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Josephine Decker

Josephine Decker

Director, actor, writer, editor and producer · Born April 2, 1981 (45) · Dallas, Texas, USA

Josephine Decker is an American actress, filmmaker, and performance artist. As of 2020, she has directed four feature films: experimental psychological thriller Butter on the Latch (2013), experimental erotic thriller Thou Wast Mild and Lovely (2014), experimental drama Madeline's Madeline (2018), and semi-biographical thriller Shirley (2020). Decker also co-directed the documentary Bi the Way (2008) with Brittany Blockman.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 2, 1981 (45)
From
Dallas, Texas, USA
Works as
Director, actor, writer, editor and producer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 41 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 63 days to Oct 26Up 22% in 30 days

What are Josephine Decker's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy 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
Self
34%
Bonds
24%
Society
17%
Survival
10%
Power
8%
Ideas
4%
Morality
4%
Identity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 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 4 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

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

Grounded 7 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 10 · 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 5 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 2

Ambiguous: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their ambiguous movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 5

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
8
Tense
6
Dread
3
Absurd
4
Warm
4
Other
11

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 aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • 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 Josephine Decker's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Josephine Decker'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

41 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • A Stable Marriage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Chasing Summer(2026)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • A Different Man(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Sky Is Everywhere(2022)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Shirley(2020)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Dare Me(2019)

    Show 10 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • Once Upon a River(2019)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Madeline's Madeline(2018)

    Director · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Mask Task (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Mosaic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Room 104(2017)

    Show 12 episodes · Director · Screenplay · Story · Teleplay · as Rosie

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Aquaculture (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Charlotte

  • Flames(2017)

    Director · Writer · as Josephine Decker

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Tormenting the Hen(2017)

    as Sarah

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Wreck Itself (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Producer

  • Collective: Unconscious (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Editor · Writer · as Herself

  • Hank Patterson and the Mystery of the CuttyRainBrownTrout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Funny Bunny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Actor

  • Sisters of the Plague (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Jo

  • Abby Singer/Songwriter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Hirer

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

    as Alice

  • Filigrane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Editor

  • Just the Three of Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Actor

  • Young Bodies Heal Quickly(2014)

    as Vietcong girl

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Thou Wast Mild and Lovely (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Black Box (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Holly

  • Butter on the Latch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • Loves Her Gun(2013)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Party in the Balkans of California (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

  • Me the Terrible (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Editor · Sound Designer · Writer

  • Saturday Morning Massacre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Gwen

  • Richard's Wedding(2012)

    as Phoebe

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Art History (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Writer · as Juliette

  • Autoerotic(2011)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Uncle Kent(2011)

    as Josephine

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • My Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Editor

  • Squeezebox (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor

  • Where Are You Going, Elena? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

  • Bi the Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor

  • Naked Princeton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Editor · Producer

  • Untitled Sinéad O’Connor Biopic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

Star power in the 39th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 41 titles, 40 of them dated from 2005 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Shirley (2020)

$276K worldwide

Highest rated

Madeline's Madeline (2018)

Midcredits 62nd

Most popular right now

Dare Me (2019)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting19 of 41: 16 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score26thDirecting21 of 41: 3 only directing, 18 with another role · typical Midcredits score45thWriting13 of 41: 0 only writing, 13 with another roleProducing6 of 41: 1 only producing, 5 with another roleCinematography2 of 41: 0 only cinematography, 2 with another roleEditing12 of 41: 1 only editing, 11 with another roleOther crew2 of 41: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

41 titles, 19 with more than one role — directing and acting overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2000s3 · crew2010s32 · 19 acting · 16 crew2020s5 · 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.

How do Josephine Decker's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 33rd percentile, the median of all 13; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 43rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

35thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 15 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

Tormenting the Hen (2017)

94th percentile spread · 49% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, editor

Madeline's Madeline (2018)

Midcredits 62nd · 52% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 71/100 and the pacing 41/100 in their films, across 8 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 Josephine Decker's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity5 titles45–67 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32

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 Josephine Decker work with?

People who share at least 2 of Josephine Decker's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joe Swanberg shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles