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Ryan Fleck

Ryan Fleck

Director, writer and producer · Born September 20, 1976 (50) · Berkeley, California, USA

Primetime Emmy nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Ryan K. Fleck (born September 20, 1976) is an American film director, cinematographer, editor, and screenwriter best known for directing and writing the 2006 film Half Nelson and the 2008 film Sugar. He is known for his collaborations with fellow filmmaker Anna Boden. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ryan Fleck, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.​

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 20, 1976 (50)
From
Berkeley, California, USA
Works as
Director, writer and producer
Titles
16 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 26

What are Ryan Fleck's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
36%
Morality
23%
Survival
15%
Society
15%
Bonds
8%
Ideas
3%
Redemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 2

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

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 4 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
4
Hopeful
5
Melancholic
4
Tense
4
Warm
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Bittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet6
  • 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 Ryan Fleck's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ryan Fleck'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, 16 with a MovieCove page.

  • Freaky Tales(2024)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Masters of the Air(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Naked Singularity(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Mrs. America(2020)

    Show 9 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Captain Marvel(2019)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Room 104(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Billions(2016)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Mississippi Grind(2015)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Affair(2014)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • The Day the Series Stopped (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • Looking(2014)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • It's Kind of a Funny Story(2010)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Big C(2010)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • 30 for 30(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Sugar(2008)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • In Treatment(2008)

    Show 7 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Half Nelson(2006)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Young Rebels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Gowanus, Brooklyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Writer

  • Have You Seen This Man? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Atmosphere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Criminal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

Career shape

A full career of 22 titles, 20 of them dated from 2003 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Captain Marvel (2019)

$1.1B worldwide

Highest rated

In Treatment (2008)

Midcredits 92nd

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing21 of 22: 10 only directing, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdWriting9 of 22: 0 only writing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thProducing4 of 22: 1 only producing, 3 with another roleCinematography1 of 22: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another role

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

By decade

2000s7 · crew2010s9 · crew2020s4 · 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, 2004–2020.

WinNomination
  1. 2020
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Limited Series
  2. 2009
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Screenplay
  3. 2008
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic
  4. 2007
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Director
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Screenplay
  5. 2006
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic
  6. 2004
    • Sundance award, won

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 Ryan Fleck's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th3
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 16 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · producer

Naked Singularity (2021)

53rd percentile spread · 41% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

30 for 30 (2009)

Midcredits 96th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 70/100 and the pacing 46/100 in their films, across 7 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 Ryan Fleck's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity and alcohol & drugs run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles18–64 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles19–48 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles35–75 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles25–80 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles33–39 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all 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 Ryan Fleck work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ryan Fleck's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Anna Boden shares the most, 7.

Directors

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers