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Benny Safdie

Benny Safdie

Actor, director, editor, producer and writer · Born February 24, 1986 (40) · New York City, New York, USA

Primetime Emmy winner · 7 other major award bodies

Benjamin Safdie (born February 24, 1986) is an American filmmaker, actor, and editor best known for his collaborations with his older brother, Josh Safdie. Together, the Safdie brothers have established themselves as leading voices in contemporary independent cinema with acclaimed films such as Heaven Knows What (2014), Good Time (2017), and Uncut Gems (2019). In addition to directing, Benny has pursued a parallel career as an actor. His performance in Good Time earned him a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. He has since appeared in high-profile films including Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza (2021), Kelly Fremon Craig’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (2023), and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023). On television, he co-created, co-wrote, and starred alongside Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone in the Showtime series The Curse (2023).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 24, 1986 (40)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor, director, editor, producer and writer
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 60 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

What are Benny Safdie's films like?

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

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th 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
40%
Bonds
18%
Survival
12%
Power
12%
Society
8%
Morality
7%
Ideas
2%
Identity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAddiction3 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession3 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 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 3 · Serious 4 · Dark 7

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 3 · Intense 8

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

A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 6

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 9 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 2

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 7 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 2

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 6 · 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 4 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 9

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 7 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles
Ally
1 of 4
Shadow
1 of 4
Threshold guardian
1 of 4
Trickster
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Contemplative
8
Dread
5
Absurd
5
Melancholic
4
Other
17

How their films linger

Thought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous4
  • 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 Benny Safdie's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Benny Safdie'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

60 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Lizard Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Screenplay

  • Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Camera Operator · Co-Producer

  • The Odyssey(2026)

    as Agamemnon

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Super Mario Galaxy Movie(2026)

    as Bowser Junior (voice)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Public Access (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Executive Producer

  • Marty Supreme(2025)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Noah Britton: The Best Stuff I've Ever Done(2025)

    Additional Camera

  • The Smashing Machine(2025)

    Director · Co-Producer · Editor · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Happy Gilmore 2(2025)

    as Frank Manatee

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Pee-wee as Himself(2025)

    Show 2 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Thank You Very Much(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Ren Faire(2024)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God(2023)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • The Curse(2023)

    Show 10 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Story · Teleplay · Writer · as Dougie Schecter

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Telemarketers(2023)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Oppenheimer(2023)

    as Edward Teller

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.(2023)

    as Herbert Simon

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Stars at Noon(2022)

    as CIA Man

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Funny Pages(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Obi-Wan Kenobi(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Nari

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • Licorice Pizza(2021)

    as Joel Wachs

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Pieces of a Woman(2020)

    as Chris

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Question & Answer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director · Editor · Writer · as Self

  • Goldman v Silverman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director · as Al Silverman

  • Uncut Gems(2019)

    Director · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Good Time(2017)

    Director · Editor · Sound Recordist · as Nick Nikas

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Person to Person(2017)

    as Eugene

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Toback Vs. Mailer: The Incident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Editor

  • A Hot Two Weeks: The Making of Heaven Knows What (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Actor

  • Heaven Knows What(2014)

    Director · Editor · Sound Mixer · Sound Recordist

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Gone Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Togetherness(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Craddock Brother #2

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Lenny Cooke(2013)

    Director · Editor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Solid Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · as Goldman

  • Trophy Hunter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Writer

  • Heartland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Producer

  • The Black Balloon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Casting Director · Editor · Sound Recordist · Writer

  • Straight Hustle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Writer

  • Buttons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor

  • John's Gone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer · as John

  • The Neistat Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 8 episodes · Set Decoration · as Self

  • Daddy Longlegs(2009)

    Director · Co-Producer · Editor · Sound Designer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Surprise Tour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Editor

  • The Pleasure of Being Robbed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Editor

  • John's Lonely Trip to Coney Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Editor · Actor

  • There's Nothing You Can Do (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Editor · Writer · Actor

  • The Acquaintances of a Lonely John (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer · as John

  • Yeast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Riverguy 2

  • The Story of Charles Riverbank (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Writer · as Charles Riverbank

  • I Think I'm Missing Parts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Actor

  • The Back of Her Head (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Writer

  • What To Do When Choking (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Editor · Actor

  • The Ralph Handel Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Editor · as Ralph Handel

  • The Groomsmen(2006)

    Production Assistant

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • If You See Something, Say Something (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Writer · as Business Man 2

  • The Adventures of Slater's Friend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Editor · Writer · as 1st Cameraman

  • Alberto Live in a Bathroom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Benny the Salesman

  • Grown Ups 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Into the Woods with Mark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Actor

  • Superfakes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer

Career shape

A full career of 60 titles, 55 of them dated from 2004 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Oppenheimer (2023)

$976M worldwide

Highest rated

Oppenheimer (2023)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting30 of 60: 16 only acting, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thDirecting25 of 60: 1 only directing, 24 with another role · typical Midcredits score81stWriting16 of 60: 1 only writing, 15 with another roleProducing16 of 60: 9 only producing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndCinematography1 of 60: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleEditing20 of 60: 2 only editing, 18 with another role · typical Midcredits score81stOther crew10 of 60: 4 only other crew, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score78th

60 titles, 27 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 12 of them.

By decade

2000s14 · 11 acting · 11 crew2010s19 · 6 acting · 16 crew2020s22 · 11 acting · 13 crew

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 0% of 11 roles
1722

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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

a Primetime Emmy and 8 other major awards from 29 major nominations, 2008–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
    • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
  2. 2025
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
    • +2 other major bodies · 1 win and 2 nominations
      • Venice award, won · Best Director
      • Venice award, nominated · Best Film
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
  3. 2024
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Drama Series
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series
  4. 2020
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Editing
    • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Director
    • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Editing
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Screenplay
  5. 2018
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Director
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Editing
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Supporting Male
  6. 2017
    • Cannes award, nominated
  7. 2016
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Editing
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated
  8. 2014
    • Venice award, won
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Film
Show 5 earlier years
  1. 2012
    • Sundance award, won · Fiction
    • Sundance award, nominated
  2. 2011
    • Independent Spirit Award, won
  3. 2010
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Short Film
  4. 2009
    • Cannes award, nominated · Directors' Fortnight
    • Cannes award, nominated
  5. 2008
    • Cannes award, nominated · Directors' Fortnight

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 Benny Safdie's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 81st percentile, the median of the 19 of 20 with a score; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th8

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor, writer, producer

The Curse (2023)

55th percentile spread · 15% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Oppenheimer (2023)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 83/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 88, detractors 57. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

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 Benny Safdie's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore11 titles22–71 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles36–73 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity12 titles52–94 · median 66 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs11 titles30–88 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense12 titles20–81 · median 65 · intenseheavier 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 Benny Safdie work with?

People who share at least 2 of Benny Safdie's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Josh Safdie shares the most, 12.

Directors

  • Josh Safdie12 titles · 5 as director    See all 12 shared titles with Josh Safdie

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers