Jonas Åkerlund

Directing

Jonas Åkerlund

Born

1965-11-10 (60)

Place of birth

Bromma, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Known for

Directing

Credits

50 titles

Jonas Åkerlund (born November 10, 1965) is a Swedish film and music video director, and drummer. He is best known for his stylish music videos, which are often mock forms of movie trailers and short films. His video for Madonna's song "Ray of Light" won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form, and a record seven awards at 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, including the Video of the Year. He more recently directed the video for Britney Spears' 2011 single "Hold It Against Me".

Known for

Film credits

2010s · 3 titles

Series credits

Behind the camera

Polar poster
6.4

When a retiring assassin realizes that he is the target of a hit, he winds up back in the game going head to head with a gang of younger, ruthless killers.

Polar

2019

Horsemen poster
6.0

A recently widowed detective still grieving over his wife's death discovers a shocking connection between himself and the suspects in a serial killing spree linked to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Horsemen

2009

Lords of Chaos poster
6.8

A teenager's quest to launch Norwegian Black Metal in Oslo in the 1990s results in a very violent outcome.

Lords of Chaos

2018

Lords of Chaos poster
6.8

A teenager's quest to launch Norwegian Black Metal in Oslo in the 1990s results in a very violent outcome.

Lords of Chaos

2018

Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour - Live poster
8.4

Filmed in front of 76,000 fans at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia, "The 1989 World Tour Live" captures Taylor Swift's entire performance while also mixing in behind-the-scene, rehearsal, and special guest footage from her 1989 Tour.

Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour - Live

2015

Small Apartments poster
5.9

When a clumsy deadbeat accidentally kills his landlord, he must do everything in his power to hide the body, only to find that the distractions of lust, the death of his beloved brother, and a crew of misfit characters force him on a journey where a fortune awaits him.

Small Apartments

2012

Spun poster
6.6

Over the course of three days Ross, a college dropout addicted to crystal-meth, encounters a variety of oddball folks - including a stripper named Nikki and her boyfriend, the local meth producer, The Cook - but all he really wants to do is hook up with his old girlfriend, Amy.

Spun

2003

I'm Going to Tell You a Secret poster
6.6

A documentary that follows Madonna on her 2004 Re-Invention World Tour.

I'm Going to Tell You a Secret

2005

Rite Here Rite Now poster
9.0

Whether you’re a devoted disciple looking to relive treasured memories of the GHOST live spectacle or among the curious uninitiated, RITE HERE RITE NOW will put you right there: putting your phones down and living in the moment—as a shadow of uncertainty looms—completely spellbound and in the thrall of this bombastic yet intimate cinematic portrait of GHOST.

Rite Here Rite Now

2024

Roxette Diaries poster
4.0

Everything (and much more) happened to Roxette in the years 1986 and 1995. Hundreds of hours of footage were recorded during the magical years to capture "everything". Follow them into the studio, backstage, at rehearsals and concerts. These are the private videos of one of the greatest bands of all time - directed by Jonas Åkerlund.

Roxette Diaries

2016

Madonna: The Celebration Tour in Rio poster
9.0

Madonna celebrates her four-decade career in a special concert for over 1.6 million people at the Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Madonna: The Celebration Tour in Rio

2024

Madonna: The Confessions Tour poster
8.5

Filmed in its entirety at London's Wembley Arena during her worldwide sold-out 25-city Confessions Tour (2006's top-grossing tour world-wide), this concert film features songs from throughout the queen's career but largely focuses on Confessions On A Dance Floor.

Madonna: The Confessions Tour

2006

Lemonade poster
8.4

The second "visual album" (a collection of short films) by Beyoncé, this time around she takes a piercing look at racial issues and feminist concepts through a sexualized, satirical, and solemn tone.

Lemonade

2016

Billy Idol Should Be Dead poster
6.9

Punk legend turned pop sensation Billy Idol bares it all in this electrifying documentary, revealing his rise to fame, battle with addiction and triumphant comeback that captivated millions of fans worldwide.

Billy Idol Should Be Dead

2026

Billy Idol Should Be Dead poster
6.9

Punk legend turned pop sensation Billy Idol bares it all in this electrifying documentary, revealing his rise to fame, battle with addiction and triumphant comeback that captivated millions of fans worldwide.

Billy Idol Should Be Dead

2026

The Smashing Pumpkins - Greatest Hits Video Collection poster
8.1

Released alongside The Smashing Pumpkins greatest hits CD "Rotten Apples", this video collection comes with all of the Pumpkins music videos (excluding "The End is the Beginning is the End"). It also comes with a live performance of "Geek USA" and "An Ode to No One" which is taken from their final performance at the Metro. There is also a hidden video for the never-before-released song "Untitled". All of the videos come with commentary from the band and some have out-takes and behind the scenes footage.

The Smashing Pumpkins - Greatest Hits Video Collection

2001

Double Dutchess: Seeing Double poster
6.2

A high-art, high-fashion showcase of a star's many personas-and a vivid reminder that our art, not our obstacles, ultimately defines us. Free, focused, and fucking shit up again, it shows every side of Fergie-the superstar, the visual artist, the creative director, the label head, the fashion icon, the wife, and, she'll tell you most importantly, "mom."

Double Dutchess: Seeing Double

2017

Ozzy Osbourne: Memoirs of a Madman poster
8.5

Memoirs of a Madman is a definitive visual two-disc DVD set which includes classic music videos, along with unreleased and out-of-print live performances, plus interviews from his solo career. Both sets offer fans of the multi-platinum recording artist, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and three-time Grammy® winning singer and songwriter the ultimate collection from Ozzy's distinguished solo career.

Ozzy Osbourne: Memoirs of a Madman

2014

Rammstein: Paris poster
8.4

During the “Made in Germany” tour, Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund filmed two acclaimed Rammstein concerts in March 2012 – each for an audience of 17,000 at the Bercy Arena in Paris. In the resulting film (with 16 songs from the entire repertoire),

Rammstein: Paris

2017

No artwork available
6.2

Short movie about a young, drug addicted couple.

Try

2000

No artwork available
6.2

Short movie about a young, drug addicted couple.

Try

2000

Metallica Saved My Life poster
NR

From Award-winning director Jonas Åkerlund, “Metallica Saved My Life” explores the world of Metallica through the lives of their fans—including the bandmembers themselves—who have supported each other through highs, lows, trials, and triumphs for over four decades.

Metallica Saved My Life

2025

Metallica Saved My Life poster
NR

From Award-winning director Jonas Åkerlund, “Metallica Saved My Life” explores the world of Metallica through the lives of their fans—including the bandmembers themselves—who have supported each other through highs, lows, trials, and triumphs for over four decades.

Metallica Saved My Life

2025

Metallica Saved My Life poster
NR

From Award-winning director Jonas Åkerlund, “Metallica Saved My Life” explores the world of Metallica through the lives of their fans—including the bandmembers themselves—who have supported each other through highs, lows, trials, and triumphs for over four decades.

Metallica Saved My Life

2025

Madonna: The Video Collection 93:99 poster
7.7

A collection of Madonna's favorite videos from 1993-1999. Contains the 14 videos: Bad Girl, Fever, Rain, Secret, Take A Bow, Bedtime Story, Human Nature, Love Don't Live Here Anymore, Frozen, Ray Of Light, Drowned World, The Power of Goodbye, Nothing Really Matters, and Beautiful Stranger.

Madonna: The Video Collection 93:99

1999

BEYONCÉ poster
9.1

Developed as a "visual album", Beyoncé's songs are accompanied by non-linear short films that illustrate the musical concepts conceived during production. Its dark and intimate subject material includes feminist themes of sex, monogamous love, and relationship issues, inspired by Beyoncé's desire to assert her full creative freedom.

BEYONCÉ

2014

Paul McCartney: Live Kisses poster
4.8

On February 9 in the City of Angels, a few hours after the long awaited addition of Paul McCartney’s star to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, McCartney and an all-star entourage performed a one-time-only magical concert event.

Paul McCartney: Live Kisses

2012

On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay-Z poster
7.8

Beyoncé and Jay Z perform live in Paris at Stade de France during their 2014 "On the Run Tour."

On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay-Z

2014

DuEls poster
NR

DuEls is a journey through the Vigeland Museum by Belgian and French choreographer Damien Jalet and Erna Omarsdottir from Iceland, where groundbreaking contemporary dance meets Vigeland's classic sculptures.

DuEls

2024

Blink-182: Greatest Hits poster
5.2

Blink-182: Greatest Hits DVD was released on November 1, 2005, and features 13 of Blink-182's most popular videos. This DVD was released at the same time as their Greatest Hits album, and the DVD is also available as a bundle with the CD. The DVD does not come in an explicit format. 1. "Dammit" (Directed by Darren Doane, Ken Daurio) 2. "Josie" (Directed by Darren Doane, Ken Daurio) 3. "What's My Age Again?" (Directed by Marcos Siega) 4. "All the Small Things" (Directed by Marcos Siega) 5. "Adam's Song" (Directed by Liz Friedlander) 6. "Man Overboard" (Directed by Marcos Siega) 7. "The Rock Show" (Directed by The Malloys) 8. "Stay Together for the Kids" (Original Version) [Directed by Sam Bayer] 9. "First Date" (Directed by The Malloys) 10. "Feeling This" (Directed by David LaChapelle) 11. "I Miss You" (Directed by Jonas Akerlund) 12. "Down" (Directed by Estevan Oriol) 13. "Always" (Directed by Joseph Kahn)

Blink-182: Greatest Hits

2005

Paul McCartney Live at Zócalo poster
7.0

It's hard to believe Paul McCartney - the mariachi-singing ex-Beatle - is turning 70 years-old next month. After a three-hour performance in front of 200,000 people at Mexico City's historic central square, the Zócalo, the ex-Beatle proved that not only is he as talented as ever, but he is as eternally charming and energetic as one would expect from the former mop-topped demigod. McCartney amped the crowd at the Zocalo by yelling "¡Viva Mexico, Cabrones!" -- a sure fire way to get the crowd up onto their feet -- and made sure to pepper Mexican slang into a few of the songs performed that night. For good measure, Sir Paul also waved the Mexican flag. During the concert, McCartney was joined by a traditional Mexican mariachi band for the Beatles' classic, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, an evening highlight that will not be forgotten anytime soon by the masses in attendance.

Paul McCartney Live at Zócalo

2012

Blondie: Good Boys poster
NR

Filmed partly in black and white and partly in color, the video starts out in the style of an old silent film, with a title screen that presents the band, the song, and the director. Debbie Harry appears in a brunette wig, playing a ringmaster conducting the band in a vintage circus setting, intercut with scenes of a circus drama in which a clown is thrown inside a cage with a tiger and mauled to death.

Blondie: Good Boys

2003

Pussy poster
6.2

The Rammstein clip of Pussy

Pussy

2009

No artwork available
NR

The story of Swedish tennis legend's Björn Borg's meteoric rise to stardom, including his unprecedented five consecutive Wimbledon titles, and his shocking decision to retire at just 26 years old. Delving into Borg's life beyond the tennis court, the story will cover his childhood and shed light on years of financial collapse, media scrutiny and ultimately, his personal reinvention.

Heartbeats

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Turn the Page poster
5.3

In this short film, Ginger Lynn Allen plays the night club stripper/prostitute who is trying to raise her 12 year old daughter. We see daily scenes from her daily life. We hear the story both from the daughter's point of view and her mother's. The mother who is over 35 says she always wanted to be rock star. Her daughter indistinctly and unconsciously questions his mother's way of raising her. For instance, she says things sort of "my mother tells me that I should never start smoking but she smokes a lot" while her mother is smoking as her daughter is asleep or "my mother tells me not to watch a lot of TV because there is too much garbage on TV but she just watches TV more than I do." Ginger Lynn Allen's acting is quite good. Her striptease polo dance and the brutal sex she had to suffer at the end of the movie are among the most memorable scenes of the movie. I guess these scenes could have been more careful if the movie had not been shot in documentary-like voice-over.

Turn the Page

1999

Turn the Page poster
5.3

In this short film, Ginger Lynn Allen plays the night club stripper/prostitute who is trying to raise her 12 year old daughter. We see daily scenes from her daily life. We hear the story both from the daughter's point of view and her mother's. The mother who is over 35 says she always wanted to be rock star. Her daughter indistinctly and unconsciously questions his mother's way of raising her. For instance, she says things sort of "my mother tells me that I should never start smoking but she smokes a lot" while her mother is smoking as her daughter is asleep or "my mother tells me not to watch a lot of TV because there is too much garbage on TV but she just watches TV more than I do." Ginger Lynn Allen's acting is quite good. Her striptease polo dance and the brutal sex she had to suffer at the end of the movie are among the most memorable scenes of the movie. I guess these scenes could have been more careful if the movie had not been shot in documentary-like voice-over.

Turn the Page

1999

No artwork available
NR

Allin was a cult and fringe figure in the 1980s punk scene who became notorious for his outrageous behavior at shows, notably defecating onstage and sometimes hurling it at his audience. His shows frequently ended in chaos and violence, and he found himself frequently arrested and imprisoned. Allin fell headlong into booze and drugs while putting out albums — punk, spoken word and country — mostly on cassette in the 80s.

GG Allin: Live. Fast. Die.

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No artwork available
5.8

Jonas Åkerlund of Bathory fame's first directorial short.

The Hidden

1997

Place (Ställe) poster
NR

Place is a sensational dance film, especially created for world-famous dancers Mikhail Baryshnikov & Ana Laguna by an outstanding international team of artists.

Place (Ställe)

2009

En film om Modstrilogin poster
NR

A documentary about Stefan Jarl's Mod-trilogy.

En film om Modstrilogin

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