Matt Farnsworth is an accomplished American filmmaker and entrepreneur with a diverse range of talents spanning filmmaking, public speaking, marketing, and writing. He first gained recognition for his feature film "IOWA," which quickly became a cult classic. The film was an official selection at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival and won the Best Picture Award at the Midwest Independent Film Festival. As the writer, producer, director, and lead actor in "IOWA," Farnsworth garnered a loyal following in the indie film scene and paved the way for its theatrical release. Farnsworth also produced and directed the documentary-style film "Dying For Meth," which delves into the methamphetamine epidemic in the Midwestern United States. This 43-minute film received recognition at the Beverly Hills-based Prism Awards alongside prominent networks like CBS and NBC. In 2008, Farnsworth was deputized by the Police Athletics League and Shaquille O'Neal for his work in raising addiction prevention and awareness. Known for his unorthodox approach to filmmaking, Farnsworth's work often elicits comparisons to notable directors such as David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino by publications like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and NY Post. In addition to his success behind the camera, Farnsworth has appeared in various indie films and national TV shows as an actor. Among his other achievements, Farnsworth is the writer, director, and producer of the popular slasher film "The Orphan Killer." This genre film and its iconic character have become iconic within the horror community. "The Orphan Killer" was an official selection of the Sitges Film Festival, where it was honored with the Antonio Margheriti Award. It was also an official selection of the San Sebastian Horror Film Festival. Farnsworth has expressed interest in rebooting the film in the future, further showcasing his commitment to storytelling and creative exploration.
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Biography from IMDb.
- August 16, 1975 (51)
- St. Charles, Illinois, USA
- Actor, director, writer and producer, also cinematographer and editor
- 5 on MovieCove · 10 credits in all
What are Matt Farnsworth's films like?
Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
Light 0 · Serious 1 · Dark 3
Grounded 2 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0
Gentle 0 · Charged 1 · Intense 3
Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0
Casual 1 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 0 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 3
Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
- Heroas Esper Harte in IOWA (2005)
- Threshold guardianas Officer Mike Hunt in The Orphan Killer (2011)
Moods and endings
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 Matt Farnsworth's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 5 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (2).
Subscription and free streaming for Matt Farnsworth'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
10 credits, 5 with a MovieCove page.
Bound X Blood: The Orphan Killer 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
The Orphan Killer(2011)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all filmsDying for Meth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
IOWA(2005)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Descendant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Gacy(2003)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all filmsPoor Man's Dope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
The Last Place on Earth(2002)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Losing Grace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
7th Heaven(1996)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows
Career shape
Star power in the 45th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 10 titles from 1996 to 2016; peak year 2011.
Biggest box office
The Last Place on Earth (2002)
Highest rated
The Orphan Killer (2011)
Most popular right now
Gacy (2003)
Film career
Peak 2011 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 2003Screen debut· Gacy
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 Matt Farnsworth's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 15th percentile, the median of all 4; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 10th percentile for acclaim.
- 25th to 49th1
- Below 25th4
Shape of the crowd
3 of their 5 titles are Mixed.
- Cult Classic2
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the acting 46/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 26. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
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.
Who does Matt Farnsworth work with?
People who share at least 2 of Matt Farnsworth's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Backus shares the most, 2.
Actors
- David BackusShared titles: The Orphan Killer (2011), IOWA (2005)See all 2 shared titles with David Backus
- Diane FosterShared titles: The Orphan Killer (2011), IOWA (2005)See all 2 shared titles with Diane Foster
- John SavageShared titles: The Orphan Killer (2011), IOWA (2005)See all 2 shared titles with John Savage
