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James Cotten

James Cotten

Producer, director, actor and writer, also editor · Born February 12, 1974 (52) · Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA

Born
February 12, 1974 (52)
From
Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA
Works as
Producer, director, actor and writer, also editor
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 21 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 26Up 4% in 30 days

What are James Cotten's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Power.

Genres

Horror4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 33rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Horror movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 19th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
Survival
40%
Power
19%
Morality
19%
Bonds
10%
Ideas
7%
Self
5%
Survival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 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 2 · Serious 2 · Dark 5

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 6 · Intense 2

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 4 · 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 4 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Dread
5
Melancholic
4
Absurd
2
Romantic
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Unsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Bittersweet7
  • 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 James Cotten's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Cotten'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

21 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page.

  • Inherit the Viper(2019)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Painted Woman(2017)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Captain Fantastic(2016)

    Visual Effects Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Being Charlie(2015)

    Visual Effects Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Submerged(2016)

    Visual Effects Producer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Outfield(2015)

    Visual Effects Producer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Condemned 2(2015)

    Digital Intermediate

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • The Marine 4: Moving Target(2015)

    Digital Intermediate

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Atticus Institute(2015)

    Digital Intermediate

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • I Remember You(2015)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Honeymoon(2014)

    Digital Intermediate Producer · Visual Effects Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Misunderstood(2014)

    Digital Intermediate Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Curse of Chucky(2013)

    Digital Intermediate

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Hansel & Gretel Get Baked(2013)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • The Devil's Carnival(2012)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Madison County(2011)

    Executive Producer · Actor

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • The Line(2009)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Resurrection County(2008)

    Producer · Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Sugar Creek (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Editor · Executive Producer · Writer · as Jimmy

  • Demon Slayer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Casting · as Angry Priest

Career shape

A full career of 17 titles from 2003 to 2019.

Biggest box office

Hansel & Gretel Get Baked (2013)

$299K worldwide

Highest rated

Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival (2016)

Midcredits 62nd

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting3 of 17: 0 only acting, 3 with another roleDirecting4 of 17: 1 only directing, 3 with another roleWriting3 of 17: 0 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing11 of 17: 7 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score37thEditing1 of 17: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew5 of 17: 4 only other crew, 1 with another role

17 titles, 5 with more than one role.

By decade

2000s4 · 2 acting · 4 crew2010s13 · 1 acting · 13 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 James Cotten's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 33rd percentile, the median of all 19; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 28th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

28thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

14thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 19 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned3
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · producer

The Outfield (2015)

98th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Midcredits 97th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 63/100 and the pacing 33/100 in their films, across 9 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 James Cotten's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 27 · mildMedian of all films: 32

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

Who does James Cotten work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Cotten's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Darren Lynn Bousman shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers