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Checco Varese

Checco Varese

Cinematographer, also producer · Lima, Peru

Primetime Emmy winner

Checco Varese (born 1963) is a Peruvian-born cinematographer. He has shot numerous shows and films such as The 33 (2015), It: Chapter Two (2019), and Daisy Jones & The Six (2023). He won an Emmy Award for his work on the Hulu miniseries Dopesick.

Biography from TMDB.

From
Lima, Peru
Works as
Cinematographer, also producer
Titles
25 on MovieCove · 37 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 26Up 43% in 30 days

What are Checco Varese's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
30%
Bonds
29%
Survival
25%
Morality
9%
Society
3%
Ideas
2%
Power
1%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 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 3 · Serious 5 · Dark 6

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

Grounded 6 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 6 · Intense 7

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

Steady 5 · 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 8 · Some laughs 6 · 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 8 · Relentless 2

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 0

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 4 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 6

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Melancholic
9
Dread
4
Hopeful
5
Thrilling
4
Other
12

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet9
  • 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 Checco Varese's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 25 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Checco Varese'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

37 credits, 25 with a MovieCove page.

  • Ebenezer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Cinematographer

  • G20(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Pulse(2025)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • Daisy Jones & The Six(2023)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Alien (The Other) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Cinematographer

  • Dopesick(2021)

    Show 8 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • It: Chapter Two(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Replicas(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Miracles from Heaven(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Colony(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The 33(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Returned(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Point of Honor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • The Strain(2014)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Lovestruck: The Musical (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Cinematographer

  • Girl in Progress(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • 5 Days of War(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Lemonade Mouth(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Nine Lives of Chloe King(2011)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

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

    Cinematographer

  • The New Daughter(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Prom Night(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Under the Same Moon(2007)

    Cinematographer · Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Aura(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Their Eyes Were Watching God(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Global Frequency(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Charros (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Cinematographer

  • A Separate Peace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Cinematographer

  • Hustle(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Comfort and Joy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Cinematographer

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

    Cinematographer

  • Night at the Golden Eagle(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • La milpa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • Dust to Dust(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Primal Force (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Cinematographer

  • The Arrival(1996)

    Steadicam Operator

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • I Don't Want to Talk About It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Steadicam Operator

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles, 31 of them dated from 1993 to 2025.

Biggest box office

It: Chapter Two (2019)

$473M worldwide

Highest rated

Daisy Jones & The Six (2023)

Midcredits 93rd

Most popular right now

It: Chapter Two (2019)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Producing1 of 32: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography30 of 32: 29 only cinematography, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thOther crew2 of 32: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1990s3 · crew2000s12 · crew2010s13 · crew2020s3 · 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

Won a Primetime Emmy in 2022, Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

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 Checco Varese's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 17; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 40th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 25 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 25 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · cinematographer

5 Days of War (2011)

86th percentile spread · 31% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Dopesick (2021)

Midcredits 98th · 96% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 66/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 51. 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 Checco Varese's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles34–80 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles8–43 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles28–73 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles1–65 · median 24 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles25–72 · median 53 · 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 Checco Varese work with?

People who share at least 2 of Checco Varese's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Patricia Riggen shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors