- 1981: The Killing Hour
- 1985: My Beautiful Laundrette
- 1986: Caravaggio
- 1987: Gothic
- 1987: Made in Heaven
- 1987: Body Contact
- 1989: Chattahoochee
- 1989: Let Him Have It
- 1990: Darkman
- 1992: In the Eye of the Snake
- 1994: Death and the Maiden
- 1995: Persuasion
- 1996: Event Horizon
- 1998: Wilde
- 2002: Die Another Day
- 2003: I Capture the Castle
- 2003: Ned Kelly
- 2003: The Statement
- 2005: Sahara
- 2007: L'Ennemi intime
- 2010: Sleepyhead
- 2010: Dorian Gray
- 2012: Byzantium
- 2014: Elsa & Fred
- 2017: The Last Ship
- 2019: Spider in the Web
- 2022: Persuasion
Television:
- 1984: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - "The Priory School"
- 1986: Strike It Rich!
- 1988: Dance On the Edge
- 1989: The Play on One - Country Boy
- 1997: The Echo
- 1991: Underworld
- 1998: Merlin
- 2002: Napoléon
- 2009: Wuthering Heights
- 2011: Neverland
- 2014: The Ark
In addition to acting, John Richardson has also directed and produced numerous theater productions throughout his career.