David Pablos is a Mexican writer and director, known for films such as DANCE OF THE 41 aka EL BAILE DE LOS 41 (2020) and THE CHOSEN ONES aka LAS ELEGIDAS (2015). His most recent work was as episodic director in the western series for Amazon, titled "The Head of Joaquin Murrieta" aka "La Cabeza De Joaquin Murrieta". His films have collectively amassed 28 Ariel Award Nominations (Mexican Oscars) and have taken home 14 Wins including Best Picture, Directing, Screenwriting, and Performance. EL BAILE DE LOS 41 (2020) premiered at the San Sebastián Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix, where it was in the Top 10 on the platform for weeks, and obtained thirteen nominations at the Ariel Awards, of which it won five. Previously, he directed LAS ELEGIDAS (2015), which competed at Cannes, San Sebastián, Zurich, and Stockholm Film Festivals to name a few. The film was also nominated for the Goya Award for Best Ibero-American Film and swept the Ariel Awards winning Best Film, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay and Performance. David's debut feature, LIFE AFTER, premiered at the Venice Biennale and was awarded at the Morelia International Film Festival. David is a graduate of Columbia University's MFA program and currently resides in Mexico where he speaks & writes fluently in English.
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Biography from IMDb.
- September 11, 1983 (43)
- Tijuana, Mexico
- Director and writer
- 5 on MovieCove · 10 credits in all
What are David Pablos' films like?
Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Power.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
Light 0 · Serious 1 · Dark 3
A split, not a type: Grounded 2 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 2
A split, not a type: Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 1
Steady 1 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0
Casual 0 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 0 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 3
Resolved 0 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous4
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 David Pablos' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 5 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (2).
Subscription and free streaming for David Pablos' 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
10 credits, 5 with a MovieCove page.
On the Road(2025)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows
Dance of the 41(2020)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The Darkness(2016)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
La Pascualita (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
The Chosen Ones(2015)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
The Life After (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Skin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Una frontera, todas las fronteras (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
The Song of the Dead Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Career shape
A full career of 10 titles from 2008 to 2026.
Awards
2 major awards from 4 major nominations, 2013–2025.
- Venice award, won · Best Film
- Venice award, won
- Cannes award, nominated
- Venice award, nominated · Best Film
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 David Pablos' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of all 4; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 77th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th1
- 25th to 49th2
Shape of the crowd
3 of their 5 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser3
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the atmosphere 83/100 and the pacing 37/100 in their films, across 3 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.
Who does David Pablos work with?
People who share at least 2 of David Pablos' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Emiliano Zurita shares the most, 2.
Actors
- Emiliano ZuritaShared titles: The Head of Joaquín Murrieta (2023), Dance of the 41 (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Emiliano Zurita
Composers and cinematographers
- Andrea Balency-BéarnShared titles: On the Road (2025), The Head of Joaquín Murrieta (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Andrea Balency-Béarn
- Ximena AmannShared titles: On the Road (2025), The Head of Joaquín Murrieta (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Ximena Amann
- Carlo AyhllonShared titles: The Darkness (2016), The Chosen Ones (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Carlo Ayhllon
Producers
- Birgit KemnerShared titles: On the Road (2025), The Chosen Ones (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Birgit Kemner
- Diego LunaShared titles: On the Road (2025), The Chosen Ones (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Diego Luna
- Philippe GompelShared titles: On the Road (2025), The Chosen Ones (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Philippe Gompel
- Arturo SampsonShared titles: Dance of the 41 (2020), The Chosen Ones (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Arturo Sampson
