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James Ponsoldt

James Ponsoldt

Director, producer, actor and writer · Born September 5, 1978 (48) · Athens, Georgia, USA

Primetime Emmy nominee · 2 other major award bodies

James Adam Ponsoldt (born 1978) is an American film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed the drama films Off the Black (2006) and Smashed (2012), the romantic comedy-drama The Spectacular Now (2013), and the dramas The End of the Tour (2015) and The Circle (2017). Description above from the Wikipedia article James Ponsoldt, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 5, 1978 (48)
From
Athens, Georgia, USA
Works as
Director, producer, actor and writer
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 26 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 26Up 11% in 30 days

What are James Ponsoldt's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Comedy 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
46%
Bonds
22%
Society
17%
Morality
7%
Ideas
4%
Survival
4%
Self-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 0

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 4 · Engaged 4 · 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 2 · Heavy 4

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

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Bittersweet
5
Melancholic
5
Tense
5
Warm
2
Contemplative
3
Other
8

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous4

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 James Ponsoldt's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Ponsoldt'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

26 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Altruists (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

  • Wonder Man(2026)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows

  • Running Point(2025)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Once More, Like Rain Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Director 2

  • Daisy Jones & The Six(2023)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Shrinking(2023)

    Show 33 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Summering(2022)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Summer Night(2019)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Sorry for Your Loss(2018)

    Show 20 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • The Circle(2017)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Legend of Master Legend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Master of None(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The End of the Tour(2015)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Mountain Low (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Producer

  • Amira & Sam(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Spectacular Now(2013)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Sun Don't Shine(2012)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Smashed(2012)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Shameless(2011)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Tiny Furniture(2010)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Round Town Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Ronnie

  • Box Elder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Robby ‘Couv’ McGovern

  • Off the Black(2006)

    Director · Writer · as Robby

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Porn 'n Chicken (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as The Cowboy

  • Inconstant Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer

  • Sponsor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 24 titles, 21 of them dated from 2002 to 2026.

Biggest box office

The Circle (2017)

$41M worldwide

Highest rated

Daisy Jones & The Six (2023)

Midcredits 93rd

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting5 of 24: 4 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting17 of 24: 5 only directing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thWriting5 of 24: 0 only writing, 5 with another roleProducing10 of 24: 1 only producing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score77thOther crew2 of 24: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

24 titles, 12 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

2000s4 · 4 acting · 1 crew2010s11 · crew2020s6 · 1 acting · 5 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

6 major nominations and no wins, 2012–2026.

  1. 2026
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
  2. 2025
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
  3. 2024
    • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television
  4. 2023
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
  5. 2013
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic
  6. 2012
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic

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 James Ponsoldt's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 53rd percentile, the median of all 10; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · producer

Amira & Sam (2014)

75th percentile spread · 20% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Shameless (2011)

Midcredits 97th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 62/100 and the pacing 44/100 in their films, across 8 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 James Ponsoldt's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity and alcohol & drugs run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 31 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles21–57 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles44–73 · median 53 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles37–90 · median 75 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles27–56 · median 30 · mildnear 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 James Ponsoldt work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Ponsoldt's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael H. Weber shares the most, 2.

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers