Skip to content
MovieCove
D.J. Caruso

D.J. Caruso

Director, producer and writer · Born January 17, 1965 (61) · Norwalk, Connecticut, USA

D.J. Caruso (born January 17, 1965) is an American director and producer. Caruso has directed the films Disturbia, Two for the Money, Taking Lives, The Salton Sea, and Eagle Eye. He has also directed television episodes for shows such as The Shield, Over There, Smallville, and Dark Angel. He directed his first music video in 2007 for the song Don't Make Me Wait by This World Fair. He was also a guest judge on the FOX reality show On the Lot for the episode of May 28/29. In 2009 he directed the music video for Airborne Toxic Event, Sometime Around Midnight.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 17, 1965 (61)
From
Norwalk, Connecticut, USA
Works as
Director, producer and writer
Titles
26 on MovieCove · 42 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

What are D.J. Caruso's films like?

Across their 22 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
Morality
25%
Bonds
22%
Self
20%
Survival
16%
Society
10%
Ideas
4%
Power
4%
Redemption5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeParenthood2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 22 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 7 · Dark 12

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

Grounded 9 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 6 · Intense 15

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

Steady 5 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 3

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

Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 14 · Relentless 6

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 15 · Full focus 4

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 9

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

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Thrilling
11
Dread
7
Melancholic
7
Hopeful
5
Other
12

How their films linger

Hopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3

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 D.J. Caruso's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for D.J. Caruso'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

42 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page.

  • Mary(2024)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Bronx Zoo '90: Crime, Chaos and Baseball (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

  • Shut In(2022)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Redeeming Love(2022)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Tribes of Palos Verdes(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • xXx: Return of Xander Cage(2017)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Disappointments Room(2016)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Standing Up(2013)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Inside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Writer

  • Inside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 1 episode · Creator · Writer

  • I Am Number Four(2011)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Eagle Eye(2008)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • On the Lot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Disturbia(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Over There(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Two for the Money(2005)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Taking Lives(2004)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Crazy as Hell(2002)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Robbery Homicide Division (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Shield(2002)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Salton Sea(2002)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Smallville(2001)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Going to California (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Dark Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Mind Prey(1999)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Mercy Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Martial Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Buddy Faro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Black Cat Run(1998)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction(1997)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Cyclops, Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director

  • High Incident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault(1996)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Nick of Time(1995)

    Executive Producer · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • VR.5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Drop Zone(1994)

    Producer · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Another Stakeout(1993)

    Co-Producer · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Point of No Return(1993)

    Associate Producer · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Hard Way(1991)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • A Visit to Grandpa’s (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 41 titles, 39 of them dated from 1991 to 2024.

Biggest box office

xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017)

$346M worldwide

Highest rated

Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault (1996)

Midcredits 93rd

Most popular right now

xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 41: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting32 of 41: 26 only directing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdWriting5 of 41: 0 only writing, 5 with another roleProducing9 of 41: 3 only producing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score39thOther crew5 of 41: 0 only other crew, 5 with another role

41 titles, 11 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1990s15 · crew2000s13 · 1 acting · 12 crew2010s7 · crew2020s4 · 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 D.J. Caruso's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 22; across their 22 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 22

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Reach · how many have seen their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · director

Mary (2024)

83rd percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

The Shield (2002)

Midcredits 98th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 59/100 and the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 22 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 D.J. Caruso's work okay for kids?

Across up to 16 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles51–78 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity16 titles7–53 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity13 titles39–87 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles24–65 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense12 titles36–79 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most 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 D.J. Caruso work with?

People who share at least 2 of D.J. Caruso's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jim Page shares the most, 9.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles