Dylan O'Brien
Cinematographer, also director
Dylan O'Brien is a Los Angeles cinematographer with a diverse background in both scripted and unscripted visual storytelling. His early career includes extensive work in live television and documentary-style series, where he refined his skill in capturing dynamic, fast-paced environments. Notably, he served as the director of photography on shows like Monster Garage, 1000 Ways to Die, and In Ice Cold Blood, blending technical precision with cinematic flair. O'Brien's visual style is characterized by adaptability and a strong command of movement and light-skills that have enabled him to work in various formats, from true-crime series and dramas to documentaries and competition shows. Beyond his television work, O'Brien has contributed his talents to various short films and digital content, where he continues to push the boundaries of storytelling through the lens. His career reflects a blend of hands-on, real-world experience and a deep visual intuition that distinguishes his work in a competitive industry. His philosophy on set is that there are no problems, only solutions.
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Biography from IMDb.
- Cinematographer, also director
- 9 on Motif · 13 credits in all
What are Dylan O'Brien's films like?
Across their 9 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Ideas and Survival.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 3
Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 1
Grounded 3 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0
Gentle 1 · Charged 1 · Intense 1
Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0
A split, not a type: Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 1
Casual 0 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 1
Resolved 2 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Bittersweet1
- Ambiguous6
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 Dylan O'Brien's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 9 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Dylan O'Brien's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif 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
13 credits, 9 with a Motif page.
Magan's Fare (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2025)
Involuntary (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2025)
Motif score: 67th percentile of all shows
Shark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2014)
Raze(2013)
Motif score: 18th percentile of all films
Deadliest Tech(2012)
Motif score: 11th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
Penn & Teller Tell a Lie(2011)
Motif score: 30th percentile of all shows
Cosmic Collisions(2009)
Motif score: 40th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
The Nostradamus Effect(2009)
Motif score: 5th percentile of all shows
How Life Began(2008)
Motif score: 71st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Antarctica: A Frozen History (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)
Monster Garage(2002)
Motif score: 14th percentile of all shows
Career shape
A full career of 6 titles from 2002 to 2025.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.
How do Dylan O'Brien's films land?
Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 3; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 76th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up1
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th4
Shape of the crowd
4 of their 9 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Panned1
- Divisive1
- Crowd Pleaser2
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed4
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 Motif 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.
Who does Dylan O'Brien work with?
People who share at least 2 of Dylan O'Brien's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Luke Ellis shares the most, 5.
Directors
- Luke EllisShared titles: Deadliest Tech (2012), Cosmic Collisions (2009), The Nostradamus Effect (2009), How Life Began (2008), Prehistoric Monsters Revealed (2008)See all 5 shared titles with Luke Ellis
- Sean DashShared titles: Cosmic Collisions (2009), The Nostradamus Effect (2009), Prehistoric Monsters Revealed (2008)See all 3 shared titles with Sean Dash
Writers
- Jethro NededogShared titles: Cosmic Collisions (2009), The Nostradamus Effect (2009), How Life Began (2008), Prehistoric Monsters Revealed (2008)See all 4 shared titles with Jethro Nededog
Actors
- Jonathan KelleyShared titles: Penn & Teller Tell a Lie (2011), How Life Began (2008)See all 2 shared titles with Jonathan Kelley
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Lon MagdichShared titles: Deadliest Tech (2012), Penn & Teller Tell a Lie (2011), Cosmic Collisions (2009), The Nostradamus Effect (2009)See all 4 shared titles with Lon Magdich
- Scott CruzShared titles: Deadliest Tech (2012), Cosmic Collisions (2009), The Nostradamus Effect (2009)See all 3 shared titles with Scott Cruz
- Nick TerminiShared titles: Cosmic Collisions (2009), The Nostradamus Effect (2009), How Life Began (2008)See all 3 shared titles with Nick Termini
- Lou LaProcidoShared titles: Deadliest Tech (2012), The Nostradamus Effect (2009)See all 2 shared titles with Lou LaProcido
Producers
- Matthew P. HickeyShared titles: Deadliest Tech (2012), Cosmic Collisions (2009), The Nostradamus Effect (2009), How Life Began (2008), Prehistoric Monsters Revealed (2008)See all 5 shared titles with Matthew P. Hickey
- Joseph MulcroneShared titles: Penn & Teller Tell a Lie (2011), Monster Garage (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Joseph Mulcrone