Clint Bentley (born 1 January 1985) is an American director and writer. His feature directorial debut was JOCKEY (2021), which he also co-wrote. It premiered In Competition at the Sundance Film Festival where it took home a Special Jury Prize for Best Actor for Clifton Collins Jr. He also directed and co-wrote TRAIN DREAMS (2025), based on the novella of the same name by Denis Johnson. The film was distributed by Netflix and received great reviews, receiving nominations for multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
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Biography from TMDB.
- January 1, 1985 (41)
- Florida, USA
- Producer, writer and director
- 6 on MovieCove · 17 credits in all
What are Clint Bentley's films like?
Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
Light 0 · Serious 2 · Dark 2
Grounded 3 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0
Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 0
Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0
Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0
Casual 0 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 0 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 3
A split, not a type: Resolved 1 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
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 Clint Bentley's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 6 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Clint Bentley'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, 6 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
Mother Mary(2026)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Train Dreams(2025)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Between the Temples(2024)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Sing Sing(2023)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Jockey(2021)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
9 Races (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Transpecos(2016)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Dakota (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Darling Can You Answer the Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
I'll Remember Everything (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Dared (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Boulders Fall to Each (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Free Byrd (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
N.A.R. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Possum Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Saturn Return (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Untitled Simon Rex Short Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 17 titles, 12 of them dated from 2008 to 2026.
Awards
1 major award from 10 major nominations, 2021–2026.
- Oscar, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
+3 other major bodies · 1 win and 2 nominations
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Adapted Screenplay
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
- Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Director
- Oscar, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay (Adapted)
+2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated
- Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic
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 Clint Bentley's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 78th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th2
Shape of the crowd
3 of their 6 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved2
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the dialogue 56/100 and the plot and story 47/100 in their films, across 4 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 Clint Bentley work with?
People who share at least 2 of Clint Bentley's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Greg Kwedar shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Greg KwedarShared titles: Train Dreams (2025), Sing Sing (2023), Jockey (2021), Transpecos (2016)See all 4 shared titles with Greg Kwedar
Actors
- Clifton Collins Jr.Shared titles: Train Dreams (2025), Jockey (2021), Transpecos (2016)See all 3 shared titles with Clifton Collins Jr.
- Johnny SimmonsShared titles: Sing Sing (2023), Transpecos (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Johnny Simmons
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Bryce DessnerShared titles: Train Dreams (2025), Sing Sing (2023), Jockey (2021), Transpecos (2016)See all 4 shared titles with Bryce Dessner
- Parker LaramieShared titles: Train Dreams (2025), Sing Sing (2023), Jockey (2021)See all 3 shared titles with Parker Laramie
- Adolpho VelosoShared titles: Train Dreams (2025), Jockey (2021)See all 2 shared titles with Adolpho Veloso
- Aaron DessnerShared titles: Jockey (2021), Transpecos (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Aaron Dessner
Producers
- Larry KalasShared titles: Sing Sing (2023), Jockey (2021), Transpecos (2016)See all 3 shared titles with Larry Kalas
- Linda HalbertShared titles: Sing Sing (2023), Jockey (2021), Transpecos (2016)See all 3 shared titles with Linda Halbert
- Nancy SchaferShared titles: Sing Sing (2023), Jockey (2021), Transpecos (2016)See all 3 shared titles with Nancy Schafer
- Michael HeimlerShared titles: Train Dreams (2025), Sing Sing (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Michael Heimler
