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Darren Dean

Producer, also writer · Born February 2, 1966 (60) · Paterson, New Jersey, USA

Independent Spirit Award nominee

Darren Dean was born on 2 February 1966 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Tangerine (2015), The Florida Project (2017) and Premature (2019).

Biography from IMDb.

Born
February 2, 1966 (60)
From
Paterson, New Jersey, USA
Works as
Producer, also writer
Titles
9 on MovieCove · 17 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 7% in 30 days

What are Darren Dean's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Genres

Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Documentary 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
Bonds
30%
Society
25%
Self
19%
Survival
14%
Morality
6%
Ideas
4%
Power
2%
Family bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDisplacement2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 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 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 4

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

Grounded 8 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 3

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1

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 5 · Full focus 1

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 5 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Hopeful
5
Contemplative
3
Bittersweet
4
Melancholic
4
Tense
4
Other
5

How their films linger

Hopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous1

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 Darren Dean's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 9 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Darren Dean'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

17 credits, 9 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Welcome Table(2026)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • A Mosquito in the Ear(2026)

    Producer · Writer · as Embassy Officer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Once More, Like Rain Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Producer

  • Out in the Ring(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Empty Nesters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Executive Producer

  • Premature(2019)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Producer

  • The Short History of the Long Road(2019)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Infiltrators (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Producer

  • H.O.M.E. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Producer

  • The Florida Project(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Tom's Dilemma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Producer

  • Tangerine(2015)

    Producer · as Spent Bag Man

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Welcome Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Co-Producer

  • Kinyarwanda(2011)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Meet the Hustlers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Camera Operator

  • Prince of Broadway(2008)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 15 titles from 2010 to 2026.

Biggest box office

The Florida Project (2017)

$11M worldwide

Highest rated

The Florida Project (2017)

Midcredits 96th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 15: 0 only acting, 2 with another roleWriting1 of 15: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing14 of 15: 11 only producing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score85thOther crew1 of 15: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

15 titles, 3 with more than one role — producing and acting overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2010s10 · 1 acting · 10 crew2020s5 · 1 acting · 5 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

4 major nominations and no wins, 2009–2020.

  1. 2020
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated
  2. 2016
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated
  3. 2009
    • Independent Spirit 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 Darren Dean's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 9; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 9 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

3 of their 9 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Divisive2
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · producer

The Welcome Table (2026)

97th percentile spread · 51% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

The Florida Project (2017)

Midcredits 96th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 65/100 and the plot and story 50/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Darren Dean work with?

People who share at least 2 of Darren Dean's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sean Baker shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Producers