Are you looking for the best cinematic Lightroom presets on the market today? In this article, you’ll find a roundup of my favorite presets, all offering gorgeous cinematic edits.
Some of these picks are very specific, emulating the cinematic style of a well-known director; others are more generic and are designed for a wide range of photographic needs.
I’ve also included a handful of free options, and even the paid presets sometimes come with freebies – so no matter your budget, there’s a preset pack here for you.
Let’s get started.
1. Cinematic Lightroom Presets (by Northlandscapes)
This 15-preset pack will help you create cinematic and moody landscapes using different color schemes, from neon carrot to steel grey. Jan Erik Waider used Blade Runner 2049 as a major point of inspiration to develop this bundle, which is why these presets work great for a dystopian look.
Unfortunately, the Cinematic Lightroom Presets pack won’t work with older versions of the program. You’ll need Lightroom Classic v.10, LR v.4, or ACR for Photoshop v.13 or higher. For smartphone editors, note that you can download and install the presets on your computer, then sync them with Lightroom Mobile on your phone.
2. Cyberpunk 2.0
Want to give your images an urban and futuristic atmosphere? Cyberpunk 2.0 is the way to go. With these presets’ saturated blues and magentas, you can turn any city night scene into a sci-fi movie.
You do have the option to purchase the Artistic Collection, which includes Cyberpunk 2.0 plus several other preset bundles; that way, you’ll get a better price than buying each pack individually.
Of course, while Cyberpunk 2.0 may have been developed for city scenes with neon lights, you can achieve some very interesting results by experimenting with non-urban shots. The presets are compatible with Lightroom 3.0 or higher and can be used on RAW files as well as PSDs, TIFFs, and JPEGs.
3. Cinematic Lightroom Presets (by Artorius)
From Historic/Action Drama and Fantasy/Dreamy to War Movie and 60’s Western, this Cinematic Lightroom Presets bundle comes with 10 premium presets to fit many styles.
The presets are compatible with Lightroom 4.1 or higher. Note that you can apply the presets to RAW or JPEG images, which is perfect for beginners aiming to create a variety of styles with a single click.
4. Stranger Things Cinematic Preset
Yes, it’s just a single preset, but if you’re a fan of the TV series Stranger Things, you’re going to love this one, plus – bonus! – it’s free. For those of you who are not familiar with the series, don’t worry; suffice it to say that the Stranger Things Cinematic Preset will give you a very cool 80s look for your photos.
Also, if you’re more of a hands-on type of person, you can watch the tutorial and learn how to achieve this look step by step. Otherwise, you can grab this preset for free, though you will need to opt-in to a mailing list with your name and email. You’ll receive the preset as a freebie (and you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time).
5. BZ Cinematic Presets
Visual artist Brian Zuckerman has made films and videos for music bands and weddings – and drawing on these experiences, he created a collection of Lightroom presets that’s sold in two volumes.
Volume I includes 10 presets, ranging from Surreal, Nightmare, and Dream to Harmonize and Golden Seconds.
Volume II includes 11 presets, featuring Hollow, Romance Novel, and more.
All in all, you’ll get plenty of moods to play with, and you should have no problem finding the style that fits your photos.
6. Looks Like Film Presets
These two Looks Like Film freebies were developed with Meridian, a brand that sells quality Lightroom presets for every need. As you can see from the examples above, the presets are warm, earthy, and pretty darn stunning, perfect for any cinematic editor’s kit.
As with most freebies out there, you will need to subscribe to a newsletter for access. However, you can unsubscribe at any time, and the newsletter is mostly designed to direct you to their shop so you can familiarize yourself with products designed by talented artists.
7. Movie Effect
Here’s another free Lightroom preset, this one inspired by the big screen. Note: If you like Movie Effect and you’re interested in more of these presets, you can always purchase the complete Movie Effect Lightroom Presets pack designed by Creativetacos.
The Movie Effect bundle includes 11 LR template files, 1 Camera Raw Photoshop Action, 11 DNG files, and 11 Camera Raw XMP files. This means that you can use them as Lightroom presets or Photoshop actions depending on your preferred workflow.
Each preset is editable, so you can always use these as a starting point, but then adjust the look for a more personalized result.
8. Hong Kong Retro Movie Style Presets
Inspired by the works of Wong Kar-wai and Hong Kong’s 80s movies, the Hong Kong Retro Movie Style preset pack will give your images a warm retro look.
The pack includes 8 files compatible with Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic, 8 DNG files to use in Lightroom Mobile, and 8 files for Photoshop and Camera Raw. It doesn’t matter which program you choose or how you like to edit; these presets will work anywhere, any time!
9. Cinematic Vibes
JJFarquitectos designed the Cinematic Vibes Presets, drawing inspiration from a range of styles; as such, these presets should work on landscapes, urban travel, lifestyle images, and more.
The pack has 72 presets for Lightroom and Photoshop, and while the bundle is paid, you can grab the Cinematic Vibes 01 Preset for free. If you like it, find it’s compatible with your software, etc., then you can purchase the whole bundle.
10. Free Cinematic Lightroom Presets
Usually, free Lightroom presets are single products that invite you to buy a bigger bundle. But in this case, the freebie includes 10 cinematic presets, perfect for any photographer after a cinematic look on a budget.
The Free Cinematic Lightroom Presets are compatible with all Lightroom versions and can be used with Lightroom Mobile, too. Each preset is a one-click solution, though you can always use them as a starting point to further personalize the final look.
11. Wes-Anderson-Inspired Lightroom Presets
Wes Anderson is famous for his use of color, and this Lightroom preset bundle takes inspiration from his movies to give your photos a quirky retro look with an amazing color palette.
Presets inspired by The Royal Tenenbaums pump up the yellows and oranges, while The Grand Budapest Hotel presets are more pastel. In total, you’ll get 30 presets that you can customize to fit your images.
As the developer says, “Don’t forget your flat, symmetrical composition for full-on Wes style!”
12. Super 8 Lightroom Mobile Presets
Instead of emulating a big cinematic production, why not go for a home movie look? That’s what the Super 8 Lightroom Preset pack is all about, which mimics the classic Super 8 movie film format.
(Of course, the Super 8 format has been used for professional filming, too, but it’s traditionally known for the revolution it created in amateur films.)
Note: The five presets are designed for Lightroom Mobile. And the creator does often organizes special sales, so you can buy three bundles and pay for two (generally speaking, the more you buy, the more you save!). Just something to consider if you like their work.
13. Mobile Lightroom Premium Presets
As you may know, Lightroom Mobile has a limited free version, and it also has a full version that you can access with a Lightroom subscription.
But did you also know that the full Lightroom Mobile, aside from giving you access to the entire suite of Lightroom tools, also includes a library of premium presets? These include Adobe’s Cinematic collection with 10 different looks.
You can purchase a Lightroom subscription starting at $9.99 USD per month, and there’s a 7-day free trial plus a 14-day cancellation period if you’re not satisfied.
How to choose the perfect cinematic preset pack
As you can see, the term “cinematic” covers a huge variety of styles, so to really find what you’re looking for, you need to be more specific.
Here’s my recommendation: Start by defining what type of film you have in mind. This can be a specific genre like horror or indie. Another approach could be to choose a country or a time frame – for example, the Hollywood movies from the 80s or French cinema from the 30s.
Finally, if you have something particular in mind, don’t hesitate to look for it by the director’s name or even the name of the movie. As you can see from the suggestions above, some developers work on presets for a very specific niche.
An important thing to keep in mind is that presets modify the existing information from your original photo. So the effect will look different on each image, and it won’t necessarily end up like the developer’s examples. When possible, choose a preset that starts out with images that are similar to yours in light and color.
The best cinematic Lightroom presets: final words
I hope you enjoyed my selection of the best cinematic Lightroom presets. I tried to cover a wide range of styles so that all of you could find at least one or two options that fit your needs.
So grab a preset collection and start creating some stunning cinematic edits!
Now over to you:
Do you have any favorite cinematic presets that didn’t make the list? Share them in the comments below!
