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John Lunn

John Lunn

Composer · Born May 13, 1956 (70) · Glasgow, Scotland, UK

2 Primetime Emmys · BAFTA Award nominee

John Lunn's music possesses a wonderfully unique voice that spans a wide spectrum of musical styles. Classically trained, yet contemporary in attitude, he combines a highly intelligent and sensitive approach with a sound that always hits at the emotional heart of a piece. His scores, which match the highest production values with a continual desire to discover new colours and sounds, are continuously in high demand. He is probably best known for scoring the hugely successful flagship ITV/NBC/PBS/Carnival Films drama, Downton Abbey, for which he has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, in 2012 and 2013 and a further nomination in 2014. John's recent work includes ITV/PBS/Lovely Day's adaption of The Grantchester Mysteries by author James Runcie, Red Planet's epic WW1 drama The Passing Bells, the feature film Electricity starring Agyness Deyn, just released in the UK; Burton And Taylor (starring Dominic West and Helena Bonham-Carter), Shetland, The White Queen (based on the bestselling novel by Phillipa Gregory), for which he also received a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2014, and the reimagining of Hitchcock's classic The Lady Vanishes, all for the BBC. He is currently scoring The Last Kingdom, an adaptation of Bernard Cornwell's best selling "The Saxon Stories" for BBC/BBC America. 2015 will also see him working on Downton Abbey series 6, and a further series of Grantchester. He has received critical acclaim for three adaptations of Charles Dickens classics: the BBC/Masterpiece centenary adaptation of The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, for which he was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award (2013), a 14-part re-imagining of Little Dorrit(2008), which garnered both a BAFTA nomination and his first Primetime Emmy nomination, and Bleak House (2006) , for which he received RTS Best Score and Best Title nominations.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
May 13, 1956 (70)
From
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Works as
Composer
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 65 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 17% in 30 days

What are John Lunn's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography 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
24%
Self
15%
Society
12%
Power
11%
Survival
4%
Ideas
2%
Family bonds15 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this themePower3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTradition vs change3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 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 7 · Serious 5 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 14 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 7 · Intense 5

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

A split, not a type: Steady 9 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 7 · 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 6 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 4

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 12 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
19
Melancholic
12
Bittersweet
10
Warm
7
Contemplative
8
Other
18

How their films linger

Bittersweet17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet19
  • Tragic1
  • 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 John Lunn's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Lunn'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

65 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale(2025)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Belgravia: The Next Chapter(2024)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die(2023)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Downton Abbey: A New Era(2022)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Belgravia(2020)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Downton Abbey(2019)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The White Princess(2017)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Jamestown(2017)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • To Walk Invisible: The Brontë Sisters(2016)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Last Kingdom(2015)

    Show 5 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Electricity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Composer

  • The Passing Bells (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 5 episodes · Composer

  • Grantchester(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Burton and Taylor(2013)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The White Queen(2013)

    Show 10 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • The Lady Vanishes(2013)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Shetland(2013)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Unconditional (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Composer

  • The Mystery of Edwin Drood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Marchlands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 5 episodes · Composer

  • Downton Abbey(2010)

    Show 47 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Going Postal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • The Silence(2010)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • The Turn of the Screw(2009)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Little Dorrit(2008)

    Show 14 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Criminal Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 5 episodes · Composer

  • Frankenstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Composer

  • The Shadow in the North(2007)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Housewife, 49(2005)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Sorted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • See No Evil: The Moors Murders(2006)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Under the Greenwood Tree(2005)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

  • Heartless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Composer

  • Planespotting(2005)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Like Father Like Son(2005)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Bleak House(2005)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Murder Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Composer

  • Amnesia(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all shows

  • Wall of Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Composer

  • Carla (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Composer

  • Bugs! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Composer

  • Cambridge Spies(2003)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • State of Mind(2003)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Sirens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Once Upon a Time in the Midlands(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Murder Rooms: The Photographer's Chair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Sound

  • Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

  • Lorna Doone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer

  • Second Sight: Kingdom of the Blind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer

  • Lorna Doone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Long Haul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • Hero of the Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • Madame Bovary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Second Sight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer

  • Immortality(1998)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Get Real(1998)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Getting Hurt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Composer

  • Beavis and Butt-Head Do America(1996)

    Sound

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Ghostbusters of East Finchley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • Hamish Macbeth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 20 episodes · Composer

  • The Cormorant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Composer

  • After the Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Composer

  • Beatrix: The Early Life of Beatrix Potter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Composer

  • The Play on One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

Career shape

A full career of 62 titles from 1988 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Downton Abbey (2019)

$195M worldwide

Highest rated

Bleak House (2005)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

The White Queen (2013)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Music60 of 62: 60 only music, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thOther crew2 of 62: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s9 · crew2000s31 · crew2010s16 · crew2020s5 · 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

2 Primetime Emmys from 8 major nominations, 2009–2014.

WinNomination
  1. 2014
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score)
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
  2. 2013
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
  3. 2012
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Original Television Music
  4. 2011
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Original Television Music
  5. 2009
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score)
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Original Television Music

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 John Lunn's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 18; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 33 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · composer

State of Mind (2003)

68th percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

The Last Kingdom (2015)

Midcredits 98th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 58/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 65, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

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 Lunn's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and sex & nudity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore7 titles6–81 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles20–63 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles12–56 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles24–45 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense7 titles10–66 · median 48 · moderatenear the median of all 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 Lunn work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Lunn's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Gareth Neame shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers