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Davis Guggenheim

Davis Guggenheim

Producer and director, also writer, cinematographer and actor · Born November 3, 1963 (62) · St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Oscar winner · 3 Primetime Emmys · BAFTA Award nominee · 4 other major award bodies

Philip Davis Guggenheim (born November 3, 1963) is an Academy Award-winning American documentary and live action film director and producer. His credits as a producer and director include Training Day, The Shield, Alias, 24, NYPD Blue, ER, Deadwood, and Party of Five and the documentaries An Inconvenient Truth and Waiting for 'Superman'. Since 2006, Guggenheim is the only filmmaker to release three different films that were ranked within the top 100 highest-grossing documentaries of all time (An Inconvenient Truth, It Might Get Loud, and Waiting for 'Superman'). Guggenheim's cinematographic projects received severals awards and nominations, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film for An Inconvenient Truth, the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Documentary Feature for He Named Me Malala and two nominations at the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 3, 1963 (62)
From
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Works as
Producer and director, also writer, cinematographer and actor
Titles
59 on MovieCove · 103 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 32% in 30 days

What are Davis Guggenheim's films like?

Across their 43 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Morality.

Genres

Documentary32 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Drama 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
Society
20%
Morality
16%
Ideas
15%
Power
14%
Survival
13%
Bonds
12%
Self
11%
Community15 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope11 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 39 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 10 · Serious 12 · Dark 17

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

Grounded 34 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 22 · Intense 9

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

Steady 22 · Shifting 16 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 33 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 22 · Even-paced 16 · 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 6 · Engaged 28 · Full focus 5

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 9 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 18

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

Resolved 25 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
25
Tense
20
Hopeful
23
Melancholic
20
Dread
7
Other
24

How their films linger

Thought-provoking28 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet18
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous15
  • Other2

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 Davis Guggenheim's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 40 of their 59 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Hulu (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Davis Guggenheim'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

103 credits, 59 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Love Apptually(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Plastic Detox(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Soul Patrol(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • A Statement(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Tale of Silyan(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Uvalde Mom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • Mistress Dispeller(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Deaf President Now!(2025)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Rita(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Eternal You(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • We Can Be Heroes(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Girls State(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Enfield Poltergeist(2023)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Navajo Police: Class 57(2023)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Burden of Proof (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer

  • Working: What We Do All Day(2023)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Under G-d (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Executive Producer

  • Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie(2023)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Mija (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Executive Producer

  • Accepted(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Bitterbrush(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Once Upon a Time in Londongrad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer

  • Aftershock(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Swan Song(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Mistress Dispeller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Executive Producer

  • Procession(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • At the Ready(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised)(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • All These Sons(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Homeroom(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • An Unlikely Friendship: Joe Biden and John McCain (Biden Convention Film) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • Joe Biden Biography (Biden Convention Film) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • The Granddaughters (Biden Convention Film) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • When You See Something Wrong (Biden Convention Film) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • Container (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Executive Producer

  • Never Just A Job: Biden Convention Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • Time(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020(2020)

    Co-Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Boys State(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • A Thousand Cuts(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates(2019)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Where's My Roy Cohn?(2019)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Paulette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Executive Producer

  • Wolf's Mouth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Executive Producer

  • Darlin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Executive Producer

  • El Vacío (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Executive Producer

  • To Be Queen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Executive Producer

  • Walk Run Cha-Cha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Executive Producer

  • Sweetheart Dancers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Executive Producer

  • Bisbee '17(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Price of Free(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Barack Obama DNC 2016 Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director

  • U2: Innocence + Experience, Live in Paris(2015)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • U2: iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Live in Paris - 06/12/2015 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Executive Producer

  • U2: iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Live in Paris - 11/11/2015 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Executive Producer

  • He Named Me Malala(2015)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Spent: Looking for Change (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Executive Producer

  • Teach(2013)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Dream Is Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Writer

  • Widow Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • The Road We've Traveled (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • Obama 2012 Convention Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • From the Sky Down(2011)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Waiting for Superman(2010)

    Director · Camera Operator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Defenders(2010)

    Show 18 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Melrose Place(2009)

    Show 18 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows

  • A Mother's Promise: Barack Obama Bio Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Carissa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Executive Producer

  • It Might Get Loud(2008)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Tower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • Gracie(2007)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Making of 'an Inconvenient Truth' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Producer

  • 3 lbs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Executive Producer

  • An Inconvenient Truth(2006)

    Director · Camera Operator · Cinematographer · Executive Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Unit(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Wanted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Numb3rs(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • Deadwood(2004)

    Show 12 episodes · Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • imagine… (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Push, Nevada (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Shield(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • 24(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Training Day(2001)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Alias(2001)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • The First Year (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

  • Teach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

  • Gossip(2000)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Art of Norton Simon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • C-16: FBI (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Visitor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Relativity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Charlie Grace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • ER(1994)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Party of Five(1994)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • NYPD Blue(1993)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them(1992)

    Co-Producer · Music Supervisor · as Pitcher

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Breaking and Entering (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead(1991)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Sisters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Sex, Lies, and Videotape(1989)

    Production Coordinator

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 103 titles, 102 of them dated from 1989 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Training Day (2001)

$105M worldwide

Highest rated

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Training Day (2001)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 103: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting48 of 103: 30 only directing, 18 with another role · typical Midcredits score85thWriting6 of 103: 0 only writing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score86thProducing69 of 103: 53 only producing, 16 with another role · typical Midcredits score77thCinematography3 of 103: 0 only cinematography, 3 with another roleOther crew5 of 103: 1 only other crew, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score86th

103 titles, 19 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 15 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s12 · 1 acting · 12 crew2000s22 · crew2010s26 · crew2020s41 · 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

an Oscar, 3 Primetime Emmys and 2 other major awards from 18 major nominations, 2007–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking
  2. 2025
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
  3. 2024
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Documentary
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Specialist Factual
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
  4. 2023
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
  5. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
  6. 2016
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Documentary
  7. 2013
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Long Form Music Video
  8. 2011
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
    • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Documentary Feature
Show 2 earlier years
  1. 2010
    • Sundance award, won · Documentary
    • Sundance award, nominated · Documentary
  2. 2007
    • Oscar, won · Best Documentary, Features

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 Davis Guggenheim's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 44; across their 39 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 82nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Approval · how many liked their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Reach · how many have seen their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Midcredits score across 59 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up35
  • 50th to 74th16
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

22 of their 59 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive5
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Mixed17

Most divisive · director

Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 (2020)

99th percentile spread · 40% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 73/100 and the pacing 54/100 in their films, across 33 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 Davis Guggenheim's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 55 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Profanity3 titlesmedian 63 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 57 · moderateMedian of all films: 33

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Davis Guggenheim work with?

People who share at least 2 of Davis Guggenheim's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jonathan Silberberg shares the most, 19.

Directors

Writers

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

  • Jonathan Silberberg19 titles    See newest 12 of 19 shared titles with Jonathan Silberberg
  • Nicole Stott18 titles    See newest 12 of 18 shared titles with Nicole Stott
  • Laurene Powell-Jobs17 titles    See newest 12 of 17 shared titles with Laurene Powell-Jobs
  • Shannon Dill15 titles    See newest 12 of 15 shared titles with Shannon Dill

Mixed roles