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Jaco Van Dormael

Jaco Van Dormael

Director and writer, also producer · Born February 9, 1957 (69) · Ixelles, Brabant, Belgium

Jaco Van Dormael was born on February 9, 1957 in Ixelles, Brabant, Belgium. He is a director and writer.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 9, 1957 (69)
From
Ixelles, Brabant, Belgium
Works as
Director and writer, also producer
Titles
7 on MovieCove · 21 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 28% in 30 days

What are Jaco Van Dormael's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile
: browse their Drama 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
Bonds
37%
Self
29%
Ideas
21%
Society
8%
Morality
4%
Friendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 5 · Intense 0

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 1 · 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 4 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 2

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
4
Melancholic
4
Contemplative
4
Bittersweet
3
Absurd
2
Other
2

How their films linger

Thought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet3
  • 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 Jaco Van Dormael's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 7 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jaco Van Dormael'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

21 credits, 7 with a MovieCove page.

  • On the Wings of Hermès (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · Actor

  • Isolation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director · Writer

  • Bovary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director

  • The Shape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Director

  • Angel(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Brand New Testament(2015)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · as L'automobiliste qui n'a plus que 0 seconde à vivre

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Nicholas on Holiday(2014)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Tango Libre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Un Danseur Prison

  • Kiss & Cry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · as Narrator (French version) / Director Team A

  • Mr. Nobody(2009)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Why Get Married the Day the World Ends? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • The Eighth Day(1996)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Lumière and Company(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Between Heaven and Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Story

  • Toto the Hero(1991)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • De boot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director

  • È pericoloso sporgersi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director · Writer

  • L'imitateur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director

  • Les voisins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Director

  • Maedeli the Breach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director · Writer

  • The Magician of Auschwitz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 20 titles, 19 of them dated from 1979 to 2023.

Biggest box office

The Eighth Day (1996)

$33M worldwide

Highest rated

Mr. Nobody (2009)

Midcredits 94th

Film career

  • 2012Screen debut· Tango Libre

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting5 of 20: 2 only acting, 3 with another roleDirecting16 of 20: 7 only directing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score90thWriting9 of 20: 2 only writing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score90thProducing1 of 20: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

20 titles, 9 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 7 of them.

By decade

1970s1 · crew1980s4 · crew1990s4 · crew2000s2 · 1 acting · 1 crew2010s5 · 3 acting · 4 crew2020s3 · 1 acting · 3 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 Jaco Van Dormael's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 80th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 76th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 7 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 7 titles divides audiences: 3 are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed1

Most loved · director, writer

Mr. Nobody (2009)

Midcredits 94th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 74/100 and the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 6 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 Jaco Van Dormael'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 58 · 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 Jaco Van Dormael work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jaco Van Dormael's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Pierre van Dormael shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles