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Dustin Guy Defa

Dustin Guy Defa

Actor, director, editor, writer and producer · Born January 1, 1978 (48) · Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Dustin Guy Defa is a film and television actor, writer and director.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1978 (48)
From
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Works as
Actor, director, editor, writer and producer
Titles
18 on MovieCove · 34 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 22% in 30 days

What are Dustin Guy Defa's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama 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%
Bonds
27%
Survival
18%
Society
11%
Ideas
6%
Power
5%
Identity3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 8 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 6 · Charged 4 · Intense 1

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

Steady 6 · 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 5 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 10 · 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

A split, not a type: Casual 6 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

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 3 · Heavy 3

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

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Trickster: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.

Trickster
2 of 3
Herald
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
7
Melancholic
6
Absurd
5
Bittersweet
3
Tense
3
Other
7

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous3

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 Dustin Guy Defa's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Dustin Guy Defa'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

34 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • I Saw the TV Glow(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Adults(2023)

    Director · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

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

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Joel Calls Indie Film Type Dudes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Actor

  • The Mountain(2018)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Person to Person(2017)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Dustin Guy Defa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Dustin Guy Defa

  • The Show About the Show(2017)

    as Aziz

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Easy(2016)

    Show 3 episodes · as Therapist

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • Hermia & Helena(2016)

    as Gregg

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Uncle Kent 2(2015)

    as Ringo Starr from Caveman

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Dramatic Relationships (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Entertainment(2015)

    as Ruben

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Heart of a Dog(2015)

    as Gordon Matta-Clark

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Show About the Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 24 episodes · as Aziz

  • God Is an Artist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Review (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Wild Canaries(2014)

    as Man on Cellphone

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Listen Up Philip(2014)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Summer of Blood(2014)

    as Gavin

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Swim Little Fish Swim(2013)

    as Leeward

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Person to Person (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Declaration of War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • The Sixth Year (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · as Sy (first segment)

  • On Red River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • Computer Chess(2013)

    as Photographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Lydia Hoffman Lydia Hoffman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • Pollywogs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Editor

  • Red Flag (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Clay

  • Open Five 2(2012)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Richard's Wedding(2012)

    as Taco

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Family Nightmare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Sound Editor

  • The Zone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • Bad Fever(2011)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer · as Larry

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 34 titles from 2011 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Heart of a Dog (2015)

$496K worldwide

Highest rated

The Show About the Show (2017)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

The Adults (2023)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting19 of 34: 17 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score43rdDirecting13 of 34: 3 only directing, 10 with another roleWriting9 of 34: 1 only writing, 8 with another roleProducing2 of 34: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleEditing10 of 34: 1 only editing, 9 with another roleOther crew3 of 34: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

34 titles, 10 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2010s30 · 18 acting · 14 crew2020s4 · 1 acting · 3 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 Dustin Guy Defa's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 43rd percentile, the median of all 17; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 41st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 18 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th12

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 18 titles are Mixed.

  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · actor

Open Five 2 (2012)

83rd percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Show About the Show (2017)

Midcredits 97th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 36. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

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.

Who does Dustin Guy Defa work with?

People who share at least 2 of Dustin Guy Defa's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kentucker Audley shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles