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David Lowery

David Lowery

Director, writer, editor, producer and actor · Born December 26, 1980 (45) · Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Cannes award nominee · Sundance award nominee · Independent Spirit Award nominee

David Lowery (born December 26, 1980) is an American filmmaker, known for directing independent films such as Ain't Them Bodies Saints, A Ghost Story, The Old Man & the Gun, and The Green Knight, as well as mainstream studio productions such as Pete's Dragon and Peter Pan & Wendy.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 26, 1980 (45)
From
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Works as
Director, writer, editor, producer and actor
Titles
40 on MovieCove · 82 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 8% in 30 days

What are David Lowery's films like?

Across their 28 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary 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
31%
Bonds
27%
Society
12%
Survival
11%
Ideas
9%
Morality
7%
Power
3%
Identity9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation7 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 26 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 13 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 6

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 11 · Charged 9 · Intense 6

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

Steady 12 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 19 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 4 · 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 9 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 8

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 7 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 13

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 9 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 12

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
17
Melancholic
17
Tense
8
Bittersweet
7
Hopeful
6
Other
21

How their films linger

Thought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet15
  • Ambiguous9

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 Lowery's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 33 of their 40 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Lowery'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

82 credits, 40 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Mother Mary(2026)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Train Dreams(2025)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Messy(2024)

    Executive Producer · as Uptight Party Goer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • No Sleep Till(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Videoheaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Thanks

  • Pavements(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Skeleton Crew(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Queer(2024)

    as Jim Cochran

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Heretic(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • An Almost Christmas Story(2024)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · as Additional Voice (voice)

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Between the Temples(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • I Saw the TV Glow(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Smell of Money(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Lynch/Oz(2022)

    as Host (Chapter 6: 'Dig') (voice)

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Peter Pan & Wendy(2023)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Oak Thorn & the Old Rose of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • The Cathedral(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • We're All Going to the World's Fair(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Everything Everywhere All at Once(2022)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Year of the Everlasting Storm(2021)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Green Knight(2021)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Dig Up My Darling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director

  • Cinema Toast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

  • Miss Juneteenth(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Light from Light(2019)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Light of My Life(2019)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • 1985(2018)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Old Man & the Gun(2018)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Never Goin' Back(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Strange Angel(2018)

    Show 17 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • The Yellow Birds(2017)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Person to Person(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • A Ghost Story(2017)

    Director · Editor · Writer · as Neighbor's Ghost (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Minor Setback (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Executive Producer

  • Pete's Dragon(2016)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Breakthrough(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Listen Up Philip(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Until We Could (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Writer

  • Baby Mary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Editor

  • Ain't Them Bodies Saints(2013)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Sun Don't Shine(2012)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Rectify(2013)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Upstream Color(2013)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Pit Stop(2013)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Nor'easter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Editor

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

    Cinematographer

  • Empire Builder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer · Editor

  • Knife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Editor · as Brother-In-Law

  • Universal Squadrons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Editor

  • Shadowboxing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Editor

  • Silver Bullets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Sound

  • Pioneer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

  • Cork's Cattlebaron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Editor

  • Bad Fever(2011)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • My Daily Routine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Animation · as (narrator)

  • Audrey the Trainwreck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Cinematographer

  • Lovers of Hate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Additional Editing · Cinematographer

  • Birthday Suit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Editor

  • Son of a Seahorse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Camera Operator

  • It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Editor · Writer

  • St. Nick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Alexander the Last(2009)

    Additional Writing · Writer · as Stagehand

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Wet Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Merrily, Merrily (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Story

  • A Catalog of Anticipations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Writer

  • Ciao(2008)

    Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

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

    Camera Operator

  • Boycrazy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • A Delineation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • The Outlaw Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Writer

  • Some Analog Lines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer · as Self

  • LOL (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Noisehead

  • Deadroom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Looking For Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Actor

  • Still (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • 61 Suns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Thanks

  • Coda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer · Editor · Producer

  • Death in Her Hands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Poor Clare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • The Fisherman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Invisible Life of Addie Larue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Screenplay

  • The Skull (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 81 titles, 74 of them dated from 2003 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Pete's Dragon (2016)

$144M worldwide

Highest rated

An Almost Christmas Story (2024)

Midcredits 83rd

Most popular right now

The Green Knight (2021)

Film career

  • 2006Screen debut· LOL

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting10 of 81: 3 only acting, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thDirecting33 of 81: 10 only directing, 23 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stWriting25 of 81: 4 only writing, 21 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stProducing17 of 81: 9 only producing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score50thCinematography6 of 81: 2 only cinematography, 4 with another roleEditing21 of 81: 9 only editing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thOther crew17 of 81: 14 only other crew, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score74th

81 titles, 30 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 20 of them.

By decade

2000s17 · 3 acting · 16 crew2010s33 · 3 acting · 33 crew2020s24 · 4 acting · 22 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

7 major nominations and no wins, 2011–2021.

  1. 2021
    • Cannes award, nominated
  2. 2018
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated
  3. 2017
    • Sundance award, nominated · Best of Next!
  4. 2014
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Editing
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated
  5. 2013
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic
  6. 2011
    • Sundance award, nominated · US Fiction

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 David Lowery's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 36; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Reach · how many have seen their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Midcredits score across 40 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th17
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 40 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed21

Most divisive · producer

The Smell of Money (2022)

94th percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Rectify (2013)

Midcredits 93rd · 90% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 70/100 and the pacing 37/100 in their films, across 26 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 David Lowery's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, frightening / intense runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore12 titles27–66 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles10–56 · median 22 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity12 titles14–79 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs11 titles8–67 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense12 titles11–68 · median 57 · 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 David Lowery work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Lowery's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Toby Halbrooks shares the most, 13.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles