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Janicza Bravo

Janicza Bravo

Director, writer, actor and producer · Born February 25, 1981 (45) · New York City, New York, USA

Sundance award winner · Directors Guild Award nominee · Independent Spirit Award nominee

Janicza Michelle Bravo Ford (born February 25, 1981) is an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Description above from the Wikipedia article Janicza Bravo, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 25, 1981 (45)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Director, writer, actor and producer
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 37 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 34% in 30 days

What are Janicza Bravo's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
32%
Morality
17%
Power
17%
Bonds
13%
Society
12%
Survival
10%
Identity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 1 · Wry 1 · Earnest 3

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

Grounded 1 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 2

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

Steady 0 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 3

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

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 2 · 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 2 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 0 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 2

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

Resolved 1 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
7
Absurd
4
Contemplative
3
Dread
3
Other
5

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Bittersweet4
  • 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 Janicza Bravo's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 23 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Janicza Bravo'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

37 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Is God Is(2026)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Too Much(2025)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · as Kim Keith Independence

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows

  • The Listeners(2024)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • The Sweet East(2023)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Poker Face(2023)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Kindred(2022)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • Sharp Stick(2022)

    as Mercedes

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Bear(2022)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • House Comes with a Bird (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Writer

  • Zola(2020)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Them(2021)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • Fully Realized Humans(2020)

    Additional Dialogue · as Mare

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Mrs. America(2020)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Little America(2020)

    Show 1 episode · Story

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • Greener Grass(2019)

    as Marriott

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Camping (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 8 episodes · as Nina-Joy

  • Forever(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Here and Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Dear White People(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows

  • Lemon(2017)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Divorce(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Atlanta(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Man Rots from the Head (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Woman in Deep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Hard World for Small Things (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Writer

  • That Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Neighbor's Friend

  • Pauline Alone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Hot Package(2013)

    Show 5 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • In a World...(2013)

    as Snacks

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Gregory Go Boom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • The Scarf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Wardrobe Supervisor

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

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Peep World(2010)

    Costume Designer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell(2008)

    Costume Design

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • In Treatment(2008)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Invisible Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Costume Designer

  • Good Thing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 37 titles, 36 of them dated from 2005 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Zola (2020)

$5M worldwide

Highest rated

In Treatment (2008)

Midcredits 92nd

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting7 of 37: 5 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score28thDirecting23 of 37: 11 only directing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rdWriting11 of 37: 2 only writing, 9 with another roleProducing7 of 37: 1 only producing, 6 with another roleEditing2 of 37: 0 only editing, 2 with another roleOther crew6 of 37: 5 only other crew, 1 with another role

37 titles, 13 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

2000s3 · crew2010s19 · 4 acting · 15 crew2020s14 · 3 acting · 13 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

1 major award from 7 major nominations, 2014–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series
  2. 2022
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Director
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Screenplay
  3. 2020
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic
  4. 2017
    • Sundance award, nominated · Best of Next!
  5. 2014
    • Sundance award, won · Fiction
    • Sundance 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 Janicza Bravo's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 10; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 34th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

34thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

24thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

94thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · director

Dear White People (2017)

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

Most loved · director

Atlanta (2016)

Midcredits 98th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 5 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 Janicza Bravo's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 4 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 59 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles26–64 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 68 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 48 · moderateMedian of all films: 33

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 Janicza Bravo work with?

People who share at least 2 of Janicza Bravo's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mallori Johnson shares the most, 2.

Actors

Editors

Producers