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Leos Carax

Leos Carax

Director, actor and writer · Born November 22, 1960 (65) · Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France

BAFTA Award nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Leos Carax (born Alex Christophe Dupont, November 22, 1960) is a French-born film director, critic, and writer. Carax is noted for his poetic style and his tortured depictions of love. His first major work was Boy Meets Girl (1984), and his notable works include Lovers on the Bridge (1991) and the controversial Pola X (1999). His professional name is an anagram of his first and middle names.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 22, 1960 (65)
From
Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France
Works as
Director, actor and writer
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 26 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 11% in 30 days

What are Leos Carax's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits 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
39%
Society
20%
Bonds
19%
Ideas
14%
Power
5%
Survival
4%
Identity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation3 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 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 3 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

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

Grounded 0 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 8

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 4 · Intense 4

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

A split, not a type: Steady 2 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 6

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 2 · 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 1 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 4

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 1 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 7

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
8
Contemplative
5
Tense
3
Absurd
2
Bittersweet
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Haunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous4

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 Leos Carax's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Leos Carax's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits 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

26 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • An Urban Allegory(2024)

    as The Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • It's Not Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as LC

  • Annette(2021)

    Director · Lyricist · as The Producer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • L (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Cinematographer

  • Holy Motors(2012)

    Director · Writer · as The Sleeper / Limousine (voice)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • 20 Little Films (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • 42 One Dream Rush (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director

  • Hymn to Merde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Tokyo!(2008)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • I Did Not Die (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Moitié d'archange

  • Mister Lonely(2007)

    as Renard

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • 977 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as technician

  • My Last Minute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Writer · as Man

  • Process (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as A doctor

  • Pierre or, The Ambiguities (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Creator · Writer

  • Pola X(1999)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The House(1997)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Sans Titre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Lovers on the Bridge(1991)

    Director · Writer · as Prisoner

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Le Pont-Neuf des amants (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Actor

  • King Lear(1987)

    as Edgar

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Bad Blood(1986)

    Director · Writer · as Neighborhood Voyeur (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Boy Meets Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director · Writer

  • Strangulation Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director · Writer

  • Lily May B (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Untitled Leos Carax Project (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 26 titles, 24 of them dated from 1980 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Annette (2021)

$3.7M worldwide

Highest rated

The Lovers on the Bridge (1991)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Annette (2021)

Film career

MilestoneAward win

Top draw in 1 MovieCove title.

  • 1986Screen debut· Mauvais Sang
  • 2012Cannes award win· Holy Motors
  • 2024First top-billed film· It's Not Me
  • 2024Best so far· It's Not Me

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting14 of 26: 8 only acting, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdDirecting17 of 26: 5 only directing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score82ndWriting12 of 26: 0 only writing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score82ndProducing1 of 26: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography1 of 26: 1 only cinematography, 0 with another roleOther crew1 of 26: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

26 titles, 12 with more than one role — directing and acting overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1980s4 · 2 acting · 3 crew1990s5 · 3 acting · 3 crew2000s8 · 5 acting · 4 crew2010s4 · 1 acting · 4 crew2020s3 · 3 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 13% of 8 roles

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 Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

Awards

5 major awards from 11 major nominations, 1984–2021.

WinNomination
  1. 2021
    • Cannes award, won
    • Cannes award, nominated
  2. 2012
    • Cannes award, won
    • Cannes award, nominated
  3. 2008
    • Cannes award, nominated
  4. 1999
    • Cannes award, nominated
  5. 1993
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film not in the English Language
  6. 1987
    • Berlinale award, won ×2
    • Berlinale award, nominated
  7. 1984
    • Cannes award, won · French Film

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 Leos Carax's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 80th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 82nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 10 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

King Lear (1987)

78th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, writer

The Lovers on the Bridge (1991)

Midcredits 95th · 81% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 77/100 and the pacing 34/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; 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 Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove 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 Leos Carax's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity7 titles29–72 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 52 · moderateMedian of all films: 33

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 Leos Carax work with?

People who share at least 2 of Leos Carax's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Nelly Quettier shares the most, 7.

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles