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John Laing

John Laing

Director and producer · New Zealand

John Laing is a director, producer, editor and writer from New Zealand. He directed his first feature film Beyond Reasonable Doubt in 1980. He has worked in both television and movies in New Zealand as well as in the United Kingdom and Canada.

Biography from TMDB.

From
New Zealand
Works as
Director and producer
Titles
25 on MovieCove · 40 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 22% in 30 days

What are John Laing's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action 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
Survival
26%
Bonds
22%
Self
21%
Society
12%
Morality
10%
Power
8%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 5 · Dark 9

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

Grounded 15 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 12 · Intense 6

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 6 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 4

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 1 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 11

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 9 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Melancholic
11
Dread
8
Hopeful
7
Contemplative
6
Other
8

How their films linger

Hopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet11
  • Ambiguous6

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 John Laing's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 25 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Laing'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

40 credits, 25 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Outer Threat(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Modern Whore(2025)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Silent Planet(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • 40 Acres(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Drive Back Home(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • We Forgot to Break Up(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • My Animal(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The King Tide(2023)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Retreat(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Castle in the Ground(2019)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Flee the Light(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • We're All in This Together(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Kid Detective(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Rest of Us(2019)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Percy Vs Goliath(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • A War Story(2018)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Giant Little Ones(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Abandoned(2015)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Venus and Mars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Solo(2013)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Blue Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Safe House(2012)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Outrageous Fortune: The Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Producer

  • Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior(2006)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Power Rangers S.P.D.: Zapped (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • No One Can Hear You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Writer

  • The Shirt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Greenstone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson(1998)

    Show Director · Creator

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • Xena: Warrior Princess(1995)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all shows

  • Hercules: The Legendary Journeys(1995)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Cody: Bad Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director

  • Mighty Morphin Power Rangers(1993)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Absent Without Leave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director

  • Dangerous Orphans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director

  • Other Halves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • The Hitchhiker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

  • The Lost Tribe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director · Writer

  • Beyond Reasonable Doubt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director

  • No Way They Want to Slow Down (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Editor

Career shape

A full career of 31 titles from 1976 to 2026.

Biggest box office

40 Acres (2024)

$777K worldwide

Highest rated

Giant Little Ones (2018)

Midcredits 82nd

Most popular right now

The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson (1998)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing20 of 31: 17 only directing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score36thWriting2 of 31: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing9 of 31: 9 only producing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score18thCinematography1 of 31: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleEditing1 of 31: 1 only editing, 0 with another roleOther crew1 of 31: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

31 titles, 3 with more than one role.

By decade

1970s1 · crew1980s5 · crew1990s7 · crew2000s5 · crew2010s6 · 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.

How do John Laing's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 38th percentile, the median of all 21; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 51st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 25 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 25 titles are Mixed.

  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · producer

We Forgot to Break Up (2024)

87th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Giant Little Ones (2018)

Midcredits 82nd · 75% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 44/100 in their films, across 13 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 John Laing's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 58 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles27–43 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 61 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 44 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 47 · moderateMedian 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 John Laing work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Laing's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mark Gingras shares the most, 11.

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles