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Barry Jenkins

Barry Jenkins

Director, producer and writer · Born November 19, 1979 (46) · Miami, Florida, USA

Oscar winner · BAFTA Award winner · Primetime Emmy nominee · 6 other major award bodies

Barry Jenkins (born November 19, 1979) is an American filmmaker. After making his filmmaking debut with the short film My Josephine (2003), he directed his first feature film, Medicine for Melancholy (2008), for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Feature. He is also a creative collaborator and a member of The Chopstars collective. Following an eight-year hiatus from feature filmmaking, Jenkins directed and co-wrote the LGBTQ-themed independent drama Moonlight (2016), which won numerous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Picture. Jenkins received an Oscar nomination for Best Director and jointly won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay with Tarell Alvin McCraney. He became the fourth Black person nominated for Best Director and the second to direct a Best Picture winner. He released his third directorial feature If Beale Street Could Talk 2018, to critical praise and earned nominations for his screenplay at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes. He is also known for his work in television. In 2017, Jenkins directed "Chapter V" of the Netflix series Dear White People. In 2021, he created and directed the Amazon Video limited series The Underground Railroad, based on the novel of the same name. The series received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie nomination and won a Peabody Award. In 2017, Jenkins was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. Description above from the Wikipedia article Barry Jenkins, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 19, 1979 (46)
From
Miami, Florida, USA
Works as
Director, producer and writer
Titles
18 on MovieCove · 40 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 26% in 30 days

What are Barry Jenkins' films like?

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

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
33%
Self
33%
Society
16%
Survival
10%
Power
7%
Morality
2%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 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 2 · Serious 4 · Dark 5

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 7 · Intense 1

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 3 · 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 3 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 6

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 6 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
9
Melancholic
6
Bittersweet
6
Hopeful
4
Tense
3
Other
5

How their films linger

Bittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet10

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 Barry Jenkins' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Barry Jenkins' 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

40 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Fence(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Preparation for the Next Life(2025)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Sorry, Baby(2025)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Harvest(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • I Wish You Would (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • Night Bloom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • Mufasa: The Lion King(2024)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Fire Inside(2024)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt(2023)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Another Young Couple (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · Actor

  • Weapons and Their Names (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Associate Producer

  • Aftersun(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Underground Railroad(2021)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • The Gaze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director

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

    Thanks

  • Never Rarely Sometimes Always(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Charm City Kings(2020)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Last Black Man in San Francisco(2019)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • If Beale Street Could Talk(2018)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Dear White People(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows

  • Moonlight(2016)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Reagan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Thanks

  • The High Five (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Producer

  • True Detective(2014)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • King's Gym (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • Adventures of Christopher Bosh in the Multiverse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Star King Zorzdon Pxxa

  • Sun Don't Shine(2012)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

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

    Director · Writer

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

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Tall Enough (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Writer

  • A Young Couple (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • One Shot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Medicine for Melancholy(2008)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Little Brown Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Writer

  • My Josephine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Writer

  • Be My Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • The Intuitionist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

  • The Natural Order (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

  • Untitled Alvin Ailey Project (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • Untitled Barry Jenkins 'Virunga' Adaptation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Writer

Career shape

A full career of 40 titles, 35 of them dated from 2003 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)

$723M worldwide

Highest rated

Aftersun (2022)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 40: 1 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting20 of 40: 7 only directing, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thWriting14 of 40: 2 only writing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score76thProducing17 of 40: 12 only producing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score86thOther crew5 of 40: 4 only other crew, 1 with another role

40 titles, 14 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

2000s6 · crew2010s12 · 1 acting · 11 crew2020s17 · 1 acting · 17 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

an Oscar, a BAFTA Award and 9 other major awards from 32 major nominations, 2009–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature
  2. 2024
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Feature
  3. 2023
    • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best First Feature
  4. 2022
    • BAFTA Award, won · International
    • +4 other major bodies · 1 win and 3 nominations
      • Directors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Adapted Long Form
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best New Scripted Series
  5. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
  6. 2019
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay (Adapted)
    • +3 other major bodies · 3 wins and 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Adapted Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Adapted Screenplay
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Director
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Feature
  7. 2017
    • Oscar, won · Best Adapted Screenplay
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Directing
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay (Original)
    • +3 other major bodies · 4 wins and 1 nomination
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
      • Writers Guild Award, won · Best Original Screenplay
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Director
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Screenplay
      • Independent Spirit Award, won
  8. 2016
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
Show 1 earlier year
  1. 2009
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Feature
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated

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 Barry Jenkins' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 15; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 89th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 18 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · director

Dear White People (2017)

94th percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

True Detective (2014)

Midcredits 98th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 82/100 and the pacing 43/100 in their films, across 11 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 Barry Jenkins' work okay for kids?

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

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles23–52 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles16–59 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles25–83 · median 66 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles11–52 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles38–63 · median 50 · 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 Barry Jenkins work with?

People who share at least 2 of Barry Jenkins' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Adele Romanski shares the most, 7.

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers