Skip to content
MovieCove
Ólafur Arnalds

Ólafur Arnalds

Composer, also writer and producer · Born November 3, 1986 (39) · Mosfellsbær, Iceland

Ólafur Arnalds (born 3 November 1986) is an Icelandic multi-instrumentalist, music producer and composer for film and television projects.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 3, 1986 (39)
From
Mosfellsbær, Iceland
Works as
Composer, also writer and producer
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 32 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 68% in 30 days

What are Ólafur Arnalds' films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.

Genres

Documentary5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: 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
Survival
27%
Bonds
19%
Self
19%
Ideas
15%
Power
11%
Society
7%
Morality
2%
Family bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMental illness2 titles, browse their movies with this themeNature2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 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 1 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 7 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 5

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

A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 3 · 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 1 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 3 · 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 3 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1

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 3 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
5
Contemplative
3
Hopeful
4
Dread
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Hopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3

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 Ólafur Arnalds' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ólafur Arnalds' 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

32 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Rocket Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Composer

  • Inspirations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Composer

  • Memories of CS:GO - The Early Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Composer

  • A Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Composer

  • Beyond The Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Composer

  • Deep Rising(2023)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Surface(2022)

    Show 16 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows

  • Moonhaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • The Restless(2021)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • When We Are Born (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Composer · Writer · as Self

  • Brise-Lames (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Composer

  • Generation Fridays for Future (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Composer

  • Defending Jacob(2020)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Shawn Mendes: In Wonder(2020)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Chasing the Present(2019)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Let Me Fall(2018)

    Composer · as Jónas

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Island Songs(2017)

    Composer · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Electric Dreams(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Out of Thin Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Composer

  • Dreaming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Composer

  • Suicidal Notions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Composer

  • Life in a Fishbowl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Composer

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

    Composer

  • The Invisible Front(2014)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Composer

  • Gimme Shelter(2013)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Broadchurch(2013)

    Show 24 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Another Happy Day(2011)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Blinky™ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Composer

  • Rivers Return (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Composer

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

    Composer

  • Iceland: Beyond Sigur Rós (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Composer

Career shape

A full career of 31 titles from 2010 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Gimme Shelter (2013)

$1.4M worldwide

Highest rated

Let Me Fall (2018)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

Another Happy Day (2011)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 31: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleWriting2 of 31: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleMusic31 of 31: 28 only music, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score72nd

31 titles, 3 with more than one role — music and writing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2010s18 · 1 acting · 18 crew2020s13 · 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 Ólafur Arnalds' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 9; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 13 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · composer

Chasing the Present (2019)

84th percentile spread · 18% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

Broadchurch (2013)

Midcredits 96th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 65/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 42. 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.

Who does Ólafur Arnalds work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ólafur Arnalds' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Baldvin Zophoníasson shares the most, 2.

Directors

Cinematographers and editors