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David Schisgall

Producer, director, writer and cinematographer

Works as
Producer, director, writer and cinematographer
Titles
9 on MovieCove · 12 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 63 days to Oct 26Down 43% in 30 days

What are David Schisgall's films like?

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

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
26%
Survival
22%
Self
15%
Bonds
12%
Power
12%
Ideas
10%
Society
2%
Deception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 5 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 2

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 3 · 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 1 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 2

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 0 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 2

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
7
Tense
4
Melancholic
2
Warm
1
Dread
1
Other
4

How their films linger

Thought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3

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 David Schisgall's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 9 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Schisgall'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

12 credits, 9 with a MovieCove page.

  • Chaos: The Manson Murders(2025)

    Consulting Producer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Anatomy of Lies(2024)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • The Oil War(2020)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Wormwood(2017)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Theo Who Lived(2016)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Our Idiot Brother(2011)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • 5 Weddings and a Felony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Producer

  • Operation Filmmaker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Producer

  • Very Young Girls(2007)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • This American Life(2007)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.(1999)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Lifestyle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 10 titles from 1999 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Our Idiot Brother (2011)

$26M worldwide

Highest rated

Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999)

Midcredits 92nd

Most popular right now

Wormwood (2017)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing5 of 10: 2 only directing, 3 with another roleWriting2 of 10: 1 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing6 of 10: 4 only producing, 2 with another roleCinematography1 of 10: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another role

10 titles, 3 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1990s2 · crew2000s2 · crew2010s3 · crew2020s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do David Schisgall's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 82nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

22ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 9 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

3 of their 9 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · director, writer

The Oil War (2020)

80th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

This American Life (2007)

Midcredits 95th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 71/100 and the pacing 53/100 in their films, across 4 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.

Who does David Schisgall work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Schisgall's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Evgenia Peretz shares the most, 4.

Directors

Composers and editors

Producers