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David Simkins

David Simkins

Writer and producer

David Simkins is an American screenwriter and television producer. His first produced screenplay was for the film Adventures in Babysitting in 1987.

Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Writer and producer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 20 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 25% in 30 days

What are David Simkins' films like?

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

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
35%
Self
24%
Morality
19%
Survival
10%
Power
6%
Society
6%
Friendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 4 · 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 1

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

A split, not a type: Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1

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

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 3 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
5
Joyful
3
Tense
2
Dread
2
Melancholic
1
Other
1

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • 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 Simkins' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Simkins' 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

20 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page.

  • Wu Assassins(2019)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • Adventures in Babysitting(2016)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Powers(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Graceland(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Grimm(2011)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Human Target(2010)

    Show 13 episodes · Co-Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Warehouse 13(2009)

    Show 4 episodes · Teleplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Alien Raiders(2008)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Dresden Files(2007)

    Show 12 episodes · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Dark Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The New Adventures of Spin and Marty: Suspect Behavior(2000)

    Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Roswell(1999)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Charmed(1998)

    Show 6 episodes · Teleplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Vengeance Unlimited (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Teleplay

  • Spy Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

  • Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman(1993)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.(1993)

    Show 4 episodes · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Adventures in Babysitting (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Characters

  • Adventures in Babysitting(1987)

    Writer · as Frat Boy with Playboy (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 20 titles from 1987 to 2019.

Biggest box office

Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

$34M worldwide

Highest rated

The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993)

Midcredits 90th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 20: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleWriting20 of 20: 16 only writing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thProducing2 of 20: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew1 of 20: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

20 titles, 4 with more than one role — writing and producing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1980s2 · 1 acting · 2 crew1990s7 · crew2000s5 · crew2010s6 · 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 David Simkins' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 41st percentile, the median of all 4; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 45th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · writer

Adventures in Babysitting (2016)

62nd percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Grimm (2011)

Midcredits 91st · 87% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 47/100 and the plot and story 38/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 David Simkins' work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 24 · mildMedian of all films: 32

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

Who does David Simkins work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Simkins' MovieCove titles; John Wirth shares the most, 2.