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Marielle Heller

Marielle Heller

Actor, director, producer and writer · Born October 1, 1979 (47) · Marin County, California, USA

Berlinale award winner · Sundance award nominee · Directors Guild Award nominee · 3 other major award bodies

Marielle Stiles Heller /ˈmɑːriɛl/ (born October 1, 1979) is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She is best known for directing the films The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015), Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018), and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019), as well as acting in The Queen's Gambit (2020). Description above from the Wikipedia article Marielle Heller, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 1, 1979 (47)
From
Marin County, California, USA
Works as
Actor, director, producer and writer
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 22 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 6% in 30 days

What are Marielle Heller's films like?

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

Genres

Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 93rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama 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
49%
Morality
17%
Bonds
12%
Survival
11%
Power
6%
Ideas
3%
Society
2%
Identity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

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

A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 6 · 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 2 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 4 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
4
Contemplative
3
Melancholic
5
Absurd
2
Warm
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Thought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous2

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 Marielle Heller's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Marielle Heller'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

22 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Comebacker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • The President's Cake(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Nightbitch(2024)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Mom at Grocery Store (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • MacGruber(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Mac's Mom

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all shows

  • The Queen's Gambit(2020)

    Show 3 episodes · as Alma Wheatley

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • What the Constitution Means to Me(2020)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood(2019)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Can You Ever Forgive Me?(2018)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping(2016)

    as Documentary Crew Member

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Casual(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • The Diary of a Teenage Girl(2015)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Transparent(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • A Walk Among the Tombstones(2014)

    as Marie Gotteskind

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Paper Anchor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Caroline

  • MacGruber(2010)

    as Clocky

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

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

    as Waitress

  • Football Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Ouma Rice

  • White Power (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Party People

  • Spin City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Carrie

  • FernGully (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Kolma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Writer

  • The Glitch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 22 titles, 18 of them dated from 1996 to 2026.

Biggest box office

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

$68M worldwide

Highest rated

The Queen's Gambit (2020)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting11 of 22: 10 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score52ndDirecting9 of 22: 4 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thWriting5 of 22: 1 only writing, 4 with another roleProducing6 of 22: 2 only producing, 4 with another role

22 titles, 5 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s3 · acting2010s9 · 4 acting · 5 crew2020s5 · 3 acting · 3 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

2 major awards from 10 major nominations, 2015–2021.

WinNomination
  1. 2021
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports - Specials
    • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie Made for Television
  2. 2020
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated
  3. 2016
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature Film
    • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best First Feature
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Screenplay
  4. 2015
    • Berlinale award, won · Best Feature Film
    • Berlinale award, nominated · Generation 14plus - Best Film
    • 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 Marielle Heller's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 76th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 86th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

94thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 13 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · director, producer

What the Constitution Means to Me (2020)

89th percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Queen's Gambit (2020)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 86/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 91, detractors 61. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

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 Marielle Heller'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 and violence & gore and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles10–38 · median 17 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles22–67 · median 43 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles35–68 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles22–77 · median 70 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles15–32 · median 16 · mildlighter than most 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 Marielle Heller work with?

People who share at least 2 of Marielle Heller's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Anne McCabe shares the most, 4.

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers