---
name: "Michael Rymer"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-rymer"
fi1m_id: "michael-rymer"
imdb_id: "nm0753382"
tmdb_id: 28741
wikidata_id: "Q2397306"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "1 March 1963"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 74
average_as: "director"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-07T15:22:45.812334+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Michael Rymer

## Identity

Michael Rymer

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/michael-rymer
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** michael-rymer
- **IMDb ID:** nm0753382
- **TMDB ID:** 28741
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2397306
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Rymer, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2397306, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0753382/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/28741

Director. Born 1 March 1963 in Melbourne, Australia.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 1 March 1963, Melbourne, Australia
- **Active:** 2004–2013
- **Frequently works with:** [Gwyneth Horder-Payton](https://film.one/person/gwyneth-horder-payton.md), [Anthony Hemingway](https://film.one/person/anthony-hemingway.md), [David Semel](https://film.one/person/david-semel.md), [Dawn Prestwich](https://film.one/person/dawn-prestwich.md), [Jeff Vlaming](https://film.one/person/jeff-vlaming.md), [John Dahl](https://film.one/person/john-dahl.md), [Kari Skogland](https://film.one/person/kari-skogland.md), [Katee Sackhoff](https://film.one/person/katee-sackhoff.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as director, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 83 (1), 2010s 70 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 75 to 69 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Crime 3, Action & Adventure 1, Mystery 1, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1, Western 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Rymer, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2397306, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0753382/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/28741

## Streaming the US now

- **Paramount+:** [*Battlestar Galactica*](https://film.one/tv/battlestar-galactica.md) (83), [*Longmire*](https://film.one/tv/longmire.md) (68)
- **Netflix:** [*Hannibal*](https://film.one/tv/hannibal-2013.md) (81)
- **AMC+:** [*The Killing*](https://film.one/tv/the-killing-2011.md) (62)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Michael Rymer

> Michael Rymer makes tense, actor-led genre drama, and we rate his work on *Battlestar Galactica* highly. His documentary-style approach makes the science fiction convincing, though the seriousness can become wearing.

In *Battlestar Galactica* (2004), the documentary-style photography helps make the tension credible. Michael Rymer established that approach in the 2003 miniseries and carried it into his work on the series. It suits his strength in ensemble drama: the science fiction has people worth paying attention to. We found the persistent gloom wearing, even while the tense storytelling and the ensemble led by Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell kept us watching. That is a substantial achievement, though not always a comfortable evening.

He came to television after writing and directing his Australian debut, *Angel Baby* (1995), then making US features including *In Too Deep* (1999) and *Queen of the Damned* (2002). The last of those is a useful warning about his limits: busy, fragmented storytelling with too little substance to support it. It nevertheless led to the *Battlestar Galactica* opportunity. Television gave his ability to handle ensemble genre drama a more substantial outlet, without requiring us to pretend that the features were a steady march of progress.

His work with actors explains why the shift makes sense. He encourages truthful behaviour and improvisation, drawing on his own acting training. That is useful in a complicated genre story, where an actor still has to persuade us to care about someone whose circumstances may need considerable explanation. Writer-producer Ronald D. Moore and producer David Eick are among his collaborators; there is no need to give Rymer sole credit to value his contribution. The documentary look in *Battlestar Galactica* would count for little if the performances felt posed.

On *Hannibal* (2013), his direction of multiple episodes, including season finales, put his ability to handle complicated stories to further use. Those assignments make sense for a director who can establish a programme's tone and remain useful once the story is under way. Start with *Battlestar Galactica*, provided its persistent darkness sounds like something to settle into rather than endure.

## Biography

Michael Rymer is an Australian film and television director and writer. Born in Melbourne, he studied at the University of Southern California film school.

Rymer directed the 2003 Battlestar Galactica miniseries and multiple episodes of the 2004 series, on which he also received writing credits. His other feature film work includes *Queen of the Damned* (2002) and *In Too Deep* (1999). He has directed episodes of series including *American Horror Story*, *Hannibal*, *Jessica Jones* and *The Man in the High Castle*.

His directorial debut *Angel Baby* (1995) won seven Australian Film Institute Awards, including Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, michaelrymer.com, en.battlestarwiki.org.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Hannibal* (2013), Fi1m 81, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/hannibal-2013.md)
- *Longmire* (2012), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/longmire.md)
- *The Killing* (2011), Fi1m 62, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-killing-2011.md)
- *Battlestar Galactica* (2004), Fi1m 83, Director, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/battlestar-galactica.md)

## Complete filmography (28)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Fires* (2021), series, Director
- *2067* (2020), Executive Producer
- *The Gloaming* (2020), series, Director
- *Picnic at Hanging Rock* (2018), series, Director
- *Marvel's Jessica Jones* (2015), series, Director
- *Deadline Gallipoli* (2015), series, Director
- *The Man in the High Castle* (2015), series, Director
- *Hannibal* (2013), series, Director — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/hannibal-2013.md)
- *Longmire* (2012), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/longmire.md)
- *17th Precinct* (2011), Director
- *American Horror Story* (2011), series, Director
- *Face to Face* (2011), Director, Screenplay, Producer
- *The Killing* (2011), series, Director — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-killing-2011.md)
- *Persons Unknown* (2010), series, Director
- *Revolution* (2009), Director
- *FlashForward* (2009), series, Director
- *Battlestar Galactica: Razor* (2007), Producer
- *Battlestar Galactica* (2004), series, Director, Writer — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/battlestar-galactica.md)
- *Battlestar Galactica* (2003), series, Director
- *Haunted* (2002), series, Director
- *Australian Rules* (2002), Thanks
- *Queen of the Damned* (2002), Director
- *Perfume* (2001), Director, Writer
- *In Too Deep* (1999), Director
- *Allie & Me* (1997), Story, Director
- *Angel Baby* (1995), Screenplay, Director
- *Dead Sleep* (1990), Writer
- *The Last Chance Dance* (1984), Sound

## Gallery

- ![Long time director of multiple Battlestar Galactica episodes, Michael Rymer. Also Co-excecutive producer of 17th Precinct and director of the pilot. Day 5 of fi (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/100746/gallery-bbca4a706c74.jpg) Long time director of multiple Battlestar Galactica episodes, Michael Rymer. Also Co-excecutive producer of 17th Precinct and director of the pilot. Day 5 of fi (2011) — sean.koo, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Michael_%285531022699%29.jpg/1280px-Michael_%285531022699%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Michael Rymer](https://film.one/media/person/100746/gallery-cfdc480af909.jpg) Michael Rymer — sean.koo, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Michael_Rymer_2011.jpg/1280px-Michael_Rymer_2011.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/michael-rymer