Mathieson gained early recognition for his work on music videos, including Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Peek-a-Boo (1988). He subsequently moved into feature films, photographing productions including Pigalle (1994), Vigo (1998) and Plunkett & Macleane (1999).
In 2000, Mathieson worked with director Ridley Scott on Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe. His cinematography earned him a BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography and an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. He continued his collaboration with Scott on Hannibal (2001), Matchstick Men (2003), Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and Robin Hood (2010).
Mathieson’s other feature film credits include K-PAX (2001), The Phantom of the Opera (2004), The Golden Compass (2007), The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), X-Men: First Class (2011), 47 Ronin (2013), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) and Logan (2017). His cinematography on The Phantom of the Opera earned him a second Academy Award nomination.
He has also worked with directors including Guy Ritchie, Matthew Vaughn and Joe Wright. His credits with Ritchie include King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017), while his work with Wright includes Pan (2015). Mathieson photographed Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019), directed by Rob Letterman, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), directed by Sam Raimi.
In 2024, Mathieson reunited with Ridley Scott for Gladiator II, the sequel to their earlier collaboration. He subsequently served as director of photography on Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World Rebirth (2025), shooting on 35mm film for a production filmed in locations including Thailand and Malta.