Skip to main content
Glama
enesjakozh
ShubhanshuSondhiya

TMDB MCP Server

by ShubhanshuSondhiya
OverviewSchemaRelated ServersScoreDiscussions
TypeScript
Remote

TMDB MCP Server

This project implements a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates with The Movie Database (TMDB) API. It enables AI assistants like Claude to interact with movie data, providing capabilities for searching, retrieving details, and generating content related to movies.

Features

Resources

  • Static Resources:

    • tmdb://info - Information about TMDB API

    • tmdb://trending - Currently trending movies

  • Resource Templates:

    • tmdb://movie/{id} - Detailed information about a specific movie

Prompts

  • Movie Review: Generate a customized movie review with specified style and rating

  • Movie Recommendation: Get personalized movie recommendations based on genres and mood

Tools

  • Search Movies: Find movies by title or keywords

  • Get Trending Movies: Retrieve trending movies for day or week

  • Get Similar Movies: Find movies similar to a specified movie

Related MCP server: TMDB MCP Server

Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

  • Node.js (v16 or later)

  • npm or yarn

  • TMDB API key

Installation

  1. Clone this repository

    git clone https://github.com/your-username/tmdb-mcp.git
cd tmdb-mcp

  2. Install dependencies

    npm install

  3. Configure your TMDB API key

    • Create a .env file in the project root (alternative: edit src/config.ts directly)

    • Add your TMDB API key: TMDB_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

  4. Build the project

    npm run build

  5. Start the server

    npm start

Setup for Claude Desktop

  1. Open Claude Desktop

  2. Go to Settings > Developer tab

  3. Click "Edit Config" to open the configuration file

  4. Add the following to your configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tmdb-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/your/tmdb-mcp/build/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

  1. Restart Claude Desktop

Usage Examples

Using Static Resources

  • "What is TMDB?"

  • "Show me currently trending movies"

Using Resource Templates

  • "Get details about movie with ID 550" (Fight Club)

  • "Tell me about the movie with ID 155" (The Dark Knight)

Using Prompts

  • "Write a detailed review for Inception with a rating of 9/10"

  • "Recommend sci-fi movies for a thoughtful mood"

Using Tools

  • "Search for movies about space exploration"

  • "What are the trending movies today?"

  • "Find movies similar to The Matrix"

Development

Project Structure

tmdb-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts                # Main server file
│   ├── config.ts               # Configuration and API keys
│   ├── handlers.ts             # Request handlers
│   ├── resources.ts            # Static resources
│   ├── resource-templates.ts   # Dynamic resource templates
│   ├── prompts.ts              # Prompt definitions
│   ├── tools.ts                # Tool implementations
│   └── tmdb-api.ts             # TMDB API wrapper
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

Testing

Use the MCP Inspector to test your server during development:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node build/index.js

License

MIT

Acknowledgements

Available Tools

4 tools
get-movie-detailsC

Get detailed information about a specific movie

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
movieIdYesID of the movie to get details for

TDQS

C2.9/5.0
Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It states the tool retrieves details but doesn't mention whether it's a read-only operation, potential rate limits, error conditions, or what 'detailed information' entails. This is a significant gap for a tool with zero annotation coverage.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single, efficient sentence that directly states the tool's purpose without unnecessary words. It is appropriately sized and front-loaded, with every part contributing essential information.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness2/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the lack of annotations and output schema, the description is incomplete. It doesn't explain what 'detailed information' includes, potential response formats, or behavioral traits like safety or performance. For a tool with no structured context, this leaves critical gaps for an agent.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The input schema has 100% description coverage, clearly documenting the 'movieId' parameter. The description adds no additional parameter semantics beyond implying the tool requires a specific movie, which is already covered by the schema. This meets the baseline of 3 when the schema does the heavy lifting.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the verb ('Get') and resource ('detailed information about a specific movie'), making the purpose unambiguous. However, it doesn't explicitly differentiate from sibling tools like 'get-similar' or 'search-movies', which might also retrieve movie information in different contexts.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives like 'search-movies' or 'get-similar'. It lacks context about prerequisites (e.g., needing a movie ID) or exclusions, leaving the agent to infer usage from the name alone.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

get-similarC

Get similar movies to a given movie

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
movieIdYesID of the movie to find similar movies for

TDQS

C2.9/5.0
Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure but offers minimal information. It doesn't describe response format, error handling, rate limits, or other behavioral traits beyond the basic operation, which is insufficient for a tool with no annotation coverage.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single, efficient sentence with zero waste, making it appropriately sized and front-loaded. Every word contributes directly to the tool's purpose without unnecessary elaboration.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness2/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the lack of annotations and output schema, the description is incomplete for a tool that likely returns a list of movies. It doesn't explain what 'similar' means (e.g., genre, director, ratings), the return format, or any limitations, leaving significant gaps in understanding.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents the 'movieId' parameter fully. The description adds no additional meaning beyond what the schema provides, such as examples or constraints, resulting in the baseline score for high schema coverage.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool's purpose with a specific verb ('Get') and resource ('similar movies'), making it immediately understandable. However, it doesn't differentiate from sibling tools like 'search-movies' or 'get-trending' beyond the basic concept of similarity, which prevents a perfect score.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives like 'search-movies' or 'get-trending'. It lacks explicit context, exclusions, or prerequisites, leaving the agent to infer usage based on the tool name alone.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

search-moviesC

Search for movies by title or keywords

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
queryYesSearch query
pageNoPage number for results

TDQS

C2.9/5.0
Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It states the tool searches for movies but doesn't mention key behaviors like whether it's read-only (likely, but not confirmed), how results are returned (e.g., format, pagination details beyond the 'page' parameter), or any limitations (e.g., rate limits, authentication needs). This leaves significant gaps for a tool with no annotation coverage.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single, efficient sentence that directly states the tool's function without unnecessary words. It's front-loaded with the core purpose and avoids redundancy, making it highly concise and well-structured for quick understanding.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness2/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the tool's moderate complexity (search functionality with pagination), no annotations, and no output schema, the description is insufficient. It lacks details on behavioral traits (e.g., read-only status, result format), usage context relative to siblings, and output expectations, leaving the agent with incomplete guidance for proper invocation.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, with both parameters ('query' and 'page') documented in the schema. The description adds minimal value beyond the schema by implying the 'query' parameter is for title/keyword searches, but it doesn't provide additional context like search syntax, result ordering, or default behaviors. This meets the baseline for high schema coverage.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool's purpose with a specific verb ('Search') and resource ('movies'), and specifies the search criteria ('by title or keywords'). However, it doesn't explicitly differentiate from sibling tools like 'get-trending' or 'get-similar', which might also involve movie discovery but through different mechanisms.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives like 'get-trending' (for popular movies) or 'get-similar' (for recommendations based on a known movie). It mentions the search criteria but doesn't clarify scenarios where this is preferred over sibling tools, leaving usage context implied rather than explicit.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Install Server
RayrunBuild, deploy, and operate MCP servers without becoming an infrastructure team.ray.runAd

TDQS

B3.3/5.0
Disambiguation5/5

Each tool has a clearly distinct purpose: get-movie-details retrieves specific movie information, get-similar finds related movies, get-trending lists popular movies, and search-movies performs keyword-based queries. There is no overlap in functionality, making tool selection straightforward for an agent.

Naming Consistency5/5

All tools follow a consistent verb-noun pattern using kebab-case (e.g., get-movie-details, get-similar, get-trending, search-movies). The naming is uniform and predictable, with 'get' for retrieval operations and 'search' for querying, enhancing readability and usability.

Tool Count4/5

With 4 tools, the server is well-scoped for basic movie discovery and information retrieval. While it covers core functions like details, similarity, trends, and search, it might feel slightly thin for a full movie database API, but it is reasonable and focused.

Completeness3/5

The tool set covers key read operations for movie data, including details, similarity, trends, and search. However, there are notable gaps such as no update, delete, or creation tools (if applicable to the domain), and missing operations for TV shows, actors, or reviews, which could limit agent workflows in broader contexts.

Maintenance

ActivityInactive
ResponsivenessSyncing

Resources

Unclaimed servers have limited discoverability.

Looking for Admin?

If you are the server author, to access and configure the admin panel.

Related MCP Connectors

Related MCP Servers

  • TMDB MCP Server

    rakeshgangwar
    A
    license
    Not graded
    quality
    D
    maintenance
    Enables AI assistants to search and retrieve movie information from The Movie Database (TMDB) API through the Model Context Protocol interface.
    63
    2
    MIT

  • TMDB MCP Server

    dervish666
    A
    license
    Not graded
    quality
    D
    maintenance
    Provides integration with The Movie Database (TMDB) API for searching movies, TV shows, and people, accessing detailed information, and discovering popular and trending content. Enables AI assistants to access comprehensive movie and television metadata including ratings, cast, crew, and overviews.
    63
    1
    MIT

  • TMDB MCP Server

    happyis
    F
    license
    Not graded
    quality
    Not graded
    maintenance
    Provides access to The Movie Database (TMDB) API for searching movies, retrieving movie details, cast information, and browsing current, upcoming, popular, and top-rated films, as well as searching for actors and directors.
    63

  • TMDB MCP Server

    tcehjaava
    A
    license
    A
    quality
    C
    maintenance
    Provides access to The Movie Database (TMDB) API, enabling users to search for movies, TV shows, and people, get detailed information, discover content with advanced filters, and retrieve recommendations.
    13
    63
    5
    MIT

Appeared in Searches

Latest Blog Posts

MCP directory API

We provide all the information about MCP servers via our MCP API.

curl -X GET 'https://glama.ai/api/mcp/v1/servers/ShubhanshuSondhiya/MCP-TMDB'

If you have feedback or need assistance with the MCP directory API, please join our Discord server