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Jay Rabinowitz

Jay Rabinowitz

Editor, also actor

Jay Rabinowitz is an ACE-certified American film editor and commercial editor. He is most frequently associated with the films of Jim Jarmusch and Darren Aronofsky. Rabinowitz studied at the New York University, where he graduated in 1984 at the undergraduate Cinema Studies program. During the program he learned of a film in pre-production that needed an intern, which turned out to be Jim Jarmusch's Down By Law (1986). He is credited as the assistant editor for several films in the next years, including Jarmusch's Mystery Train (1989-edited by Melody London). Starting with Night on Earth (1991), Rabinowitz has been the editor for seven of Jarmusch's films: Dead Man (1995), Year of the Horse (1997), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), Coffee and Cigarettes (2003), Broken Flowers (2005), and The Limits of Control (2009). Mr. Rabinowitz' editing for Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream (2000) won best editing awards from the Online Film Critics Society. He was also nominated for the Online Film Critics' award for Mr. Aronofsky's The Fountain (2006).

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Editor, also actor
Titles
38 on MovieCove · 49 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 156 days to Oct 27Down 20% in 30 days

What are Jay Rabinowitz's films like?

Across their 31 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th 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
Self
21%
Bonds
19%
Survival
16%
Morality
14%
Society
12%
Power
10%
Ideas
9%
Identity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 31 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 9 · Serious 6 · Dark 16

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 14 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 9

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 14 · Intense 9

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

A split, not a type: Steady 14 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 4

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

Straight-faced 20 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 8 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 8

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 9 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 12

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 10 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 11

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Contemplative
14
Melancholic
10
Dread
9
Bittersweet
8
Other
30

How their films linger

Thought-provoking12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet15
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous8
  • Cyclical1

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 Jay Rabinowitz's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 26 of their 38 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jay Rabinowitz'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

49 credits, 38 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Summer Tour(2025)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Is God Is(2026)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • O'Dessa(2025)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • IF(2024)

    Additional Editing

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Beast(2022)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Oslo(2021)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Aleph (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Consulting Editor

  • The United States vs. Billie Holiday(2021)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Irresistible(2020)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • White Echo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Editor

  • Boy Erased(2018)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Junction 48 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Editor

  • Rosewater(2014)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • First Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Editor

  • Rampart(2011)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Tree of Life(2011)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Adjustment Bureau(2011)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Women Without Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Editor

  • The Limits of Control(2009)

    Editor · Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Explicit Ills(2008)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • I'm Not There(2007)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Fountain(2006)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Broken Flowers(2005)

    Editor · Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Bomb the System (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Editor

  • Dawn Anna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Editor

  • The Stepford Wives(2004)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Coffee and Cigarettes(2003)

    Editor · Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • 8 Mile(2002)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Secretary(2002)

    Additional Editing

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet(2002)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Requiem for a Dream(2000)

    Editor · Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Homicide: The Movie(2000)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai(1999)

    Editor · Music Editor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Richard Lester! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Editor

  • Affliction(1997)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Year of the Horse(1997)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Mother Night(1996)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Dead Man(1995)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Clean, Shaven(1993)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Jimmy Hollywood(1994)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Bowery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Editor

  • When Pigs Fly(1993)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Last Supper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Editor

  • Night on Earth(1991)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Alice(1990)

    Assistant Sound Editor

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Coyote Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Editor

  • Mystery Train(1989)

    Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Glass Menagerie(1987)

    Apprentice Sound Editor

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Dead of Winter(1987)

    Apprentice Sound Editor

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 49 titles from 1987 to 2026.

Biggest box office

8 Mile (2002)

$243M worldwide

Highest rated

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Boy Erased (2018)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Editing42 of 49: 37 only editing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score77thOther crew12 of 49: 7 only other crew, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score79th

49 titles, 5 with more than one role — editing and other crew overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1980s3 · crew1990s14 · crew2000s15 · crew2010s8 · crew2020s9 · 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 Jay Rabinowitz's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 38; across their 31 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 78th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Reach · how many have seen their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Midcredits score across 38 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up20
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 38 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser21
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · editor

O'Dessa (2025)

90th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · editor

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the pacing 42/100 in their films, across 29 reviewed titles; fans 52, detractors 26. The element that speaks to their work as an editor.

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 Jay Rabinowitz's work okay for kids?

Across up to 19 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore17 titles8–79 · median 49 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity19 titles8–60 · median 43 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity18 titles28–85 · median 66 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs17 titles19–72 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense17 titles12–72 · median 46 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

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 Jay Rabinowitz work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jay Rabinowitz's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jim Jarmusch shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles