Wikipedia

John Maclean (film director)

John Maclean is a Scottish film director, screenwriter, artist and musician. He is best known for writing and directing the films Slow West (2015) and Tornado (2025) and for his work with Scottish musical group the Beta Band.[1]

John Maclean
Maclean performing with the Beta Band, 2025
Born1972 (age 53–54)
Perth, Scotland
Alma materEdinburgh College of Art
Royal College of Art
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • musician
  • songwriter
  • artist
Years active1996–present
Musical career
OriginTayport, Fife, Scotland
Genres
Instruments
  • Keyboard
  • sampler
Labels
Member ofThe Beta Band
The Aliens

Early life and career

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Maclean was born in 1972 in Perth, Scotland[2] and was brought up in Tayport, near Dundee.[3] He obtained his bachelor's degree (BA) in drawing and painting from Edinburgh College of Art, and his master's degree (MA) from the Royal College of Art in London. After college, he delivered cars by driving them to their new owners around the United States; seeing so much of the country later inspired his interest to make a Western.[4][5][6]

Maclean is a founding member of the Scottish indie-rock groups the Beta Band and the Aliens. He has directed music videos for both, as well as for Django Django and KT Tunstall. The Beta Band's videos came to the attention of actor Michael Fassbender, who agreed to a part in Maclean's 2009 short film Man on a Motorcycle; Fassbender would later appear in Maclean's debut feature film, Slow West (2015).[5][7] The Guardian described the partnership between Maclean and Fassbender as "not quite up there with Scorsese/De Niro yet, but a good start".[8]

Maclean is the son of Scottish artists Marian Leven and Will Maclean. His brother, David Maclean, is the drummer of art rock band Django Django.[9][10]

Discography

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The Beta Band

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Studio albums

Compilation albums

Extended plays

Singles

  • "To You Alone"/"Sequinsizer" (2000)
  • "Broke"/"Won" (2001)
  • "Human Being" (2001)
  • "Squares" (2002)
  • "Assessment" (2004)
  • "Out-Side" (2004)

Video

The Aliens

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Studio albums

Live albums

  • Live on the Moon (2019)

Extended plays

  • Alienoid Starmonica (2006)
  • The Sunlamp Show EP (2009)
  • Electronville (2020)
  • Back to Beyond (2021)

Singles

  • "The Happy Song" (2006)
  • "Setting Sun" (2007)
  • "Robot Man" (2007)
  • "Magic Man" (2008)

Filmography

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Short films

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Year Title Director Writer
2009 Man on a Motorcycle Yes Yes
2011 Pitch Black Heist Yes Yes

Feature films

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Year Title Director Writer
2015 Slow West Yes Yes
2025 Tornado Yes Yes

Music videos

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Year Title Artist
2004 "Trouble"[11] The Beta Band
2007 "Rox"[12] The Aliens
2007 "Robot Man"[13] The Aliens
2007 "Magic Man"[14] The Aliens
2007 "Setting Sun"[15] The Aliens
2013 "Hand of Man"[16] Django Django
2013 "Come On Get In"[17] KT Tunstall
2017 "Tic Tac Toe"[18] Django Django

Reception

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Reviewing Slow West, the Village Voice deemed Maclean a "supremely promising talent."[19]

Maclean won a Best Short Film BAFTA award in 2012 for Pitch Black Heist, which starred Michael Fassbender and Liam Cunningham.[20] His debut feature film was the 2015 western-drama Slow West.[1] He won the "World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic" at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.[21] The same year, BAFTA named him as a "Brit to Watch".[22][23]

References

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  1. 1 2 Ian Youngs, Entertainment reporter (24 June 2015). "Slow West director John Maclean: From Beta Band to Wild West". BBC News. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "White Room: John Maclean". White Columns. New York City, U.S. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  3. ↑ Alexander, Michael (13 June 2025). "Tayport's John Maclean on Beta Band reunion, directing Michael Fassbender and blazing school bus seats". The Courier. Dundee, Scotland: DC Thomson. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  4. ↑ John Maclean at IMDb
  5. 1 2 Youngs, Ian (24 June 2015). "Slow West director John Maclean: From Beta Band to Wild West". BBC News. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  6. ↑ Garofalo, Alex (22 April 2015). "'Slow West' Director John Maclean Discusses His Groundbreaking Western At The Tribeca Film Festival". International Business Times. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Django Django - Hand of Man (Official Video). YouTube. 8 January 2013.
  8. ↑ Virtue, Graeme (24 June 2015). "Slow West: 'Working with Michael Fassbender was like being in a band'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "Stark Talk: Marian Leven and Will Maclean". BBC News. BBC. 22 May 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  10. ↑ Pollock, David (13 February 2021). "'Dundee was like going to New York or something, because I didn't know any different' – Django Django's David Maclean". The Courier. Dundee, Scotland: DC Thomson. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  11. ↑ Maclean, John (2004). Trouble (Music video) (in English and Scottish Gaelic). Event occurs at 5:45. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Maclean, John (2007). Rox (Music video). Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Maclean, John (2007). Robot Man (Music video). Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  14. ↑ Maclean, John (2007). Magic Man (Music video). Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Maclean, John (2007). Setting Sun (Music video). Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  16. ↑ Maclean, John (2013). Hand of Man (Music video). Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  17. ↑ Maclean, John (24 December 2013). Come On Get In (Music video). Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  18. ↑ Maclean, John (10 October 2017). Tic Tac Toe (Music video). Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  19. ↑ Scherstuhl, Alan (13 May 2015). "Slow West is a Gorgeous Dada Western". Village Voice. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  20. ↑ "Ex-Beta Band John Maclean demonstrates his filmmaking prowess for Django Django". Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  21. ↑ Fischer, Russ (31 January 2015). "Sundance Awards 2015 Go to 'The Witch,' 'Slow West,' 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl'". slashfilm.com. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  22. ↑ "BAFTA to Showcase 'Brit To Watch' John Maclean in New York and Los Angeles". BAFTA. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  23. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (15 April 2015). "BAFTA showcases John Maclean in Brits to Watch". Cineuropa. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
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