McCurdy began his career at Pinewood Studios, working as a camera assistant and film loader. Over time, he progressed through the camera department, learning from experienced cinematographers, including Tony Imi. His early experience provided a foundation in camera operation, lighting and the technical aspects of film production.
One of his early collaborations was with writer and director Neil Marshall. They worked together on Killing Time (1998) and the short film Combat (1999), followed by the feature film Dog Soldiers (2002), on which McCurdy served as director of photography. He subsequently photographed Marshall’s horror film The Descent (2005), followed by Doomsday (2008) and Centurion (2010).
McCurdy’s feature film credits also include The Hills Have Eyes II (2007), The Devil’s Double (2011), The Descent: Part 2 (2009), The Legend of Hercules (2014) and A United Kingdom (2016), directed by Amma Asante.
Alongside his feature film work, McCurdy developed a career in television drama. His credits include Wire in the Blood, Merlin, Last Tango in Halifax, Into the Badlands, Pennyworth and Carnival Row. In 2011, he photographed the Game of Thrones episode “Blackwater”, directed by Neil Marshall, which received cinematography award nominations.
McCurdy served as director of photography on the Netflix series Lost in Space (2018–2021), photographing the pilot and numerous subsequent episodes across its three seasons. He also worked on Peacemaker (2022) and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023).
In 2024, McCurdy received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour) for the Shōgun episode “Crimson Sky”. His work on the series also received recognition from the American Society of Cinematographers.