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David Trueba

David Trueba

Writer, director, actor and composer · Born September 10, 1969 (57) · Madrid, Madrid, Spain

David Rodríguez Trueba was born on 10 September 1969 in Madrid, the youngest of 8 siblings. In 1987, he joined the Complutense University of Madrid to study journalism. He later took a 1-year course on scriptwriting at the American Film Institute, where he penned the base script of The Worst Years of Our Lives.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 10, 1969 (57)
From
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Works as
Writer, director, actor and composer
Titles
14 on Motif · 43 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 39 days to Oct 28Up 30% in 30 days

What are David Trueba's films like?

Across their 10 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their Motif 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
34%
Morality
15%
Power
15%
Survival
12%
Ideas
12%
Self
10%
Society
3%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 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 3

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

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

Steady 5 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

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

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 4

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

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 2 · 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 5 · Full focus 1

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 5 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 4

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

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
4
Hopeful
4
Tense
4
Joyful
3
Melancholic
3
Other
7

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

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 David Trueba's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 14 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Trueba's titles on Motif; 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

43 credits, 14 with a Motif page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Manuel Vicent. Mañana seré feliz (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2026)

    Director · Writer

  • Always Winter (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2025)

    Director · Novel · Screenplay

  • El hombre bueno (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2024)

    Director · Writer

  • Un día en Nueva York con Woody Allen (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2024)

    Director · Writer · as Self - Filmmaker

  • Jokes & Cigarettes (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Sofía y la vida real (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • The Sagrada Familia (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2022)

    Show Creator

  • ¿Qué (diablos) es España? (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2022)

    Actor

  • A este lado del mundo (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2020)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Memories of My Father(2020)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Si me borrara el viento lo que yo canto (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2019)

    Director · Script

  • Casi 40 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2018)

    Director · Writer

  • ¿Qué fue de Jorge Sanz? Buena racha (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2017)

    Director · Original Series Creator · Screenplay

  • The Queen of Spain(2016)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • ¿Qué fue de Jorge Sanz? 5 años después (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Original Series Creator · Writer

  • Salir de casa (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Self

  • Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed(2013)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Ilusión(2013)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Wishful Thinkers (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2013)

    Technical Advisor

  • Madrid, 1987(2011)

    Director · Composer · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Los muertos no se tocan, nene (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2011)

    Writer

  • ¿Qué fue de Jorge Sanz? (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Creator · Writer

  • Rafael Azcona, oficio de guionista (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · as Himself

  • La silla de Fernando (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Bienvenido a casa (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Writer

  • With Good Reason (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • El elefante del rey (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)

    as Military Doctor

  • Soldiers of Salamina (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

  • Balseros(2002)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • No Pain, No Gain (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2001)

    as Prof. Ética

  • Torrente 2: Mission in Marbella(2001)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Obra maestra (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Writer

  • Vengo(2000)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Goodbye from the Heart (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    as Secretario del obispo

  • The Girl of Your Dreams(1998)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Torrente: The Dumb Arm of the Law(1998)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Perdita Durango(1997)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Airbag(1997)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Good Life (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1996)

    Director · Writer

  • Two Much(1995)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Worst Years of Our Lives (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)

    Writer · as Espectador Cine

  • Amo tu cama rica(1991)

    Writer · as Chico imprenta

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Evilio (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

Career shape

A full career of 43 titles from 1992 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed (2013)

$3.1M worldwide

Highest rated

Memories of My Father (2020)

Midcredits 87th

Most popular right now

Madrid, 1987 (2011)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting9 of 43: 7 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting22 of 43: 4 only directing, 18 with another roleWriting27 of 43: 8 only writing, 19 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thProducing2 of 43: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleEditing1 of 43: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew6 of 43: 4 only other crew, 2 with another role

43 titles, 20 with more than one role — writing and directing overlap on 17 of them.

By decade

1990s9 · 4 acting · 7 crew2000s12 · 3 acting · 9 crew2010s12 · 1 acting · 11 crew2020s10 · 1 acting · 9 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 Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do David Trueba's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 14 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · writer

The Queen of Spain (2016)

69th percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Memories of My Father (2020)

Midcredits 87th · 77% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 56/100 and the plot and story 44/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; 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 Motif 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 David Trueba work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Trueba's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Cristina Huete shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers