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Ulrich Seidl

Ulrich Seidl

Director, writer and producer · Born November 24, 1952 (73) · Vienna, Austria

Cannes award nominee · 3 Venice awards · Berlinale award winner

Ulrich Maria Seidl is a director, screenwriter and producer. He does not consider himself a documentary filmmaker, but several of his films often blend fiction and nonfiction. He started his career with award-winning documentaries such as "Good News" (1990), "Animal Love (1995), and "Models" (1998). Seidl's first feature film "Dog Days" won the Special Jury Price at Venice Film Festival in 2001. "Import Export" (2007), the first film produce by his own company, was invited to the Cannes competition. So far Seidl has directed some 20 feature films, fictive or non fictive.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 24, 1952 (73)
From
Vienna, Austria
Works as
Director, writer and producer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 45 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 157 days to Oct 28Up 2% in 30 days

What are Ulrich Seidl's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Horror 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
33%
Society
20%
Survival
15%
Morality
13%
Bonds
10%
Power
10%
Isolation5 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFaith2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 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 3 · Dark 12

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 8 · Intense 5

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 1 · 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 4 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 0

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

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 10

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 2 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 8

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Dread
6
Melancholic
8
Cold
5
Contemplative
7
Other
7

How their films linger

Unsettling10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Bittersweet2
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous9
  • Cyclical2

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 Ulrich Seidl's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ulrich Seidl'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

45 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Moon(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Veni Vidi Vici (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Producer

  • The Devil's Bath(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Wicked Games (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · Writer

  • Sparta(2022)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Rimini (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Producer

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

    Producer

  • Running on Empty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Co-Producer

  • Lillian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Producer

  • The Children of the Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Producer

  • The Field Guide to Evil(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • To the Night(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Egon Schiele: Death and the Maiden(2016)

    Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Safari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Goodnight Mommy(2014)

    Producer · Unit Manager

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • In the Basement(2014)

    Director · Idea · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Venice 70: Future Reloaded (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • Paradise: Faith(2012)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Paradise: Hope(2013)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Kern (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Producer

  • Paradise: Love(2012)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Jew Suss: Rise and Fall(2010)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Import/Export (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Brothers, Let Us Be Merry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • The Mozart Minute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Jesus, Du weisst(2003)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • State of the Nation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • Dog Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Models(1999)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Fun Without Limits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Bosom Friend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Writer

  • Animal Love(1996)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Pictures at an Exhibition (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Last Real Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director · Writer

  • Loss Is to Be Expected (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director · Writer

  • Beware Haderer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director · Writer

  • Good News: Newspaper Salesmen, Dead Dogs and Other People from Vienna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director · Writer

  • War in Vienna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director · Writer

  • Old People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Author

  • Look 84 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director · Editor

  • The Prom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • One Fourty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director · Writer

  • Distances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Sterne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 42 titles, 40 of them dated from 1980 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Goodnight Mommy (2014)

$2.2M worldwide

Highest rated

Paradise: Love (2012)

Midcredits 81st

Most popular right now

Goodnight Mommy (2014)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing29 of 42: 4 only directing, 25 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thWriting25 of 42: 1 only writing, 24 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thProducing21 of 42: 11 only producing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score69thEditing1 of 42: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 42: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

42 titles, 26 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 24 of them.

By decade

1980s5 · crew1990s9 · crew2000s6 · crew2010s11 · 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.

Awards

4 major awards from 10 major nominations, 2001–2022.

WinNomination
  1. 2022
    • Berlinale award, won
    • Berlinale award, nominated · Best Film
  2. 2013
    • Berlinale award, nominated
  3. 2012
    • Cannes award, nominated
    • Venice award, won · Best Film in Competition
    • Venice award, won
    • Venice award, nominated
  4. 2007
    • Cannes award, nominated
  5. 2001
    • Venice award, won
    • Venice award, nominated

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 Ulrich Seidl's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · producer

To the Night (2018)

78th percentile spread · 13% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, producer

Paradise: Love (2012)

Midcredits 81st · 72% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 74/100 and the pacing 42/100 in their films, across 15 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 Ulrich Seidl's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 63 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles39–81 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 24 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 37 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 82 · severeMedian 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 Ulrich Seidl work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ulrich Seidl's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Veronika Franz shares the most, 9.

Directors

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers