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Flying Lotus

Flying Lotus

Composer, actor, director, producer and writer · Born October 7, 1983 (43) · Los Angeles, California, USA

Grammy Award nominee

Steven Ellison (born October 7, 1983), better known as Flying Lotus or sometimes FlyLo, is an American record producer, DJ, filmmaker, and rapper. He has released seven critically acclaimed albums: 1983 (2006), Los Angeles (2008), Cosmogramma (2010), Until the Quiet Comes (2012), You're Dead! (2014), Flamagra (2019), and Yasuke (2021). Flying Lotus' other work includes creating the record label Brainfeeder, producing much of Adult Swim's bumper music, releasing rap mixtapes such as Duality (2012) under his Captain Murphy alter ego, curating and hosting the in-game radio station FlyLo FM in Grand Theft Auto V (2013), and directing the sci-fi horror film Ash (2025). Description above from the Wikipedia article Flying Lotus, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 7, 1983 (43)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Composer, actor, director, producer and writer
Titles
16 on MovieCove · 34 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 4% in 30 days

What are Flying Lotus' films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Ideas.

Genres

Horror4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 8th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove 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
Survival
30%
Ideas
17%
Power
16%
Society
16%
Self
12%
Morality
6%
Bonds
5%
Survival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 2 · Dark 7

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 1 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 5

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 5

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 7 · 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 4 · Full focus 3

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 3 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 5

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Dread
6
Absurd
3
Cold
3
Melancholic
2
Other
9

How their films linger

Unsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous7

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 Flying Lotus' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on AMC+ (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Flying Lotus' 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

34 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • V/H/S/Mixtape(2026)

    Director · Composer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • The Furious(2025)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Night Patrol(2025)

    as Three Deuce

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Ash(2025)

    Director · Composer · Executive Producer · as Davis

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • V/H/S/99(2022)

    Director · Composer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Year of the Everlasting Storm(2021)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

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

    Thanks

  • Yasuke(2021)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer · Executive Producer · Main Title Theme Composer · Music Producer · Story

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows

  • YOLO(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Flying Lotus (voice)

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • Perfect(2018)

    Composer · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Game Over, Man!(2018)

    as Hostage Steve / DJ Flying Lotus

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Cook Up with Ghetto Gastro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Family Feud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Composer

  • Blade Runner: Black Out 2022(2017)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Kuso(2017)

    Director · Composer · Writer · as Policeman

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

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

    Producer · as Various Characters (voice)

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

    Director · Composer

  • Raised by Krump (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Composer

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

    Composer

  • Fuckkkyouuu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Composer · Sound Designer

  • A Portrait of Noomi Rapace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Composer

  • Imperial Dreams(2014)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Wrong Cops(2013)

    as Customer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Clapping for the Wrong Reasons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Actor

  • Wildcat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Composer

  • The Mirror Between Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Composer

  • Captain Murphy's Duality (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Composer

  • Wrong(2012)

    as Fireman

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Wrong Cops: Chapter 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Customer

  • Cove Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer · Composer · Producer

  • An Oversimplification of Her Beauty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Composer

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

    Composer

  • Watts and Volts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Composer

  • Aqua Teen Hunger Force(2000)

    Show 10 episodes · Theme Song Performance

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 34 titles from 2000 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Ash (2025)

$1.1M worldwide

Highest rated

Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This Is Stones Throw Records (2013)

Midcredits 92nd

Most popular right now

V/H/S/Mixtape (2026)

Film career

  • 2012Screen debut· Wrong Cops: Chapter 1

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting11 of 34: 8 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score26thDirecting5 of 34: 0 only directing, 5 with another roleWriting3 of 34: 0 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing5 of 34: 0 only producing, 5 with another roleMusic23 of 34: 14 only music, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score24thCinematography1 of 34: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleOther crew3 of 34: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

34 titles, 10 with more than one role — music and acting overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2000s2 · crew2010s23 · 8 acting · 17 crew2020s9 · 3 acting · 7 crew

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

Awards

3 major nominations and no wins, 2016–2021.

  1. 2021
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
  2. 2016
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Album of the Year
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Dance Recording

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 Flying Lotus' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 26th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 26th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

26thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

22ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 16 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Panned2
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · producer, composer

Perfect (2018)

86th percentile spread · 53% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

The Furious (2025)

Midcredits 90th · 74% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 63/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

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 Flying Lotus' work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 88 · severeMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles15–67 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 68 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 80 · severeMedian 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 Flying Lotus work with?

People who share at least 2 of Flying Lotus' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Josh Goldbloom shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles