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Rob Nilsson

Rob Nilsson

Director, actor, writer and producer, also editor · Born October 29, 1939 (86) · Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Rob Nilsson (born October 29, 1939, Rhinelander, Wisconsin) is an American independent film director, writer, and sometimes actor. He has won the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Description above from the Wikipedia article Rob Nilsson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 29, 1939 (86)
From
Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA
Works as
Director, actor, writer and producer, also editor
Titles
9 on MovieCove · 51 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 2% in 30 days

What are Rob Nilsson's films like?

Across a limited sample of 3 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
37%
Morality
17%
Ideas
17%
Self
13%
Survival
10%
Bonds
7%
Community2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 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 2 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 2 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 1 · Intense 0

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 0 · 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 1 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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 2 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 1

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

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings shown from 5 titles

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
2
Bittersweet
2
Melancholic
1
Elegiac
1
Warm
1
Other
1

How their films linger

Rousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

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 Rob Nilsson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 9 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Rob Nilsson'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

51 credits, 9 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Way Things Seem to Be(2026)

    Producer · Writer · as Self

  • Faultline (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Writer

  • Center Divide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director · Writer

  • Arid Cut (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Director · Writer

  • Ezer Kenegdo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Harry Kierk

  • The Fourth Movement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director · as Sig

  • Next Week in Bologna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Writer

  • Love Twice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Writer

  • Sacred Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Ruthven

  • Imbued (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Co-Producer · Screenplay

  • Presque Isle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Go Together (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • Used (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • Sophisticated Acquaintance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Narrator

  • Pan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Opening (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Need (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Berkeley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Coach

  • Samt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • Attitude (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Noise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • Scheme C6 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Bill's Gun Shop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Writer

  • Winter Oranges (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director

  • Singing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Writer

  • Stroke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director

  • Clouds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Frank

  • A Town Has Turned to Dust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director

  • The Inheritance(1997)

    as Minister

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Tell Me No Secrets(1997)

    as Detective

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Profiler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Chief Bennett

  • Chalk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director · Writer

  • Amanda(1996)

    as Jim Sanders

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Celebrate Cinema 101 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • Copycat(1995)

    as SWAT Commander

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Words for the Dying (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director

  • Beverly Hills, 90210(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Lowell

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Dead Solid Perfect (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • Baja Oklahoma(1988)

    as Chuck

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Heat and Sunlight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director · Writer · as Mel Hurley

  • The Method (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Writer

  • Signal Seven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director · Writer

  • On the Edge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director

  • Miami Vice(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Wango Mack

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

  • Survivor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director · Additional Photography

  • Rebel Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director · Producer

  • Northern Lights(1978)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Prairie Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director

  • Even Just (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Bill Steady

  • The Defender of Sitting Ducks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Hobo

Career shape

A full career of 51 titles, 49 of them dated from 1977 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Northern Lights (1978)

$25K worldwide

Highest rated

Northern Lights (1978)

Midcredits 80th

Most popular right now

The Way Things Seem to Be (2026)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting18 of 51: 16 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score46thDirecting32 of 51: 15 only directing, 17 with another roleWriting17 of 51: 2 only writing, 15 with another roleProducing6 of 51: 0 only producing, 6 with another roleEditing1 of 51: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 51: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

51 titles, 18 with more than one role — directing and acting overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1970s2 · crew1980s10 · 4 acting · 7 crew1990s10 · 6 acting · 4 crew2000s18 · 3 acting · 15 crew2010s6 · 3 acting · 4 crew2020s3 · 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.

How do Rob Nilsson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of the 6 of 7 with a score; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 20th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

20thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

28thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th4

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

Amanda (1996)

84th percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, producer, editor

Northern Lights (1978)

Midcredits 80th · 70% liked

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.

Who does Rob Nilsson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Rob Nilsson's MovieCove titles; Bobby Roth shares the most, 2.