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Michael Mailer

Michael Mailer

Producer and director, also writer

Michael Mailer has been a leading voice in independent cinema since graduating from Harvard University. His debut feature, "A Fool and His Money," starred Sandra Bullock and George Plimpton, launching a prolific career that has seen him write, produce, and direct more than 30 films. In 2004, he founded Michael Mailer Films, dedicated to producing both character-driven independent stories and larger, concept-based projects.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Producer and director, also writer
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 32 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

What are Michael Mailer's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 12th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 25th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure 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
Self
24%
Bonds
23%
Morality
20%
Survival
12%
Society
10%
Power
8%
Ideas
3%
Romantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 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 13 · Serious 6 · Dark 8

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

Grounded 21 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 11 · Intense 8

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

A split, not a type: Steady 15 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 5

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

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 1

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

A split, not a type: Casual 13 · Engaged 10 · 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 12 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 6

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

Resolved 19 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Warm
7
Melancholic
8
Absurd
5
Dread
4
Other
27

How their films linger

Unsettling11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet9
  • Ambiguous9

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 Michael Mailer's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Michael Mailer'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

32 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page.

  • Cutman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The Ballad of Davy Crockett(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Minute You Wake up Dead(2022)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Walk(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Heart of Champions(2021)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Second Sun(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • An Imperfect Murder(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Blind(2016)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Lost in Florence(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Wild Oats(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Showing Roots(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Beginner's Guide to Sex(2015)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Friends and Romans(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • A Little Game(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Seduced and Abandoned(2013)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • All Wifed Out(2012)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Ledge(2011)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Blood and Bone(2009)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Lodger(2009)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Kettle of Fish(2006)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Devour(2005)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Loverboy(2005)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Lost Junction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Producer

  • Empire(2002)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Harvard Man(2001)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Last Producer(2000)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Black & White(1999)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Giving It Up(1999)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Two Girls and a Guy(1997)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • A Fool and His Money(1989)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Little Audrey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer

  • Unrest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 31 titles, 29 of them dated from 1989 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Empire (2002)

$19M worldwide

Highest rated

Blood and Bone (2009)

Midcredits 73rd

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing5 of 31: 2 only directing, 3 with another roleWriting2 of 31: 1 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing28 of 31: 25 only producing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score29th

31 titles, 3 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s3 · crew2000s9 · crew2010s11 · crew2020s5 · 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 Michael Mailer's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 25th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 26th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

26thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

27thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th14

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 28 titles are Mixed.

  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed16

Most divisive · producer

The Second Sun (2018)

99th percentile spread · 51% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Friends and Romans (2014)

Midcredits 74th · 71% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 54/100 and the pacing 38/100 in their films, across 23 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 Michael Mailer's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 69 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles20–60 · median 53 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles54–85 · median 75 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 50 · moderateMedian of all films: 33

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 Michael Mailer work with?

People who share at least 2 of Michael Mailer's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Daniel Bigel shares the most, 8.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles