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Carlos López Estrada

Carlos López Estrada

Director, producer and writer · Born September 12, 1988 (38) · Mexico City, Mexico

Oscar nominee · 3 other major award bodies

Carlos López Estrada is a Mexican Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, music video director, commercial director, theatre director, and actor. Born in Mexico, he moved to the United States when he was 12 and later enrolled at Chapman University.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 12, 1988 (38)
From
Mexico City, Mexico
Works as
Director, producer and writer
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 22 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 8% in 30 days

What are Carlos López Estrada's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Animation 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
30%
Society
30%
Bonds
28%
Power
9%
Ideas
4%
Community5 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 5 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 2 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 4 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 1

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 3 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 1

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

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Hopeful
4
Contemplative
4
Joyful
2
Thrilling
2
Tense
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Hopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet1
  • Ambiguous1

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 Carlos López Estrada's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Carlos López Estrada'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

22 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Marga en el DF (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Producer

  • Dìdi(2024)

    "B" Camera Operator · Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Remember Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Producer

  • Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero(2023)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Wish(2023)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Executive Producer

  • Summertime(2020)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Raya and the Last Dragon(2021)

    Director · Story

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Blindspotting(2018)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • High and Mighty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • Legion(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Identity Theft (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • The Lieutenant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 24 episodes · Editor

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

    Director

  • Pasión(2007)

    Show 95 episodes · as Claudio Fernández de la Cueva

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • ¡WOW! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Carlos Lopez Estrada: A Director's Diary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer · Actor

  • DED (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Screenplay · as Ded

  • Kill Yr Idols (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer

  • The Making of Dìdi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Camera Operator

  • Under the Mountain's Shadow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Your Name (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 21 titles, 14 of them dated from 2007 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Wish (2023)

$255M worldwide

Highest rated

Blindspotting (2018)

Midcredits 92nd

Most popular right now

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting3 of 21: 1 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting11 of 21: 6 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score87thWriting3 of 21: 0 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing8 of 21: 5 only producing, 3 with another roleCinematography1 of 21: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleEditing1 of 21: 1 only editing, 0 with another roleOther crew2 of 21: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

21 titles, 7 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2000s1 · acting2010s6 · crew2020s7 · 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 5 major nominations, 2018–2025.

WinNomination
  1. 2025
    • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best First Feature
  2. 2022
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film
  3. 2020
    • Sundance award, nominated
  4. 2019
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature Film
  5. 2018
    • 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 Carlos López Estrada's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · director

Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero (2023)

87th percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Blindspotting (2018)

Midcredits 92nd · 78% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 75/100 and the pacing 49/100 in their films, across 5 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 Carlos López Estrada's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 18 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 49 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 35 · mildMedian of all films: 39

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

Who does Carlos López Estrada work with?

People who share at least 2 of Carlos López Estrada's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Izaac Wang shares the most, 2.

Actors

Producers

Mixed roles