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Anna Boden

Anna Boden

Director, producer, writer and editor · Born September 20, 1976 (50) · Berkeley, California, US

Primetime Emmy nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Anna Boden is an American film director, cinematographer, editor, and screenwriter best known as the co-writer of the 2006 film Half Nelson. She is known for her collaborations with fellow filmmaker Ryan Fleck. Description above from the Wikipedia article Anna Boden, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 20, 1976 (50)
From
Berkeley, California, US
Works as
Director, producer, writer and editor
Titles
15 on Motif · 22 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 157 days to Oct 28Down 26% in 30 days

What are Anna Boden's films like?

Across their 7 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th 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
Self
36%
Morality
20%
Society
18%
Survival
15%
Bonds
9%
Ideas
3%
Purpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 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 4 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 2

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 5 · 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 2 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Hopeful
5
Tense
3
Contemplative
3
Melancholic
3
Warm
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Feel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet5
  • 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 Anna Boden's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 15 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Anna Boden'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

22 credits, 15 with a Motif page.

  • Freaky Tales(2024)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Masters of the Air(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Naked Singularity(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Mrs. America(2020)

    Show 9 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Captain Marvel(2019)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Room 104(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Moonlight(2016)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Billions(2016)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Mississippi Grind(2015)

    Director · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Affair(2014)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • It's Kind of a Funny Story(2010)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Big C(2010)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Children of Invention (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)

    Editor

  • 30 for 30(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Sugar(2008)

    Director · Editor · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Half Nelson(2006)

    Co-Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Windowbreaker (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2006)

    Editor

  • Young Rebels (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Editor · Producer

  • Gowanus, Brooklyn (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2004)

    Editor · Producer · Writer

  • Have You Seen This Man? (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Atmosphere (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Criminal (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

Career shape

A full career of 22 titles, 20 of them dated from 2003 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Captain Marvel (2019)

$1.1B worldwide

Highest rated

Half Nelson (2006)

Midcredits 86th

Most popular right now

Captain Marvel (2019)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing16 of 22: 6 only directing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdWriting9 of 22: 0 only writing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thProducing9 of 22: 2 only producing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdEditing8 of 22: 2 only editing, 6 with another roleOther crew1 of 22: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

22 titles, 11 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

2000s7 · crew2010s9 · 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 Motif, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

5 major nominations and no wins, 2007–2020.

  1. 2020
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Limited Series
  2. 2009
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Screenplay
  3. 2008
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic
  4. 2007
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Screenplay

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 Anna Boden's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 8; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th3
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · producer

Naked Singularity (2021)

53rd percentile spread · 41% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

30 for 30 (2009)

Midcredits 96th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 70/100 and the pacing 46/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

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.

Is Anna Boden's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 Motif titles with content scores, profanity and alcohol & drugs run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles18–64 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles18–49 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles35–73 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles25–80 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles33–39 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all 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 Anna Boden work with?

People who share at least 2 of Anna Boden's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ryan Fleck shares the most, 7.

Directors

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers