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Chris Smith

Chris Smith

Producer, director and cinematographer, also actor · Born May 20, 1970 (56) · Rahway, New Jersey, USA

3 Primetime Emmys · BAFTA Award nominee · 5 other major award bodies

Chris Smith (born in 20 May 1970; Rahway) is an American film documentary director, cameraman, producer, writer, and editor. He is best known for directing American Movie, which was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Smith completed his first film, American Job, while attending the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee's Graduate Film Program. Chris met Mark Borchardt (the subject of American Movie) while editing American Job, and began filming a documentary about the making of Mark's psychological thriller Coven. Both films played at the Sundance Film Festival, and American Movie was bought by Sony Pictures for $1 million. Chris Smith's directing credits include: Collapse (2009), The Pool (2007), The Yes Men (2003), Home Movie (2001), American Movie (1999), and American Job (1996). He is signed to Smuggler for representation.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 20, 1970 (56)
From
Rahway, New Jersey, USA
Works as
Producer, director and cinematographer, also actor
Titles
34 on MovieCove · 49 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 156 days to Oct 27Up 13% in 30 days

What are Chris Smith's films like?

Across their 32 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
24%
Self
22%
Power
20%
Survival
12%
Society
9%
Bonds
8%
Ideas
4%
Deception9 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition7 titles, browse their movies with this themePower5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 21 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 10 · Serious 4 · Dark 7

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

Grounded 17 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 7 · Charged 9 · Intense 5

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 11 · 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 11 · Full focus 2

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 11 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 3

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

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
21
Contemplative
15
Absurd
9
Hopeful
6
Melancholic
5
Other
29

How their films linger

Thought-provoking17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet14
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous12
  • 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 Chris Smith's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 32 of their 34 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (18).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Chris Smith'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, 34 with a MovieCove page.

  • Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult(2026)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • This Is a Bomb: The Nevada Casino Heist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

  • The Widower: 'Til Death Do Us Part(2026)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Hollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam, Scam(2025)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • Never Get Busted! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever(2025)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story(2025)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Biggest Heist Ever(2024)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Mr. McMahon(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Hollywood Con Queen(2024)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows

  • Devo(2024)

    Director · Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Bitconned(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Skywalkers: A Love Story(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year 2022 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • Wham!(2023)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Branson(2022)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Creator

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • The Pez Outlaw(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Sr.(2022)

    Director · Cinematographer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.(2022)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Creator · Producer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all shows

  • Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story(2021)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all shows

  • 'Twas the Fight Before Christmas(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • 100 Foot Wave(2021)

    Show 17 episodes · Director · Cinematographer · Creator · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Twisted House Sitter(2021)

    Steadicam Operator

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Operation Varsity Blues(2021)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Oxy Kingpins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Executive Producer

  • Tiger King(2020)

    Show 13 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • The Boy Who Sold The World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Producer

  • The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann(2019)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Creator

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • Fyre(2019)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond(2017)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Working Class Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Second Assistant Camera

  • Animals(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Live Free or Die(2014)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • The Jeffrey Dahmer Files(2012)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold(2009)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Collapse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

  • The Pool (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Writer

  • Suffering and Smiling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Executive Producer

  • The Yes Men(2003)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Home Movie(2001)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Caesar's Park (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Producer

  • American Movie(1999)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Big One(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • American Job (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director · Writer

  • LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year 2024 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Untitled Andre Agassi Documentary Series (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show Executive Producer

  • Untitled John Hughes Documentary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer

  • Wilder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer

Career shape

A full career of 45 titles, 41 of them dated from 1996 to 2026.

Biggest box office

American Movie (1999)

$1.2M worldwide

Highest rated

American Movie (1999)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Tiger King (2020)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing25 of 45: 4 only directing, 21 with another role · typical Midcredits score80thWriting3 of 45: 0 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing31 of 45: 16 only producing, 15 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thCinematography5 of 45: 1 only cinematography, 4 with another roleOther crew9 of 45: 2 only other crew, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score33rd

45 titles, 22 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 14 of them.

By decade

1990s3 · crew2000s7 · crew2010s6 · crew2020s25 · 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

3 Primetime Emmys and 2 other major awards from 19 major nominations, 1997–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Music Film
  2. 2025
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
  3. 2024
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Documentary
  4. 2023
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
  5. 2022
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
  6. 2021
    • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
  7. 2020
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
  8. 2019
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
Show 7 earlier years
  1. 2018
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
  2. 2017
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Documentary on Cinema
  3. 2008
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated
  4. 2007
    • Sundance award, won · Dramatic
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic
  5. 2001
    • Sundance award, nominated · Documentary
  6. 1999
    • Sundance award, won · Documentary
  7. 1997
    • Independent Spirit 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 Chris Smith's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 23; across their 21 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 21

Approval · how many liked their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Reach · how many have seen their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Midcredits score across 34 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 34 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed9
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · producer

Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story (2025)

51st percentile spread · 82% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer, cinematographer

American Movie (1999)

Midcredits 97th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 64/100 and the pacing 49/100 in their films, across 21 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 Chris Smith's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 61 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles35–58 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 71 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 55 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 15 · mildMedian 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 Chris Smith work with?

People who share at least 2 of Chris Smith's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Stacy Smith shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles