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Jeff Wadlow

Jeff Wadlow

Director, writer and producer · Born March 2, 1976 (50) · Arlington, Virginia, USA

Directors Guild Award nominee

Jeffrey Clark Wadlow (born March 2, 1976) is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He's best known for writing, producing and directing feature films, including Kick-Ass 2 (2013), Truth or Dare (2018), Fantasy Island (2020), and Imaginary (2024). In 2022, Wadlow was nominated for a DGA Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary award. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Wadlow, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 2, 1976 (50)
From
Arlington, Virginia, USA
Works as
Director, writer and producer
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 30 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 45% in 30 days

What are Jeff Wadlow's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 9th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 22nd percentile
: browse their Adventure 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
30%
Morality
24%
Bonds
22%
Survival
12%
Society
7%
Power
4%
Ideas
2%
Survival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 9

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 4

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 7 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Dread
6
Thrilling
7
Melancholic
3
Contemplative
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Fun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous4

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 Jeff Wadlow's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jeff Wadlow'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

30 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Devil's Mouth(2026)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Imaginary(2024)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Curse of Bridge Hollow(2022)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Bloodshot(2020)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Fantasy Island(2020)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Are You Afraid of the Dark?(2019)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Truth or Dare(2018)

    Director · Executive Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

  • True Memoirs of an International Assassin(2016)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Agent X(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows

  • The Strain(2014)

    Show 10 episodes · Co-Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Non-Stop(2014)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Kick-Ass 2(2013)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Bates Motel(2013)

    Show 10 episodes · Consulting Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Hail Mary(2011)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Odds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Executive Producer · Writer

  • Never Back Down(2008)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Prey(2007)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • I'm Through with White Girls(2007)

    as Billy

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Cry Wolf(2005)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Catching Kringle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Story

  • Manual Labor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • The Tower of Babble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · Story · as Derek

  • Pearl Harbor(2001)

    as Next Guy in Line

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Escape to Grizzly Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Associate Producer

  • The Big Kahuna(1999)

    Set Production Assistant

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Roswell(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Professor

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • The Thomas Crown Affair(1999)

    Actor's Assistant

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Pallbearer(1996)

    Production Assistant

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Danger Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles, 29 of them dated from 1996 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Non-Stop (2014)

$223M worldwide

Highest rated

Non-Stop (2014)

Midcredits 76th

Most popular right now

The Devil's Mouth (2026)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 30: 3 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting16 of 30: 3 only directing, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score30thWriting16 of 30: 3 only writing, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score29thProducing12 of 30: 2 only producing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score30thEditing1 of 30: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew3 of 30: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

30 titles, 16 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 10 of them.

By decade

1990s4 · 1 acting · 3 crew2000s9 · 3 acting · 7 crew2010s11 · crew2020s5 · 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

Nominated for a Directors Guild Award in 2022, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs.

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 Jeff Wadlow's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 33rd percentile, the median of all 18; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 30th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

30thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

27thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 23 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · writer, producer

Hail Mary (2011)

97th percentile spread · 40% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer, producer

Bates Motel (2013)

Midcredits 93rd · 90% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 49/100 and the pacing 51/100 in their films, across 12 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 Jeff Wadlow's work okay for kids?

Across up to 12 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore12 titles40–76 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity12 titles10–52 · median 24 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity12 titles29–57 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs12 titles24–45 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense12 titles42–69 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most 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 Jeff Wadlow work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jeff Wadlow's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sean Albertson shares the most, 6.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers