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Michel Franco

Michel Franco

Producer, director, writer and editor · Born January 1, 1979 (47) · Mexico City, Mexico

3 Cannes awards · 2 Venice awards · Berlinale award nominee · 1 other major award body

Michel Franco (born 1979) is a Mexican film director and producer. His film After Lucia won the Prize Un Certain Regard at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. His 2015 film Chronic was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes, Franco won the award for Best Screenplay.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1979 (47)
From
Mexico City, Mexico
Works as
Producer, director, writer and editor
Titles
18 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 155 days to Oct 26Up 39% in 30 days

What are Michel Franco's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Crime 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
30%
Survival
25%
Self
15%
Morality
14%
Power
12%
Society
3%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief5 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 3 · Dark 12

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

Grounded 15 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 4 · Intense 10

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

Steady 13 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 8 · 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 2 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 4

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 3 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 13

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 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
14
Melancholic
10
Dread
7
Contemplative
7
Warm
4
Other
10

How their films linger

Unsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous10

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 Michel Franco's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Michel Franco'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, 18 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Olmo(2025)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Flies(2026)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Dreams(2025)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Twelve Moons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Producer

  • Pet Shop Days(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Memory(2023)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • La sombra del Catire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Executive Producer

  • Heroic(2023)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • At Midnight(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • 120 Hours In Venice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Actor

  • Sundown(2021)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Box(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • La civil(2021)

    Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • New Order(2020)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Workforce (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Producer

  • On the Rocks(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Brother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Producer

  • April's Daughter(2017)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Roxanne Lowit Magic Moments (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Cinematographer

  • Dawn Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Producer

  • 600 Miles(2015)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Heirs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Producer

  • Princess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Producer

  • Chronic(2015)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • From Afar(2015)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Through the Eyes(2013)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • After Lucia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Screenplay

  • Daniel and Ana(2009)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Contra Todo: Against All Odds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • A Way Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Editor · Executive Producer · Writer

  • Circles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Editor

  • Mavela (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 31 titles, 29 of them dated from 2003 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Memory (2023)

$2.1M worldwide

Highest rated

Flies (2026)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

Memory (2023)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 31: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting12 of 31: 1 only directing, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score59thWriting10 of 31: 0 only writing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score59thProducing26 of 31: 17 only producing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndCinematography1 of 31: 1 only cinematography, 0 with another roleEditing9 of 31: 0 only editing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score59th

31 titles, 11 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

2000s3 · crew2010s11 · crew2020s15 · 1 acting · 14 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

5 major awards from 15 major nominations, 2009–2025.

WinNomination
  1. 2025
    • Berlinale award, nominated · Best Film
  2. 2023
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Film
  3. 2021
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Film
  4. 2020
    • Venice award, won · Grand Jury Prize
    • Venice award, won
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Film
  5. 2017
    • Cannes award, won
    • Cannes award, nominated
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature
  6. 2015
    • Cannes award, won
    • Cannes award, nominated
  7. 2012
    • Cannes award, won
  8. 2009
    • Cannes award, nominated · Directors' Fortnight
    • Cannes award, nominated ×2

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 Michel Franco's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 18; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 18 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · producer

Pet Shop Days (2023)

87th percentile spread · 38% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Flies (2026)

Midcredits 91st · 77% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 74/100 and the pacing 44/100 in their films, across 16 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 Michel Franco's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles34–85 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles24–78 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles37–89 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles30–50 · median 45 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles23–91 · median 72 · 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 Michel Franco work with?

People who share at least 2 of Michel Franco's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Eréndira Núñez Larios shares the most, 10.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers