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Mike Mills

Mike Mills

Director, writer and actor, also producer · Born March 20, 1966 (60) · Berkeley, California, USA

Michael Chadbourne Mills (born March 20, 1966) is an American film and music video director, writer and graphic designer. He is best known for his independent films, Beginners (2010) and 20th Century Women (2016). For the latter, Mills was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 20, 1966 (60)
From
Berkeley, California, USA
Works as
Director, writer and actor, also producer
Titles
7 on MovieCove · 28 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 38% in 30 days

What are Mike Mills' films like?

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

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile
: browse their Documentary 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
31%
Self
31%
Society
16%
Ideas
15%
Survival
7%
Family bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

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

Grounded 7 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 0 · 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 4 · Full focus 0

Easy watch: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their easy watch movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 0

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

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
6
Warm
4
Melancholic
4
Bittersweet
2
Hopeful
1
Other
1

How their films linger

Hopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet5
  • 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 Mike Mills' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 7 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (2).

Subscription and free streaming for Mike Mills' 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

28 credits, 7 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Sentimental Value(2025)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Psycho Killer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Director

  • C'mon C'mon(2021)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • I Am Easy to Find (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Director · Writer

  • 20th Century Women(2016)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought Alone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • Beginners(2010)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Fight for Your Right Revisited (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Sir Stewart Wallace

  • A Short Film About Making Beginners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • Where the Wild Things Are(2009)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Family Portrait (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • The Boy and the Creature, 1981 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Does Your Soul Have a Cold?(2007)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Creative Life Store (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Actor

  • Cinema16: American Short Films (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Thumbsucker(2005)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • R.E.M.: In View 1988-2003 (The Best of R.E.M.) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Actor

  • Pulp Hits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • Paperboys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Deformer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director

  • Not How, Or When, Or Why, But Yes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · as Self - Interviewer

  • Air: Eating, Sleeping, Waiting and Playing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · as Self

  • The Architecture of Reassurance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Writer

  • Richard June's Backyard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director

  • Hair Shoes Love and Honesty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director

  • Skating with Dave and Jared (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director

  • An Introduction to Harmolodics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director

  • Untitled Mike Mills Project (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 28 titles, 27 of them dated from 1995 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Beginners (2010)

$14M worldwide

Highest rated

C'mon C'mon (2021)

Midcredits 93rd

Film career

  • 2011Screen debut· Fight for Your Right Revisited

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting5 of 28: 5 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting21 of 28: 14 only directing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score89thWriting6 of 28: 0 only writing, 6 with another roleProducing1 of 28: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew2 of 28: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

28 titles, 7 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1990s6 · crew2000s12 · 3 acting · 9 crew2010s6 · 2 acting · 4 crew2020s3 · 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 Mike Mills' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 89th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

90thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 7 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th2

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 7 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · director, producer

Does Your Soul Have a Cold? (2007)

59th percentile spread · 10% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer

C'mon C'mon (2021)

Midcredits 93rd · 79% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 73/100 and the pacing 50/100 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 Mike Mills' work okay for kids?

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

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 3 · minimalMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 43 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 49 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 14 · minimalMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Mike Mills work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mike Mills' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Geoff Linville shares the most, 3.

Composers

Producers