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David O. Russell

David O. Russell

Director, writer and producer · Born August 20, 1958 (68) · New York City, New York, USA

2 BAFTA Awards · Oscar nominee · Golden Globe nominee · 6 other major award bodies

David Owen Russell (born August 20, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He has earned numerous accolades including two British Academy Film Awards, and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for five Academy Awards. Russell started his career directing the dark comedy films Spanking the Monkey (1994), Flirting with Disaster (1996), Three Kings (1999), and I Heart Huckabees (2004). He gained critical success with the biographical sports drama The Fighter (2010), the romantic comedy-drama Silver Linings Playbook (2012), and the dark comedy crime film American Hustle (2013). The three films were commercially successful and acclaimed by critics, earning him three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, as well as a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for Silver Linings Playbook and a Best Original Screenplay nomination for American Hustle. Russell received his seventh Golden Globe nomination for the semi-biographical comedy-drama Joy (2015). He also directed the comedic mystery thriller Amsterdam (2022). Across his career, Russell has been widely noted for combative and abusive behavior towards crew members and actors in his films, including documented incidents with George Clooney, Lily Tomlin, Amy Adams, Christopher Nolan, and Christian Bale. Description above from the Wikipedia article David O. Russell, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 20, 1958 (68)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Director, writer and producer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 26 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 40% in 30 days

What are David O. Russell's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 90th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th 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
Self
44%
Bonds
17%
Morality
15%
Ideas
9%
Survival
9%
Power
6%
Identity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 4

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 8 · Intense 4

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 5

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

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 5

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 11 · 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 4 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 2

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 4 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 5

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Absurd
7
Hopeful
4
Contemplative
3
Joyful
2
Other
12

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet5
  • 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 David O. Russell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David O. Russell'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, 15 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Madden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Amsterdam(2022)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Past Forward (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Writer

  • Joy(2015)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Accidental Love(2015)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • American Hustle(2013)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Silver Linings Playbook(2012)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Fighter(2010)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Where the Wild Things Are(2009)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Wake Up, Ron Burgundy(2004)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • I Heart Huckabees(2004)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy(2004)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Soldiers Pay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Camera Operator · Producer

  • Adaptation.(2002)

    as Orlean Dinner Guest

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Slaughter Rule(2002)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Three Kings(1999)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Flirting with Disaster(1996)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Spanking the Monkey(1994)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Hairway to the Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Bingo Inferno: A Parody on American Obsessions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble: Live at the El Mocambo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Camera Operator

  • Not Fade Away (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Sammy's Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Adaptation

  • Shutout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer

  • Super Toys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

  • Untitled Linda Ronstadt Biopic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 26 titles, 20 of them dated from 1983 to 2022.

Biggest box office

American Hustle (2013)

$251M worldwide

Highest rated

The Fighter (2010)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 26: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting18 of 26: 3 only directing, 15 with another role · typical Midcredits score70thWriting14 of 26: 1 only writing, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score70thProducing12 of 26: 4 only producing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdEditing1 of 26: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew3 of 26: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

26 titles, 15 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 13 of them.

By decade

1980s3 · crew1990s3 · crew2000s7 · 1 acting · 6 crew2010s6 · crew2020s1 · 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

2 BAFTA Awards and 6 other major awards from 31 major nominations, 1994–2015.

WinNomination
  1. 2015
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
  2. 2014
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Directing
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Original Screenplay
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Original Screenplay
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
    • +3 other major bodies · 4 nominations
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
  3. 2013
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Directing
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Adapted Screenplay
    • +3 other major bodies · 2 wins and 3 nominations
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Director
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Screenplay
  4. 2011
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Directing
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
  5. 2005
    • Grammy Award, won · Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra)
  6. 2000
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
  7. 1997
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Director
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Screenplay
  8. 1995
    • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best First Feature
    • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best First Screenplay
Show 1 earlier year
  1. 1994
    • Sundance award, won · Dramatic
    • 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 David O. Russell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 15; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

97thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 15 titles divides audiences: 7 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed3

Most loved · director

The Fighter (2010)

Midcredits 97th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 65/100 and the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 13 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 David O. Russell's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles22–70 · median 42 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles18–54 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles35–93 · median 80 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles26–66 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles10–53 · median 36 · 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 David O. Russell work with?

People who share at least 2 of David O. Russell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jay Cassidy shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers