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Mel Eslyn

Mel Eslyn

Producer, also writer, director and actor · Born August 19, 1983 (43) · Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA

2 Independent Spirit Awards

Mel Eslyn (born August 19, 1983) is an American film producer, director and writer. She produced the 2014 Sundance Film Festival hit The One I Love, directed by Charlie McDowell and starring Elizabeth Moss, Mark Duplass, and Ted Danson. At the 2013 SXSW Film Festival Mel premiered Dayna Hanson's Imrovement Club, which played in competition and is currently still on the festival circuit. Her features as co-producer include Treatment, which premiered at the 2011 TriBeCa Film Festical, and Lynn Shelton's indie hit Your Sister's Sister, which was picked up by IFC at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival before screening at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and garnering a 2012 Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Performance. The following year, Mel premiered Shelton's follow-up Touchy Feely at the Sundance Film Festival in Dramatic Competition. She is currently in post on Robert Schwartzman's MF, and as the EP on the Seattle-based web series Rocketmen.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 19, 1983 (43)
From
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
Works as
Producer, also writer, director and actor
Titles
63 on Motif · 94 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 15% in 30 days

What are Mel Eslyn's films like?

Across their 46 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy19 titlesTypical Motif score: 41st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama10 titlesTypical Motif score: 45th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Motif score: 93rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif 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
Self
35%
Bonds
22%
Survival
14%
Society
12%
Morality
11%
Ideas
3%
Power
3%
Purpose10 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity12 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love8 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception10 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 37 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 17 · Serious 12 · Dark 8

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

Grounded 31 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 13 · Charged 16 · Intense 8

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

A split, not a type: Steady 18 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 5

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

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 9

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

Slow burn 24 · Even-paced 13 · 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 18 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 6

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

Easy watch 12 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 12

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

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 15 · Ambiguous 7

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
19
Contemplative
23
Melancholic
20
Bittersweet
17
Warm
13
Other
31

How their films linger

Hopeful22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet24
  • Ambiguous20
  • Other1

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 Mel Eslyn's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 50 of their 63 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (19).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mel Eslyn'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

94 credits, 63 with a Motif page.

  • Magic Hour(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Their Town (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2026)

    Producer

  • See You When I See You(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Exam (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • The Knife(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Baltimorons(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Jazzy(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Creep Tapes(2024)

    Show 12 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal(2024)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 18th percentile of all shows

  • Penelope(2024)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Motif score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Oh, Christmas Tree (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2024)

    Executive Producer

  • Between the Mountain and the Sky (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2024)

    Executive Producer

  • Paper Marriage (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2024)

    Executive Producer

  • The Long Long Night(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 24th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ryley Walker & Friends (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 1 episode · Executive Producer

  • American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders(2024)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Biosphere(2022)

    Director · Executive Producer · Producer · Writer

    Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Jason Isbell: Running with Our Eyes Closed(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Harbor Island (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2023)

    Executive Producer

  • Last Stop Larrimah: Murder Down Under (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2023)

    Executive Producer

  • Turner Loses His Pants (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2022)

    Executive Producer

  • Spin Me Round(2022)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Motif score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Drop(2022)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Motif score: 7th percentile of all films

  • I'll Show You Mine(2022)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Somebody Somewhere(2022)

    Show 14 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Potato Dreams of America(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • 7 Days(2021)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Motif score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Language Lessons(2021)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Motif score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Not Going Quietly(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • As of Yet(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Cinema Toast (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · Writer

  • Sasquatch(2021)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 23rd percentile of all shows

  • Drought(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Lady and the Dale(2021)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • Her Effortless Brilliance: A Celebration of Lynn Shelton Through Film and Music (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2020)

    Executive Producer

  • The Ride (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2020)

    Executive Producer

  • Horse Girl(2020)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Motif score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Young Hearts(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Miseducation of Bindu(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Shook (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 9 episodes · Executive Producer

  • On Tour with Asperger's Are Us(2019)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Paddleton(2019)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Motif score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Unlovable(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist(2018)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Duck Butter(2018)

    Executive Producer · Producer · as The Producer / AD

    Motif score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Outside In(2017)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Motif score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Wild Wild Country(2018)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Creep 2(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Room 104(2017)

    Show 48 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · Writer

    Motif score: 14th percentile of all shows

  • Rocketmen (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2017)

    Executive Producer

  • Take Me(2017)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Motif score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Atomica(2017)

    Co-Producer

    Motif score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Lane 1974(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Little Potato (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2017)

    Producer

  • Asperger's Are Us(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Blue Jay(2016)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Intervention(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Uncle Kent 2(2015)

    Producer

    Motif score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Dreamland (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2016)

    Producer

  • Jessica(2016)

    Consulting Producer

    Motif score: 59th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Rainbow Time(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Animals.(2016)

    Show 10 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Bronze(2015)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Lamb(2015)

    Producer

    Motif score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Manson Family Vacation(2015)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Tangerine(2015)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Overnight(2015)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 47th percentile of all films

  • 6 Years(2015)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Togetherness(2015)

    Show 16 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Laggies(2014)

    Line Producer

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The One I Love(2014)

    Executive Producer · Producer · as Victoria (voice)

    Motif score: 81st percentile of all films

  • 4 Minute Mile(2014)

    Line Producer

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Remains (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2014)

    Producer

  • Touchy Feely(2013)

    Co-Producer · as Soul Dancer

    Motif score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Improvement Club (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2013)

    Producer

  • 21 & Over(2013)

    First Assistant Director

    Motif score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Next Step (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • While You Weren't Looking (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2013)

    First Assistant Director

  • Junk (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2012)

    First Assistant Director

  • Safety Not Guaranteed(2012)

    First Assistant Director

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • D.C.I. (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2012)

    Producer

  • The Return (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2012)

    Producer

  • Your Sister's Sister(2011)

    Co-Producer · Post Production Supervisor · as Photography Studio Crew

    Motif score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Treatment (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2011)

    Co-Producer · First Assistant Director

  • The Off Hours(2011)

    Second Assistant Director

    Motif score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Guadalupe the Virgin (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2011)

    First Assistant Director

  • The Epiphany (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2011)

    Producer · Actor

  • Ingenious Minds (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Teething (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)

    First Assistant Director

  • Hoarders(2009)

    Show 5 episodes · Writer

    Motif score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • Mary (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • First 30 (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Executive Producer

  • The Broadcast (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Executive Producer

Career shape

A full career of 94 titles, 92 of them dated from 2008 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Your Sister's Sister (2011)

$3.2M worldwide

Highest rated

Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022)

Motif 98th

Most popular right now

The One I Love (2014)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting5 of 94: 0 only acting, 5 with another roleDirecting6 of 94: 0 only directing, 6 with another roleWriting8 of 94: 2 only writing, 6 with another roleProducing85 of 94: 73 only producing, 12 with another role · typical Motif score48thOther crew10 of 94: 7 only other crew, 3 with another role · typical Motif score47th

94 titles, 12 with more than one role — producing and other crew overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

2000s2 · crew2010s51 · 5 acting · 51 crew2020s39 · 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 Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

2 major awards from 3 major nominations, 2016–2022.

WinNomination
  1. 2022
    • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best First Feature
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
  2. 2016
    • Independent Spirit Award, won

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 Mel Eslyn's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 48; across their 37 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 54th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Approval · how many liked their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Reach · how many have seen their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Motif score across 63 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th23
  • Below 25th11

Shape of the crowd

27 of their 63 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive3
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed27

Most divisive · producer

Magic Hour (2025)

91st percentile spread · 64% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022)

Motif 98th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 59/100 and the plot and story 46/100 in their films, across 34 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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.

Is Mel Eslyn's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 Motif titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films and violence & gore lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles4–72 · median 27 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles27–71 · median 43 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 31
Profanity10 titles44–71 · median 49 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 35
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles29–52 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense9 titles9–70 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all 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 Mel Eslyn work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mel Eslyn's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mark Duplass shares the most, 35.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles