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Rory Kennedy

Rory Kennedy

Director and producer, also actor · Born December 12, 1968 (57) · Washington, D.C., USA

Primetime Emmy winner · Oscar nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy (born December 12, 1968) is an American documentary filmmaker. Kennedy has made documentary films that center on social issues such as addiction, nuclear radiation, the treatment of prisoners-of-war, and the politics of the Mexican border fence. Her films have been featured on many television networks. She is the youngest child of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 12, 1968 (57)
From
Washington, D.C., USA
Works as
Director and producer, also actor
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 36 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 31% in 30 days

What are Rory Kennedy's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
26%
Power
24%
Society
16%
Self
14%
Survival
12%
Ideas
5%
Bonds
3%
Corruption6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 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 4 · Serious 3 · Dark 9

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

Grounded 15 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 7 · Intense 5

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

Steady 10 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 11 · 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

Casual 3 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 3

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 6 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 6

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Contemplative
10
Hopeful
6
Dread
4
Bittersweet
3
Other
9

How their films linger

Thought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous7

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 Rory Kennedy's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Rory Kennedy'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

36 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing(2026)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Queen of Chess(2026)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Trial of Alec Baldwin(2025)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Synanon Fix(2024)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Creator · Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Adrift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · Producer

  • The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari(2022)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Downfall: The Case Against Boeing(2022)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow(2018)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Without a Net: The Digital Divide in America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton(2017)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Last Days in Vietnam(2014)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Ethel(2012)

    Director · Producer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Fambul Tok (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Producer

  • Bobby Fischer Against the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Producer

  • The Fence (La Barda) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Producer · as Narrator

  • Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech(2009)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House(2008)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Ghosts of Abu Ghraib(2007)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Coma(2007)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Xiara's Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Producer

  • Street Fight(2005)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable(2004)

    Director · Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Girlhood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Producer

  • Together: Stop Violence Against Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Producer

  • Con Man(2003)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • A Boy's Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Producer

  • Pandemic: Facing AIDS (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Producer

  • Schooling Jewel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Producer

  • The Execution of Wanda Jean (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Producer

  • The Changing Face of Beauty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director

  • Different Moms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Writer

  • Epidemic Africa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Producer

  • American Hollow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • Women of Substance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director

  • American Experience(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 33 titles from 1988 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Last Days in Vietnam (2014)

$466K worldwide

Highest rated

Last Days in Vietnam (2014)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing (2026)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 33: 0 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting25 of 33: 10 only directing, 15 with another role · typical Midcredits score89thWriting1 of 33: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing21 of 33: 8 only producing, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score85thOther crew1 of 33: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

33 titles, 15 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 13 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s4 · crew2000s13 · crew2010s8 · 2 acting · 8 crew2020s7 · 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.

Awards

a Primetime Emmy from 11 major nominations, 1999–2015.

WinNomination
  1. 2015
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Documentary, Feature
  2. 2013
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
  3. 2012
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Nonfiction Special
  4. 2010
    • Sundance award, nominated · National
  5. 2007
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Nonfiction Special
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Sundance award, nominated · Documentary
  6. 2000
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Non-Fiction Special
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated
  7. 1999
    • Sundance award, nominated · Documentary

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Rory Kennedy's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 89th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 85th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 19 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · director, producer

The Trial of Alec Baldwin (2025)

99th percentile spread · 49% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

Last Days in Vietnam (2014)

Midcredits 96th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 66/100 and the pacing 54/100 in their films, across 10 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.

Who does Rory Kennedy work with?

People who share at least 2 of Rory Kennedy's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mark Bailey shares the most, 12.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers