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Henry Joost

Henry Joost

Director, producer and writer, also cinematographer and actor · Born July 25, 1981 (45) · USA

Henry Joost (born July 25, 1981) is an American director, known for working with his creative partner, Ariel Schulman. Their first feature documentary, Catfish, premiered at the Sundance film festival where it received critical acclaim and went on to a nationwide release in Fall 2010. They next directed Paranormal Activity 3 and 4, as well as the thrillers Nerve and Project Power. Henry and Rel are also Executive Producers on Catfish the TV Show, and have directed dozens of commercials and short films including A Brief History of John Baldessari, narrated by Tom Waits, which has been screened at over 75 film festivals worldwide. Their 2011 Google commercial Dear Sophie was named Time Magazine's Best Commercial of the Year. They have also made a number of short films for Vogue Magazine starring Lena Dunham, Margot Robbie, and Taylor Swift, accumulating over five million views. In addition to several projects in development, Henry & Rel wrote and are attached to direct an adaptation of Edward Abbey's novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, to be produced by Ed Pressman and Gary Burden.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 25, 1981 (45)
From
USA
Works as
Director, producer and writer, also cinematographer and actor
Titles
11 on MovieCove · 24 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 9% in 30 days

What are Henry Joost's films like?

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

Genres

Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile
: browse their Horror 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
Bonds
34%
Morality
19%
Survival
17%
Ideas
12%
Self
10%
Society
5%
Power
3%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 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 3 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 6

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 0

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

Tense
8
Dread
4
Thrilling
4
Melancholic
3
Joyful
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Feel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3
  • 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 Henry Joost's films?

As of October 24, 2026, all 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Henry Joost'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

24 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Who Is Sabato De Sarno? A Gucci Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Director

  • The Watcher(2022)

    Show 7 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Secret Headquarters(2022)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Project Power(2020)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Elle Fanning's Fan Fantasy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • White Girl(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Nerve(2016)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Second Sound Barrier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Producer

  • Viral(2016)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • 10 Crosby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Executive Producer

  • Before the Flood(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Metropolis II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • Cover Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Writer

  • Paranormal Activity 4(2012)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • A Brief History of John Baldessari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • Paranormal Activity 3(2011)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Catfish: Meeting the Girl in the Pictures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · as Self

  • Catfish(2010)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • NY Export: Opus Jazz(2010)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Nemesis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • The Monkey Wrench Gang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

  • Undo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • Unravel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Weezer: Security Threat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 23 titles, 18 of them dated from 2010 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

$207M worldwide

Highest rated

Before the Flood (2016)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

The Watcher (2022)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing19 of 23: 13 only directing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score37thWriting4 of 23: 0 only writing, 4 with another roleProducing6 of 23: 4 only producing, 2 with another roleCinematography1 of 23: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another role

23 titles, 6 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2010s14 · crew2020s4 · 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 Henry Joost's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 37th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 40th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 11 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · director, producer

NY Export: Opus Jazz (2010)

89th percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Before the Flood (2016)

Midcredits 97th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 62/100 and the pacing 53/100 in their films, across 9 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 Henry Joost's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles40–73 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles17–56 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles34–73 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles19–70 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles44–82 · median 64 · intenseheavier 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 Henry Joost work with?

People who share at least 2 of Henry Joost's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ariel Schulman shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles