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Jean Genet

Jean Genet

Writer · Died April 15, 1986, aged 75 · Paris, France

Jean Genet was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. Early in his life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later took to writing. His major works include the novels The Thief's Journal and Our Lady of the Flowers, and the plays The Balcony, The Maids and The Screens.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 19, 1910
Died
April 15, 1986 (aged 75)
From
Paris, France
Works as
Writer
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 39 days to Oct 28Up 61% in 30 days

What are Jean Genet's films like?

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

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
33%
Survival
24%
Power
23%
Society
9%
Ideas
7%
Morality
4%
Identity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 2 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 1 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 5

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 0 · Intense 6

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 0 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 6

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 1 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 0 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Dread
6
Tense
6
Cold
3
Contemplative
2
Melancholic
2
Other
1

How their films linger

Unsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • 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 Jean Genet's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 7 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jean Genet'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; 10 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Flowers and Beasts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Novel

  • Body of Deceit(2017)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Film socialisme(2010)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Serva e Padrona (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Novel

  • Genet à Chatila (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Writer

  • Un boxeur endormi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Original Story · Poem

  • Poison(1991)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Le sphinx (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Other

  • Les Bonnes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Writer

  • Querelle(1982)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Black Mirror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Ritual (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Original Story

  • Jean Genet: Saint, martyr et poète (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Writer

  • Poor Pretty Eddie(1975)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Maids(1975)

    Theatre Play

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Song of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Editor · Production Design · Writer · as Prisoner in Duo Fantasy (uncredited)

  • Shiraz 70 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Actor

  • Condemned and Possessed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Poem

  • Mademoiselle(1966)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Deathwatch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Writer

  • The Balcony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Theatre Play

Career shape

A full career of 18 titles from 1963 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Poison (1991)

$787K worldwide

Highest rated

Mademoiselle (1966)

Midcredits 80th

Most popular right now

Poison (1991)

Film career

  • 1972Screen debut· Song of Love

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 18: 1 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting1 of 18: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting16 of 18: 14 only writing, 2 with another roleEditing1 of 18: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew3 of 18: 1 only other crew, 2 with another role

By decade

1960s4 · crew1970s6 · 2 acting · 5 crew1980s4 · crew1990s2 · crew2000s1 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Jean Genet's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 7 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

3 of their 7 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · writer

Film socialisme (2010)

74th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Mademoiselle (1966)

Midcredits 80th · 70% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 51/100 and the plot and story 31/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Jean Genet's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 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 Jean Genet work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jean Genet's MovieCove titles; Jeanne Moreau shares the most, 2.