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Robert Kessel

Robert Kessel

Producer

Robert Kessel is Executive Vice President of Narrative Film at Participant where co-manages the development and production of the narrative films for the company. Since joining Participant in 2013, Kessel has been integral in the production of the company's most commercially successful films to date -Wonder and Green Book - as an Executive Producer on the former and overseen production on both. Most recently he was an Executive Producer on the upcoming Todd Haynes film, Dark Waters, starring Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway. In addition to those films, Kessel also oversaw production on such Participant films as Spotlight, Deepwater Horizon, Beasts of No Nation and A Most Violent Year. Prior to Participant, Kessel held executive posts at Matt Tolmach Productions, Overture Films, Hart Sharp Entertainment and Miramax Films. Robert serves on the board of Students Run LA, a non-profit organization which trains over 3000 at-risk kids to run the LA Marathon each year and serves as an advisor for ReFrame Rise, an initiative of ReFrame, the parity organization run by Women in Film and Sundance Institute. He holds a B.A. in political science and film from Vassar College.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Works as
Producer
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 26 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 28% in 30 days

What are Robert Kessel's films like?

Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 91st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography 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
29%
Self
26%
Morality
13%
Survival
13%
Society
12%
Ideas
5%
Power
2%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 20 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 17 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 13 · Intense 5

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

Steady 10 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 7 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 3

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 2 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 12

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
13
Bittersweet
10
Contemplative
8
Hopeful
8
Tense
5
Other
12

How their films linger

Bittersweet13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet14
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

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 Robert Kessel's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robert Kessel'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

26 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page.

  • A Statement(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Eleanor the Great(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Wave(2025)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Rob Peace(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Out of My Mind(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • White Bird(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Good House(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Stillwater(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Dark Waters(2019)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Captive State(2019)

    Executive In Charge Of Production

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Green Book(2018)

    Executive In Charge Of Production

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Wonder(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Deepwater Horizon(2016)

    Executive In Charge Of Production

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Jack Goes Boating(2010)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Let Me In(2010)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Trucker(2008)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Last Chance Harvey(2008)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Evening(2007)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Night Listener(2006)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Proof(2005)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • P.S.(2004)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • A Home at the End of the World(2004)

    Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Undefeated (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Executive Producer

  • Nicholas Nickleby(2002)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

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

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 22 titles, 21 of them dated from 2001 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Wonder (2017)

$315M worldwide

Highest rated

Wonder (2017)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Dark Waters (2019)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Producing19 of 22: 19 only producing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thOther crew3 of 22: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

2000s9 · crew2010s6 · crew2020s6 · 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 Robert Kessel's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 24; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · producer

A Statement (2026)

91st percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Wonder (2017)

Midcredits 97th · 90% liked

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 Robert Kessel's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films and alcohol & drugs lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles14–65 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles11–52 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles20–58 · median 46 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles7–34 · median 14 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles24–59 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all 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 Robert Kessel work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert Kessel's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jeff Skoll shares the most, 7.

Writers

Actors

Composers

Producers

Mixed roles