Director Todd Haynes (1961)

Directed and produced by Todd Haynes, The Velvet Underground (2021) is an American documentary that delves into the story of the influential rock band. Haynes was granted access to interviews with surviving members, including founding members John Cale and Maureen Tucker. Filmed in 2018, the documentary also features voiceovers from Doug Yule, who joined the band in 1968. In October 2020, Apple TV+ secured distribution rights for the film. The world premiere took place at the ...

Dark Waters (2019), an American legal thriller directed by Todd Haynes and written by Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan, follows the story of Robert Bilott’s battle against DuPont, a chemical manufacturing corporation. In 1998, Bilott is a corporate defense lawyer at the law firm Taft Stettinius & Hollister in Cincinnati, Ohio. One day, farmer Wilbur Tennant, who happens to know Bilott’s grandmother, reaches out to him for help with investigating ...

In 2017, Todd Haynes brought to life Wonderstruck (2017), an American mystery drama adapted from Brian Selznick’s 2011 novel of the same title. Christine Vachon produced the film under her Killer Films banner and had enlisted Haynes as director by May 2015. As someone who typically works on period pieces, Haynes found the double-period concept of Wonderstruck, set in both the 1920s and 1970s, particularly intriguing. He also saw it as a classic mystery that ...

Carol (2015) is a touching romantic drama set in the past and directed by Todd Haynes. The film, based on acclaimed author Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt, features a screenplay written by Phyllis Nagy. It takes place during the holiday season of 1952 and follows the story of Therese Belivet, an aspiring photographer who works at Frankenberg’s department store in New York City. One day, while working at the store, Therese meets Carol Aird – a strikingly beautiful woman in search of a ...

Mildred Pierce (2011), a period drama miniseries on HBO created by Todd Haynes, is based on James M. Cain’s 1941 novel of the same name. The show centers around Mildred, a divorced woman struggling to open a restaurant during the Great Depression while also dealing with her self-absorbed daughter. This adaptation follows the original 1945 film noir featuring Joan Crawford and is accompanied by an original score from Carter Burwell. Airing from March 27 to April 10, ...

Directed by Todd Haynes and co-written by Haynes and Oren Moverman, I’m Not There (2007) is a musical drama film that utilizes a nonlinear narrative, interweaving the stories of six characters who each represent a different aspect of Bob Dylan’s public persona. These personas include poet (Arthur Rimbaud), prophet (Jack Rollins/Father John), outlaw (Billy McCarty), fake (Woody Guthrie), ‘rock and roll martyr’ (Jude Quinn), and ‘star of electricity’ (Robbie Clark). According to production ...

Far from Heaven (2002) is a historical romantic drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes. Set in 1957 suburban Connecticut, Cathy Whitaker embodies the ideal wife, mother, and homemaker. Her husband, Frank, holds an executive position at Magnatech, a television advertising company. However, one evening, Cathy receives a call from the local police station informing her that Frank has been detained. Despite Frank’s claims of a misunderstanding, it becomes clear that he has been frequenting gay bars in Hartford. Amidst the turmoil, Cathy encounters Raymond Deagan in her yard – the son of her late gardener ...

Velvet Goldmine (1998), a musical drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes from a story by Haynes and James Lyons, follows British journalist Arthur Stuart as he delves into the mysterious withdrawal of 1970s glam rock icon Brian Slade. Stuart interviews those involved in Slade’s career, each recalling their experiences which become a vignette for that particular segment of Slade’s life. Along with exploring the vibrant rock shows, fashion, and journalism of 1970s Britain, the film also touches on ...

Safe (1995) is an American psychological horror film written and directed by Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore. Carol White is a housewife in an affluent Los Angeles suburb. She fills her days with activities such as gardening, aerobics, and socializing with friends. Despite appearances of stability, her marriage and family life lack passion and her friends keep their distance. After the renovation of her home, Carol begins to experience physical ailments in ordinary situations: uncontrollable coughing from nearby exhaust fumes while driving, difficulty breathing at ...

Poison (1991) is an American science fiction drama horror film, written and directed by Todd Haynes. With three intercut narratives that draw inspiration from the novels of Jean Genet, the movie showcases an emerging ‘queer new wave’ in cinema. The closing credits reveal the names of the three interconnected stories featured in the film. 1. Hero. A news segment in the style of a 1980s tabloid television magazine showcases a seven-year-old who shoots his abusive father before taking flight.

Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) is an American experimental short biographical film that chronicles the last 17 years of singer Karen Carpenter’s life. It follows her journey from her ‘discovery’ in 1966, through her meteoric rise to fame, and ultimately to her tragic death due to anorexia. The story begins on February 4, 1983 in Karen’s childhood home in Downey, California where her mother, Agnes Carpenter, finds her body in a closet. Through flashbacks, we see key moments in Karen’s life such as signing with A&M records, experiencing success and then decline with her brother Richard as part of the duo The Carpenters, ...