Paul Schrader
Film director · 16 films (1979–2021)
Paul Schrader is a director whose work here spans Hardcore (1979) to The Card Counter (2021), across drama and crime. 3 of those films were photographed by John Bailey. All 929 frames from 16 films are indexed here, searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, colour and mood.
Paul Joseph Schrader is an American screenwriter, film director, and film critic. He first became known for writing the screenplay of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976).
Born 22 July 1946 · Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Directing style
Schrader constructs tense, lonely interior dramas and crime thrillers primarily at night, favoring eye-level medium shots and wide compositions that keep the viewer at a disciplined distance from his characters. His lighting relies heavily on practical fixtures, window light, and fluorescent sources to carve out shallow-depth-of-field frames against a dark, desaturated palette dominated by deep blacks, cool grays, and muted, earthy ochres. This restrained blocking and low-key illumination create an ominous, claustrophobic atmosphere where subjects are isolated within their environments.
Films directed by Paul Schrader
Hardcore (1979)
American Gigolo (1980)
Cat People (1982)
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
Patty Hearst (1988)
The Comfort of Strangers (1990)
Light Sleeper (1992)
Touch (1997)
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)
The Walker (2007)
Adam Resurrected (2008)
The Canyons (2013)
Dog Eat Dog (2016)
First Reformed (2017)
The Card Counter (2021)
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About Paul Schrader
When was Paul Schrader born?
Paul Schrader was born on 22 July 1946 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
What films has Paul Schrader directed?
FrameThrower holds stills from 16 of them: Hardcore (1979), American Gigolo (1980), Cat People (1982), Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985), Patty Hearst (1988), The Comfort of Strangers (1990), Light Sleeper (1992) and Touch (1997) and more.
Search every frame of Paul Schrader’s films
All 929 indexed frames from 16 films directed by Paul Schrader — searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, mood or plain language.