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David Carbonara

David Carbonara

Composer · Bridgewater, Massachusetts, USA

David Carbonara is an American film and TV composer. He is best known for his work on Mad Men (2007 - 2015). His other television work includes Vegas (2012 - 2013), The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (2015), and The Romanoffs (2018). His film work includes Spanking the Monkey (1994), Fast Food Fast Women (2000), and Amélia (2001). He has collaborated with several composers, including Rachel Portman, Michel LeGrand and Howard Shore.

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Biography from TMDB.

From
Bridgewater, Massachusetts, USA
Works as
Composer
Titles
18 on MovieCove · 28 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 34% in 30 days

What are David Carbonara's films like?

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

Genres

Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 94th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary 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
34%
Bonds
25%
Morality
19%
Power
11%
Society
6%
Survival
5%
Identity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 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 6 · Serious 1 · Dark 2

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

Grounded 8 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 1

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

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

A split, not a type: Casual 5 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
6
Contemplative
4
Hopeful
3
Tense
2
Bittersweet
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Hopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

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 David Carbonara's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Carbonara'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

28 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page.

  • Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause(2025)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • They/Them/Us(2021)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Carl Laemmle(2019)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Congressman(2016)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe(2015)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Are You Here(2013)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Some Girl(s) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Composer

  • Vegas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 21 episodes · Composer

  • The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2(2008)

    Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Advertising the American Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Composer

  • Establishing Mad Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Composer

  • Mad Men(2007)

    Show 92 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Lake House(2006)

    Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Easter Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Composer

  • Giuliani Time(2005)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Guru(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Queenie in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer

  • The Young Girl and the Monsoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer

  • Chocolat(2000)

    Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Amélia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • Fast Food Fast Women(2000)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Cop Land(1997)

    Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • American Buffalo(1996)

    Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Bleeding Hearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Music Editor

  • Spanking the Monkey(1994)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Night We Never Met(1993)

    Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Mambo Kings(1992)

    Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Looping (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Sound Editor

Career shape

A full career of 25 titles from 1992 to 2021.

Biggest box office

The Guru (2002)

$24M worldwide

Highest rated

Spanking the Monkey (1994)

Midcredits 53rd

Most popular right now

Are You Here (2013)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Music16 of 25: 16 only music, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score52ndOther crew9 of 25: 9 only other crew, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score60th

By decade

1990s7 · crew2000s12 · crew2010s5 · crew2020s1 · 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 Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do David Carbonara's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 18 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · composer

They/Them/Us (2021)

97th percentile spread · 31% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

Mad Men (2007)

Midcredits 98th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 53/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 32. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

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 David Carbonara's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 60 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does David Carbonara work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Carbonara's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; James L. Freedman shares the most, 2.

Directors

Cinematographers and editors