Skip to content
Motif
Brian A. Kates

Brian A. Kates

Editor, also producer · Born July 14, 1972 (54) · New York City, New York, USA

2 Primetime Emmys · 1 other major award body

Brian A. Kates was born on 14 July 1972 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an editor, known for The Savages (2007), All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022) and Killing Them Softly (2012).

Biography from IMDb.

Born
July 14, 1972 (54)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Editor, also producer
Titles
39 on Motif · 44 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Up 60% in 30 days

What are Brian A. Kates' films like?

Across their 25 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Motif score: 71st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Motif score: 68th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Motif score: 71st percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Motif score: 95th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Motif score: 64th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
26%
Bonds
26%
Society
17%
Morality
13%
Power
8%
Survival
7%
Ideas
3%
Community7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 24 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 11 · Serious 4 · Dark 9

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 16 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 15 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 14 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 4 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 10

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
13
Tense
8
Contemplative
10
Bittersweet
10
Warm
6
Other
25

How their films linger

Bittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet20
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Brian A. Kates' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 33 of their 39 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Brian A. Kates' titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

44 credits, 39 with a Motif page.

  • Kiss of the Spider Woman(2025)

    Editor

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley(2025)

    Editor · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Hold Your Breath(2024)

    Editor

    Motif score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Love Machina (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2024)

    Supervising Editor

  • Saint X(2023)

    Show 1 episode · Editor

    Motif score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Israelism(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 79th percentile of all films

  • All the Beauty and the Bloodshed(2022)

    Editor

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Fire Island(2022)

    Editor

    Motif score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Plot Against America(2020)

    Show 3 episodes · Editor

    Motif score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Living with Yourself(2019)

    Show 4 episodes · Editor

    Motif score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Private Life(2018)

    Editor

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • We the Animals(2018)

    Editor

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Succession(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · Editor

    Motif score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • How to Talk to Girls at Parties(2017)

    Editor

    Motif score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Editor

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Norman(2016)

    Editor

    Motif score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Do I Sound Gay?(2014)

    Additional Editor

    Motif score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Bessie(2015)

    Editor

    Motif score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Kill the Messenger(2014)

    Editor

    Motif score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Kill Your Darlings(2013)

    Editor

    Motif score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Killing Them Softly(2012)

    Editor

    Motif score: 50th percentile of all films

  • A Bag of Hammers(2011)

    Editor

    Motif score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Jack Goes Boating(2010)

    Editor

    Motif score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Big C(2010)

    Show 1 episode · Editor

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Last Address (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)

    Editor

  • Taking Chance(2009)

    Second Film Editor

    Motif score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Nights in Rodanthe(2008)

    Editor

    Motif score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Savages(2007)

    Editor

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Shortbus(2006)

    Editor

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Shadowboxer(2005)

    Editor · Music Editor

    Motif score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Lackawanna Blues(2005)

    Editor

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Pizza(2005)

    Editor

    Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Woodsman(2004)

    Editor · Music Editor

    Motif score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Laramie Project(2002)

    Editor

    Motif score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Independent Lens (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · Editor

  • Trick(1999)

    Editor · Music Editor

    Motif score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve(1999)

    Editor

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Tree Shade (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1998)

    Editor

  • Eye of God(1997)

    Assistant Editor

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Latin Boys Go to Hell (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1997)

    Editor

  • Hidden in America(1996)

    Assistant Editor

    Motif score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Girls Town(1996)

    Associate Editor · Post Production Coordinator

    Motif score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Stonewall(1995)

    as Rioter (uncredited)

    Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Safe(1995)

    Assistant Editor · Post Production Supervisor

    Motif score: 86th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 42 titles from 1995 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Nights in Rodanthe (2008)

$84M worldwide

Highest rated

It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley (2025)

Motif 97th

Most popular right now

Kill the Messenger (2014)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 42: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleProducing2 of 42: 1 only producing, 1 with another roleEditing35 of 42: 31 only editing, 4 with another role · typical Motif score70thOther crew8 of 42: 5 only other crew, 3 with another role · typical Motif score84th

42 titles, 4 with more than one role — editing and other crew overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1990s9 · 1 acting · 8 crew2000s8 · crew2010s16 · crew2020s9 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

2 Primetime Emmys from 3 major nominations, 2009–2019.

WinNomination
  1. 2019
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Editing
  2. 2018
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
  3. 2009
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Brian A. Kates' films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 33; across their 24 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Approval · how many liked their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Motif score across 39 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 39 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser21
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · producer

Israelism (2023)

99th percentile spread · 42% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · editor

Succession (2018)

Motif 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the pacing 44/100 in their films, across 23 reviewed titles; fans 53, detractors 28. The element that speaks to their work as an editor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Brian A. Kates' work okay for kids?

Across up to 17 Motif titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity and alcohol & drugs run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles9–67 · median 47 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity17 titles28–79 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity10 titles53–86 · median 70 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles31–81 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense10 titles6–68 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Brian A. Kates work with?

People who share at least 2 of Brian A. Kates' Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Howard Gertler shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers