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John R. Leonetti

John R. Leonetti

Cinematographer and director, also producer · Born July 4, 1956 (70) · Los Angeles, California, USA

John Robert Leonetti, ASC (born July 4, 1956) is an American cinematographer and film director. He is known for his collaborative work with director James Wan, with whom he has acted as cinematographer on five films. He is the younger brother of cinematographer Matthew F. Leonetti, who was the cinematographer for John's first feature-length film as director, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 4, 1956 (70)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Cinematographer and director, also producer
Titles
60 on MovieCove · 69 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 36% in 30 days

What are John R. Leonetti's films like?

Across their 33 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Horror11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 23rd percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Action7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 15th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure 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
Bonds
32%
Morality
23%
Survival
22%
Self
14%
Society
3%
Ideas
3%
Power
3%
Family bonds19 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge5 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 32 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 9 · Serious 9 · Dark 14

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 15 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 6

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 9 · Intense 20

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 18 · Whiplash 5

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

Straight-faced 20 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 5

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 23 · Relentless 6

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

Casual 14 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 4

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

Easy watch 11 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 8

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

Resolved 27 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
25
Dread
13
Melancholic
11
Thrilling
6
Hopeful
6
Other
24

How their films linger

Unsettling12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 12 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet16
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous5

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 R. Leonetti's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 39 of their 60 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (17).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John R. Leonetti'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

69 credits, 60 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Lullaby(2022)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Silence(2019)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Wish Upon(2017)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Wolves at the Door(2016)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Annabelle(2014)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Sleepy Hollow(2013)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Insidious: Chapter 2(2013)

    Cinematographer · Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Conjuring(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Zero Hour(2013)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • This Is 40(2012)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The River(2012)

    Show 7 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Soul Surfer(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Insidious(2010)

    Cinematographer · Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Super Hybrid(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Piranha 3D(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Ca$h(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Death Sentence(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • I Know Who Killed Me(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Dead Silence(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Butterfly Effect 2(2006)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Woods(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • 10th & Wolf(2006)

    Lighting Technician

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Perfect Man(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Fever Pitch(2005)

    Second Unit Director · Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Raise Your Voice(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Honey(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Scorpion King(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Joe Dirt(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Detroit Rock City(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Sons of Thunder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

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

    Show 16 episodes · Director · Cinematographer

  • Star Trek: Insurrection(1998)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Mortal Kombat: Annihilation(1997)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Spy Hard(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Kindred: The Embraced (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • JAG(1995)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Mortal Kombat(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Burning Season: The Chico Mendes Story(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Mask(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Against the Wall(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • One Woman's Courage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Cinematographer

  • Hot Shots! Part Deux(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Revenge on the Highway(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Coopersmith(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Raven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • Raven: Return of the Black Dragons(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Child's Play 3(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Another 48 Hrs.(1990)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Hard to Kill(1990)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • An Eight Is Enough Wedding(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Johnny Handsome(1989)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Tales from the Crypt(1989)

    Show 11 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Elvira: Mistress of the Dark(1988)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Red Heat(1988)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking(1988)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Action Jackson(1988)

    "B" Camera Operator · Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Martini Ranch: Reach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Cinematographer

  • Extreme Prejudice(1987)

    First Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Jumpin' Jack Flash(1986)

    Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Jagged Edge(1985)

    Focus Puller

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Commando(1985)

    First Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Weird Science(1985)

    First Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Fast Forward(1985)

    First Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Songwriter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    First Assistant Camera

  • The Buddy System (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    First Assistant Camera

  • Treasure: In Search of the Golden Horse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Camera Operator

  • Fast Times at Ridgemont High(1982)

    Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Poltergeist(1982)

    First Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • One from the Heart(1981)

    Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 69 titles from 1982 to 2022.

Biggest box office

The Mask (1994)

$352M worldwide

Highest rated

The Conjuring (2013)

Midcredits 94th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing10 of 69: 8 only directing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score13thProducing2 of 69: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleCinematography41 of 69: 36 only cinematography, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thOther crew21 of 69: 20 only other crew, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score50th

69 titles, 5 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1980s20 · crew1990s21 · crew2000s12 · crew2010s15 · crew2020s1 · 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 R. Leonetti's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 55; across their 32 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 34th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

34thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 32

Approval · how many liked their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 32

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 32

Midcredits score across 60 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th16
  • 25th to 49th22
  • Below 25th14

Shape of the crowd

27 of their 60 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser23
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed27

Most divisive · cinematographer

An Eight Is Enough Wedding (1989)

85th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Conjuring (2013)

Midcredits 94th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 52/100 in their films, across 25 reviewed titles; fans 63, detractors 38. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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 R. Leonetti's work okay for kids?

Across up to 24 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films and sex & nudity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore20 titles40–93 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity24 titles7–64 · median 19 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity21 titles29–83 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs19 titles7–64 · median 26 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense19 titles29–92 · median 66 · intenseheavier 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 John R. Leonetti work with?

People who share at least 2 of John R. Leonetti's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; James Wan shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles