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Kenya Barris

Kenya Barris

Producer, writer, actor and director · Born August 9, 1974 (52) · Inglewood, California, USA

Primetime Emmy nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Kenya Barris is an American film and television writer, producer, director, and actor. He is best known as the creator of the ABC sitcom black-ish.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 9, 1974 (52)
From
Inglewood, California, USA
Works as
Producer, writer, actor and director
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 31 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 50% in 30 days

What are Kenya Barris' films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 25th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: 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
Bonds
33%
Self
24%
Society
21%
Morality
13%
Power
5%
Survival
4%
Ideas
1%
Family bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 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 8 · Serious 2 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 10 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 7 · Intense 1

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

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 3 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 8

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 9 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles
  • Shadowas Kenya Barris in #BlackAF (2020)
  • Tricksteras Kenya Barris in #BlackAF (2020)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
9
Warm
11
Contemplative
7
Hopeful
7
Absurd
6
Other
13

How their films linger

Feel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

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 Kenya Barris' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Kenya Barris' 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

31 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Get Lite (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Producer

  • Jerry West: The Logo(2026)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Diarra from Detroit(2024)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • The Vince Staples Show(2024)

    Show 11 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Underdoggs(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • White Men Can't Jump(2023)

    Producer · Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • You People(2023)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Airplane Passenger

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

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

    Creator · Executive Producer · as Moderator (voice)

  • Civil: Ben Crump(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Cheaper by the Dozen(2022)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • We the People(2021)

    Show 10 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all shows

  • Coming 2 America(2021)

    Executive Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Klutch Academy(2021)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Witches(2020)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • #BlackAF(2020)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Creator · Producer · Writer · as Kenya Barris

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all shows

  • Second Team (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Thanks

  • Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show Creator

  • Mixed-ish(2019)

    Show 23 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Story · Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Shaft(2019)

    Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Little(2019)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • A Boy. A Girl. A Dream.(2018)

    as Kenya Barris

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Grown-ish(2018)

    Show 105 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Story · as Derek Wright

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Girls Trip(2017)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Barbershop: The Next Cut(2016)

    Co-Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Black-ish(2014)

    Show 175 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer · as Mysterious Salesman (voice)

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • America's Next Top Model(2003)

    Show 312 episodes · Development Producer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Dorothy and the Wiz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

  • Girls & Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer · Story

  • It's a Wonderful Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

  • Untitled Juneteenth Project (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles, 25 of them dated from 2003 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Girls Trip (2017)

$141M worldwide

Highest rated

Jerry West: The Logo (2026)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

The Witches (2020)

Film career

  • 2020Screen debut· #blackAF
  • 2022First film· Entergalactic

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting6 of 30: 1 only acting, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score35thDirecting5 of 30: 0 only directing, 5 with another roleWriting14 of 30: 2 only writing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score42ndProducing22 of 30: 10 only producing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score42ndOther crew7 of 30: 2 only other crew, 5 with another role

30 titles, 15 with more than one role — producing and writing overlap on 10 of them.

By decade

2000s1 · crew2010s9 · 3 acting · 8 crew2020s15 · 3 acting · 15 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

1 major award from 7 major nominations, 2016–2025.

WinNomination
  1. 2025
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best New Scripted Series
  2. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
  3. 2019
    • Producers Guild Award, won
  4. 2018
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
  5. 2017
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy
  6. 2016
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series

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 Kenya Barris' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 40th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 48th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

90thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 23 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed14

Most divisive · producer

Civil: Ben Crump (2022)

97th percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

Jerry West: The Logo (2026)

Midcredits 94th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 46/100 and the plot and story 41/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Kenya Barris' work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films and violence & gore and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles14–60 · median 24 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles10–60 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity10 titles16–90 · median 76 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles20–61 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense9 titles7–43 · median 18 · mildlighter than most 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 Kenya Barris work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kenya Barris' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Regina Hall shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles