Claire Denis (/dəˈniː/; French: [dəni]; born 21 April 1946) is a French film director and screenwriter. Her feature film Beau Travail (1999) has been called one of the greatest films of the 1990s and of all time. Her work has dealt with themes of colonial and post-colonial West Africa, as well as issues in modern France, and continues to influence European cinematic identity. Other acclaimed works include Trouble Every Day (2001), 35 Shots of Rum (2008), White Material (2009), High Life (2018) and Both Sides of the Blade (2022), the last of which won her the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival. For Stars at Noon (2022), Denis won the Grand Prix at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, sharing the award with Lukas Dhont's Close. Description above from the Wikipedia article Claire Denis, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- April 21, 1946 (80)
- Paris, France
- Director, writer and actor, also producer
- 36 on MovieCove · 91 credits in all
What are Claire Denis' films like?
Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 19
A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 5 · Dark 9
A split, not a type: Grounded 10 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 5
A split, not a type: Gentle 6 · Charged 6 · Intense 7
Steady 11 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 2
Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0
Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0
Casual 4 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 4
A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 10
A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 9
Moods and endings
- Bittersweet4
- Tragic4
- Ambiguous11
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 Claire Denis' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 23 of their 36 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (10).
- Paris, Texas (1984) · assistant director
- Wings of Desire (1987) · first assistant director
- Night on Earth (1991) · thanks
- Down by Law (1986) · assistant director
- Beau Travail (1999) · director, writer
- Chocolat (1988) · director, writer
- Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971) · actor
- Irma Vep (1996) · thanks
- No Fear, No Die (1990) · director, writer
- Let the Sunshine In (2017) · director, writer
Subscription and free streaming for Claire Denis' 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
91 credits, 36 with a MovieCove page; 17 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Avec Kim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
The Fence(2025)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
You Resemble Me(2021)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Stars at Noon(2022)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Both Sides of the Blade(2022)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all filmsLe Soldat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
High Life(2018)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Let the Sunshine In(2017)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
The Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
The Breidjing Camp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Contact (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Voilà l'enchaînement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Venice 70: Future Reloaded (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Bastards(2013)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Leviathan(2012)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Granny's Funeral(2012)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all filmsAller au diable (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Écrans Noirs Film Festival, 2010 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Here(2011)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
A Traveler's Memory: Jeonju Digital Project 2011 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
On bosse ici! On vit ici! On reste ici! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Postcard Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
White Material(2009)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Sweetgrass(2009)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
35 Shots of Rum(2008)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
The Last Mistress(2007)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Hotel Paradijs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
The Intruder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Towards Mathilde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Porn Theatre(2002)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Friday Night(2002)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Vers Nancy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Trouble Every Day(2001)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Beau Travail(1999)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
The City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Venus Beauty Institute(1999)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Le Jour de Noël (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
We, France's Undocumented Immigrants (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Nenette and Boni (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
A propos d’une déclaration (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Irma Vep(1996)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
To Have (Or Not) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
The Corridor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Concerning Nice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Nice, Very Nice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Duo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
U.S. Go Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
All the Boys and Girls of Their Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
I Can't Sleep(1994)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Boom-Boom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
La Robe à cerceau (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Figaro Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Monologues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Night on Earth(1991)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Lest We Forget (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Pour Ushari Ahmed Mahmoud (Soudan) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Keep It for Yourself (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
For Ushari Ahmed Mahmoud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
No Fear, No Die(1990)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Jacques Rivette, the Watchman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Jacques Rivette le veilleur: 2-La nuit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Man No Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Cinéma, de notre temps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Chocolat(1988)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Wings of Desire(1987)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Down by Law(1986)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
The Sacrifice(1986)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Paris, Texas(1984)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
To Catch a King(1984)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Hanna K. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
The Bastard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
The Passerby(1982)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Heads or Tails (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
The Imprint of Giants (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Zoo zéro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Return to the Beloved(1979)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Mais où et donc Ornicar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Surreal Estate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
The Old Gun(1975)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
The Golden Mass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
The Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Sweet Movie(1974)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all filmsArchetypal Library Concept for Kids in Clamart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Jérôme Savary's Magic Circus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Four Nights of a Dreamer(1971)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
May 15th (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
New Reports from France (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Red Oedipal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
The Soap Maker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 91 titles, 89 of them dated from 1964 to 2026.
Biggest box office
Let the Sunshine In (2017)
Highest rated
Beau Travail (1999)
Most popular right now
High Life (2018)
Film career
- 1972Screen debut· Four Nights of a Dreamer
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 Claire Denis' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 36; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up15
- 50th to 74th8
- 25th to 49th12
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
13 of their 36 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved6
- Universally Panned1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser13
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed13
Reviewers score the atmosphere 76/100 and the pacing 38/100 in their films, across 17 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 Claire Denis' work okay for kids?
Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
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 Claire Denis work with?
People who share at least 2 of Claire Denis' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jean-Pol Fargeau shares the most, 8.
Writers
- Jean-Pol FargeauShared titles: High Life (2018), Bastards (2013), 35 Shots of Rum (2008), Trouble Every Day (2001), Beau Travail (1999), I Can't Sleep (1994), No Fear, No Die (1990), Chocolat (1988)See all 8 shared titles with Jean-Pol Fargeau
- Andrew LitvackShared titles: The Fence (2025), Stars at Noon (2022), High Life (2018)See all 3 shared titles with Andrew Litvack
- Christine AngotShared titles: Both Sides of the Blade (2022), Let the Sunshine In (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Christine Angot
Actors
- Alex DescasShared titles: Let the Sunshine In (2017), Bastards (2013), 35 Shots of Rum (2008), Ten Minutes Older: The Cello (2002), Trouble Every Day (2001), I Can't Sleep (1994), No Fear, No Die (1990)See all 7 shared titles with Alex Descas
- Grégoire ColinShared titles: Both Sides of the Blade (2022), You Resemble Me (2021), Bastards (2013), 35 Shots of Rum (2008), Friday Night (2002), Beau Travail (1999)See all 6 shared titles with Grégoire Colin
- Isaach De BankoléShared titles: The Fence (2025), White Material (2009), No Fear, No Die (1990), Chocolat (1988)See all 4 shared titles with Isaach De Bankolé
- Nicolas DuvauchelleShared titles: Let the Sunshine In (2017), White Material (2009), Trouble Every Day (2001), Beau Travail (1999)See all 4 shared titles with Nicolas Duvauchelle
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Agnès GodardShared titles: Let the Sunshine In (2017), Bastards (2013), 35 Shots of Rum (2008), Friday Night (2002), Trouble Every Day (2001), Beau Travail (1999), I Can't Sleep (1994)See all 7 shared titles with Agnès Godard
- Guy LecorneShared titles: Both Sides of the Blade (2022), Stars at Noon (2022), High Life (2018), Let the Sunshine In (2017), White Material (2009), 35 Shots of Rum (2008)See all 6 shared titles with Guy Lecorne
- Stuart StaplesShared titles: Both Sides of the Blade (2022), High Life (2018), Let the Sunshine In (2017), Bastards (2013), White Material (2009)See all 5 shared titles with Stuart Staples
- TindersticksShared titles: Both Sides of the Blade (2022), Stars at Noon (2022), High Life (2018), 35 Shots of Rum (2008), Trouble Every Day (2001)See all 5 shared titles with Tindersticks
Producers
- Olivier DelboscShared titles: The Fence (2025), Both Sides of the Blade (2022), Stars at Noon (2022), Let the Sunshine In (2017)See all 4 shared titles with Olivier Delbosc
- Olivier PèreShared titles: The Fence (2025), High Life (2018), Bastards (2013)See all 3 shared titles with Olivier Père
- Emilien BignonShared titles: Both Sides of the Blade (2022), Stars at Noon (2022), Let the Sunshine In (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Emilien Bignon
- Christoph FriedelShared titles: High Life (2018), Bastards (2013), 35 Shots of Rum (2008)See all 3 shared titles with Christoph Friedel
Mixed roles
- Wim WendersShared titles: Room 999 (2023), Chocolat (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Wim Wenders
- Patrick GrandperretShared titles: Beau Travail (1999), I Can't Sleep (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Patrick Grandperret
