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Ramin Bahrani

Ramin Bahrani

Producer, director, writer and editor · Born March 20, 1975 (51) · North Carolina, USA

Oscar nominee · Primetime Emmy nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 5 other major award bodies

Ramin Bahrani is an American director and screenwriter. Film critic Roger Ebert listed Bahrani's film Chop Shop as the 6th best film of the decade and hailed Bahrani as "the director of the decade."  Bahrani was the recipient of the prestigious 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship, and was the subject of several international retrospectives including the MoMA in New York City, Harvard University, and the La Rochelle Film Festival in France.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 20, 1975 (51)
From
North Carolina, USA
Works as
Producer, director, writer and editor
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 34 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 26Down 9% in 30 days

What are Ramin Bahrani's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Documentary 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
Bonds
31%
Self
24%
Power
16%
Survival
11%
Morality
9%
Society
7%
Ideas
2%
Family bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 11

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

Grounded 11 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 8 · Intense 5

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 8 · 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 3 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 1

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

Easy watch 2 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 8

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

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
12
Tense
9
Contemplative
7
Dread
3
Warm
3
Other
9

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet10
  • Ambiguous5
  • Cyclical1

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 Ramin Bahrani's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ramin Bahrani'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

34 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Zejtune(2026)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Extremist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • A Little Prayer(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The End(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • If Dreams Were Lightning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · Producer

  • The Audition Tape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Thanks

  • 2nd Chance(2022)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Joyland(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • 7 Prisoners(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Luzzu(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The White Tiger(2021)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Treadstone(2019)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Socrates(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Blood Kin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Fahrenheit 451(2018)

    Director · Executive Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • 99 Homes(2014)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Lemonade War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Lift You Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss(2014)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Sigur Rós: Valtari Film Experiment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • At Any Price(2012)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Plastic Bag (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Screenplay · Story

  • Goodbye Solo(2008)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Chop Shop(2007)

    Director · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Man Push Cart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Screenplay

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

    Director

  • 11’09”01—September 11: India (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Extras Casting

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

    Director · Casting Director · Producer · Writer · as Kaveh Dalaki

  • Backgammon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director

  • Amnesty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Last Meals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • The Rancher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Vegas: A Love Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 33 titles, 29 of them dated from 1998 to 2026.

Biggest box office

99 Homes (2014)

$1.8M worldwide

Highest rated

Joyland (2022)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (2022)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 33: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting22 of 33: 4 only directing, 18 with another role · typical Midcredits score79thWriting16 of 33: 0 only writing, 16 with another role · typical Midcredits score84thProducing23 of 33: 9 only producing, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score79thEditing6 of 33: 0 only editing, 6 with another roleOther crew3 of 33: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

33 titles, 18 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 14 of them.

By decade

1990s1 · crew2000s7 · 1 acting · 7 crew2010s9 · crew2020s12 · 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

5 major awards from 19 major nominations, 2005–2023.

WinNomination
  1. 2023
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Documentary Screenplay
  2. 2021
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay (Adapted)
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Adapted Screenplay
  3. 2019
    • Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated
  4. 2018
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Television Movie
  5. 2014
    • Venice award, won · Best Film
    • Venice award, won
    • Venice award, nominated
  6. 2012
    • Venice award, nominated
  7. 2009
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Director
  8. 2008
    • Venice award, won · Parallel Sections
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Film
    • Independent Spirit Award, won
Show 2 earlier years
  1. 2007
    • Cannes award, nominated · Directors' Fortnight
    • Cannes award, nominated
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Feature
  2. 2005
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Film (Venice Days)

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 Ramin Bahrani's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 79th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 80th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · director

We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss (2014)

87th percentile spread · 36% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Joyland (2022)

Midcredits 95th · 81% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 76/100 and the pacing 51/100 in their films, across 14 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 Ramin Bahrani's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles47–64 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles9–47 · median 24 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 85 · severeMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 46 · moderateMedian 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 Ramin Bahrani work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ramin Bahrani's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bahareh Azimi shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers