A full career of 34 titles from 1984 to 2026.

Biggest box office

The Amateur (2025)

$96M worldwide

Highest rated

One Life (2023)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Lanterns (2026)

Film career

  • 2005Screen debut· Doctor Who Confidential

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 34: 1 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting32 of 34: 25 only directing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score80thWriting3 of 34: 1 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing6 of 34: 0 only producing, 6 with another roleOther crew1 of 34: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

34 titles, 7 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s2 · crew2000s15 · 2 acting · 14 crew2010s9 · crew2020s7 · 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

Nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2010, Best Director Fiction/Entertainment.

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 James Hawes' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · director

A Line in the Sand (2004)

61st percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Black Mirror (2011)

Midcredits 98th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 64/100 and the pacing 53/100 in their films, across 6 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 James Hawes' work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 65 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 35 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 50 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 37 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 53 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does James Hawes work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Hawes' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ross Kemp shares the most, 2.

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers