Phil Joanou is an American film director. He is also well known for his work with Irish rock band U2, having directed their rockumentary/live tape Rattle and Hum, one of three videos filmed for "One", and the video for "All Because of You". Married to Ford Model Breann Nelson. The film Entropy (1999) was Joanou's own autobiography, wherein the director played by Stephen Dorff passes through many of the incidents of Joanou's own life.
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Biography from TMDB.
- November 20, 1961 (64)
- La Cañada, California, USA
- Director and writer, also editor and actor
- 10 on MovieCove · 17 credits in all
What are Phil Joanou's films like?
Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 8
A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 2 · Dark 3
A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1
A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 4
Steady 6 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 2
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1
Casual 3 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1
A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 4
Resolved 6 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet3
- Ambiguous3
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 Phil Joanou's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Phil Joanou'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
17 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
The Veil(2016)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Chris Tucker Live(2015)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Gridiron Gang(2006)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Entropy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
14 Up in America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Heaven's Prisoners(1996)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Fallen Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Wild Palms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Final Analysis(1992)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all filmsAge 7 in America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Amazing Stories: The Movie II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
State of Grace(1990)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
U2: Rattle and Hum(1988)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Three O'Clock High(1987)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Flight of the Navigator(1986)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Amazing Stories(1985)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all showsThe Last Chance Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Career shape
A full career of 16 titles from 1984 to 2016.
Biggest box office
Gridiron Gang (2006)
Highest rated
U2: Rattle and Hum (1988)
Most popular right now
Gridiron Gang (2006)
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 Phil Joanou's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up5
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 10 titles divides audiences: 5 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Crowd Pleaser5
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 44/100 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 Phil Joanou's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.
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 Phil Joanou work with?
People who share at least 2 of Phil Joanou's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jordan Cronenweth shares the most, 3.
Actors
- Eric RobertsShared titles: Heaven's Prisoners (1996), Final Analysis (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Eric Roberts
- Joe ViterelliShared titles: Heaven's Prisoners (1996), State of Grace (1990)See all 2 shared titles with Joe Viterelli
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Jordan CronenwethShared titles: Final Analysis (1992), State of Grace (1990), U2: Rattle and Hum (1988)See all 3 shared titles with Jordan Cronenweth
- Paul NorlingShared titles: The Veil (2016), Chris Tucker Live (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Norling
- George FentonShared titles: Heaven's Prisoners (1996), Final Analysis (1992)See all 2 shared titles with George Fenton
Producers
- Paul ManixShared titles: The Veil (2016), Chris Tucker Live (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Manix