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Alex Gibney, director
Director

Alex Gibney: Movies, Awards & Box Office

films
35
as director
32
on screen
2005–2026
box office
$135M
award wins
2
average score
75
Born
October 23, 1953 (age 72)
Birthplace
New York City, U.S.
Full name
Philip Alexander Gibney
Citizenship
United States
Occupations
Film director, producer
Years active
1980-present
Known for

The Best Alex Gibney Movies

The highest-rated films Alex Gibney is credited on, by the Movie Echo Score that blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. Totally Under Control (2020) scores highest, at 85. The full ranking adds the biggest box office hits and the most awarded films.

Full ranking
Career at a glance

Alex Gibney's Career in Numbers

Alex Gibney's films in numbers — as a director, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Alex Gibney works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) to Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie (2026), and the 2010s were the busiest decade.

Alex Gibney Movies by Decade

  1. 2000s 4
  2. 2010s 21
  3. 2020s 9

The 2010s were Alex Gibney's busiest decade, with 21 films.

Alex Gibney Movies by Genre

  • Documentary 24
  • Biography 3
  • Music 2
  • Crime 2
  • Drama 2
  • Comedy 1

Documentary is the genre Alex Gibney has worked in most, with 24 films, ahead of biography (3).

Alex Gibney Career Milestones

Biggest box office hit
The Forever Prisoner $77M worldwide
Best-rated film
Totally Under Control Movie Echo Score 85
35 credits

Alex Gibney Filmography: Every Movie

Every film Alex Gibney is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. 32 as director and 2 as actor. Rated films average a score of 75. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Movies Directed by Alex Gibney

32
  1. 2026 Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie (2026) movie poster Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie Documentary
  2. 2023 In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon (2023) movie poster In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon Music
  3. 2023 Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker (2023) movie poster Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker Documentary
  4. 2021 The Forever Prisoner (2021) movie poster The Forever Prisoner Crime Movie Echo Score: 73
  5. 2021 The Crime of the Century (2021) movie poster The Crime of the Century Drama
  6. 2020 Crazy, Not Insane (2020) movie poster Crazy, Not Insane Biography Movie Echo Score: 83
  7. 2020 Totally Under Control (2020) movie poster Totally Under Control Documentary Movie Echo Score: 85
  8. 2019 Citizen K (2019) movie poster Citizen K Documentary Movie Echo Score: 77
  9. 2018 The Looming Tower (2018) movie poster The Looming Tower Drama
  10. 2017 No Stone Unturned (2017) movie poster No Stone Unturned Documentary Movie Echo Score: 57
  11. 2017 Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge (2017) movie poster Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge Documentary
  12. 2016 Zero Days (2016) movie poster Zero Days Documentary
  13. 2016 Cooked (2016) movie poster Cooked Documentary
  14. 2015 Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine (2015) movie poster Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine Documentary
  15. 2015 Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015) movie poster Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief Documentary
  16. 2015 Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (2015) movie poster Sinatra: All or Nothing at All Music
  17. 2014 Finding Fela! (2014) movie poster Finding Fela! Biography
  18. 2014 Mr. Dynamite - The Rise of James Brown (2014) movie poster Mr. Dynamite - The Rise of James Brown Documentary
  19. 2013 The Armstrong Lie (2013) movie poster The Armstrong Lie Documentary
  20. 2013 We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks (2013) movie poster We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks Comedy
  21. 2013 The Last Gladiators (2013) movie poster The Last Gladiators Documentary
  22. 2012 Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012) movie poster Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God Documentary
  23. 2011 Magic Trip (2011) movie poster Magic Trip Documentary
  24. 2011 Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search for a Kool Place (2011) movie poster Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search for a Kool Place Documentary
  25. 2010 Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer (2010) movie poster Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer Documentary
  26. 2010 Freakonomics (2010) movie poster Freakonomics Documentary
  27. 2010 Casino Jack and the United States of Money (2010) movie poster Casino Jack and the United States of Money Documentary
  28. 2010 My Trip to Al-Qaeda (2010) movie poster My Trip to Al-Qaeda Documentary
  29. 2008 Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008) movie poster Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson Biography
  30. 2008 Taxi to the Dark Side (2008) movie poster Taxi to the Dark Side Crime
  31. 2006 The Human Behavior Experiments (2006) movie poster The Human Behavior Experiments Documentary
  32. 2005 Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) movie poster Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room Documentary
2 wins · 5 nominations

Alex Gibney: Awards & Nominations

2 wins from 5 nominations across 2 award bodies, from 2008 to 2016. That includes 2 Oscars: Best Documentary Feature for Taxi to the Dark Side and Best Documentary Feature for Taxi to the Dark Side. Every ceremony is listed newest first, with the category and the film.

All movie awards
  • Oscars logo Oscars 2 wins from 2 nominations
  • DGA Awards logo DGA Awards 3 nominations
Biography

Who Is Alex Gibney?

Alex Gibney was born in New York City, U.S. in 1953 and is 72 years old. Credited on films since 2005, as a director. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

Philip Alexander Gibney, better known as Alex Gibney, is an esteemed American documentary film director and producer. Noted for his meticulous storytelling and the depth of his subject matter, Gibney's work has notably shaped the documentary genre. Among his acclaimed works are innovative projects like 'The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley', 'Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief', and the powerful 'Taxi to the Dark Side'. In 2010, Gibney received significant praise when Esquire magazine declared him 'the most important documentarian of our time', a testament to his influence across international cinematic circles. His career, spanning several decades, features standout moments such as achieving three Emmy wins for 'Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief', and securing the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for 'Taxi to the Dark Side'. In 2019, Gibney released his insider's look at Russian politics with his documentary 'Citizen K'.

Throughout his career, Gibney adopted a critical perspective against authority, fueled by insights from his father's journalism career and his stepfather's stance. Gibney continues to use his platform to provoke thought and challenge societal norms, an ethos embodied in his 2007 documentary 'No End in Sight'. His commitment to exploring groundbreaking narratives has led to collaborations with industry moguls like Martin Scorsese, under whom he was a series producer for the PBS television series 'The Blues'. With a body of work that has screened at prestigious festivals, Gibney's orientation towards delivering engaging and original content remains a constant in his illustrious career. Up until 2023, Gibney has been actively involved in creating nuanced documentaries tackling contemporary issues, with films like 'Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker' and 'Musk', adding to his extensive repertoire.

FAQ

Alex Gibney: Questions & Answers

How many movies Alex Gibney has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has Alex Gibney been in?

Alex Gibney is credited on 35 films, from 2005 to 2026. 2 of them as an actor and 32 as a director. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is Alex Gibney's highest-grossing movie?

The Forever Prisoner (2021) is Alex Gibney's biggest box office hit, with $77M worldwide, ahead of The Last Gladiators (2013) ($48.3M). Across every film with box office figures, Alex Gibney's movies have made $135M.

Alex Gibney's biggest hits

What is the best Alex Gibney movie?

By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Alex Gibney's best-rated film is Totally Under Control (2020) with a score of 85, followed by Crazy, Not Insane (2020) (83).

Best Alex Gibney movies, ranked

Has Alex Gibney won an Oscar?

Alex Gibney has won 2 Oscars: Best Documentary Feature for Taxi to the Dark Side at the 2009 ceremony and Best Documentary Feature for Taxi to the Dark Side at the 2008 ceremony. Across every ceremony in the awards database, Alex Gibney has 2 wins from 5 nominations.

How old is Alex Gibney?

Alex Gibney is 72 years old, born on October 23, 1953 in New York City, U.S..

What is Alex Gibney's newest movie?

The most recent film on Alex Gibney's filmography is Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie (2026), which Alex Gibney directed.

Who does Alex Gibney work with most often?

Alex Gibney shares the most films with Michael Imperioli (2 films) and Jeff Daniels (2 films).

The Best Alex Gibney Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 35 directing credits.

See the ranking

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