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Joe Passarelli

Joe Passarelli

Cinematographer

Joe Passarelli is an American cinematographer born and raised in a small Midwestern town. He is a graduate from Columbia College Chicago. He continued his studies in cinematography at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.

Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
7 on MovieCove · 14 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 31% in 30 days

What are Joe Passarelli's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
47%
Bonds
18%
Society
16%
Power
13%
Survival
3%
Ideas
3%
Purpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 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 1 · Serious 0 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 0 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 0

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0

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

A split, not a type: Casual 2 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 1

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

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

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 2 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
2
Melancholic
2
Warm
2
Absurd
2
Contemplative
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Feel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous2

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 Joe Passarelli's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 7 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Joe Passarelli'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

14 credits, 7 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Actor(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Remember To Enjoy The Light Before It’s Gone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Cinematographer

  • The Weeknd - Red Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Cinematographer

  • Doc McStuffins: The Doc and Bella Are In!(2023)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Mickey Saves Christmas(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Ultra City Smiths (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

  • The Black Hole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Cinematographer

  • Anomalisa(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Hit List(2011)

    Gaffer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Beatdown(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Mary Shelley's Frankenhole(2010)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • To Kill a Killer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Cinematographer

  • Onion Underwater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Underwater Gaffer

  • The Girl Who Could Run 600 Miles Per Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Chief Lighting Technician

Career shape

A full career of 12 titles from 2006 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Anomalisa (2015)

$5.7M worldwide

Highest rated

Anomalisa (2015)

Midcredits 88th

Most popular right now

Mary Shelley's Frankenhole (2010)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography9 of 12: 9 only cinematography, 0 with another roleOther crew3 of 12: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

2000s3 · crew2010s3 · crew2020s6 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Joe Passarelli's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 33rd percentile, the median of all 5; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

31stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 7 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 7 titles are Mixed.

  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · cinematographer

Doc McStuffins: The Doc and Bella Are In! (2023)

91st percentile spread · 37% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Anomalisa (2015)

Midcredits 88th · 74% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 55/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 88, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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.

Who does Joe Passarelli work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joe Passarelli's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Duke Johnson shares the most, 3.

Directors

Editors

Producers