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Josephine Decker
Josephine Decker
Josephine Decker
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Josephine Decker (born April 2, 1981) is an English–born American filmmaker. Films she has directed include Butter on the Latch (2013), Thou Wast Mild and Lovely (2014), Madeline's Madeline (2018), Shirley (2020), The Sky is Everywhere (2022), and Chasing Summer (2026). She also co-directed the documentary Bi the Way (2008) with Brittany Blockman.

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Decker was born in London and raised in Texas. As a child, she played the piano and dreamed of being a writer, as well as a photographer for National Geographic.[1] She graduated from Highland Park High School in 1999 and Princeton University in 2003, where she aspired to become a conductor and applied for a conducting class.[2] She was inspired to become a filmmaker after watching Monsters, Inc.[3]

Career

[edit]

Decker produced and directed her first short film, Naked Princeton, in 2005.

In 2008, Decker and Brittany Blockman co-directed the documentary Bi the Way, which focuses on bisexuality in the United States. Despite being described by Variety's Joe Leydon as a "once-over-lightly examination of an alleged cultural phenomenon",[4] the film won the Alternative Spirit Grand Prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.[5]

Decker wrote and directed her second short film, Where Are You Going, Elena?, in 2009. In 2012, she wrote and directed the short film Me the Terrible, which Richard Brody of The New Yorker called a "wondrous short film".[6]

In May 2010, Decker attended the last day of Marina Abramović's retrospective The Artist Is Present at MoMA. As she sat down across from Abramovic, Decker immediately disrobed and stood naked in the middle of the museum until seven security guards escorted her out over the museum's no-nudity policy. Decker declared that her goal was to be "as vulnerable to [Abramovic] as she constantly makes herself to us."[7]

In 2013, Decker wrote, produced, and directed her first feature film, the experimental psychological thriller Butter on the Latch. Eric Kohn of Indiewire wrote that Decker's career was "one to keep an eye on"[8] and Peter Debruge of Variety wrote, "Decker has fashioned the kind of feature debut the film industry simply doesn't support, but would do well to encourage: a visually poetic, virtually free-form groove in which emotion, rather than narrative, guides viewers through a young woman's visit to a Balkan folk music camp."[9] Decker was included in Filmmaker Magazine's 2013 list of 25 New Faces in Independent Film.[2]

In early 2014, she completed her second theatrical film, the experimental erotic thriller Thou Wast Mild and Lovely, starring Sophie Traub and Decker's frequent collaborator Joe Swanberg.[10] To raise money for the film's post-production,[11] Decker ran a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter with a goal of $15,500.[12] The campaign closed on August 22, 2013, having raised $18,517.[12] In his review, Kohn gave the film a B+, writing, "Its labyrinthine characteristics suggest the unholy marriage of Ingmar Bergman and David Lynch. While nowhere near the same level of refinement as those giants, Decker concocts a wholly enveloping vision of isolation told with a grimly poetic style that wanders all over the place but never stops playing by its own eerie rulebook."[13]

In September, 2014, it was announced that Butter on the Latch and Thou Wast Mild and Lovely had been picked up for a theatrical and VOD distribution by Cinelicious Pics with a planned release set for November, 2014.[10][14]

Decker has also appeared as an actor in many independent films, including Joe Swanberg's Uncle Kent, Onur Tukel's Richard's Wedding, Saturday Morning Mystery, the romantic tragedy Loves Her Gun, and Stephen Cone's Black Box.

In November 2015, Decker served on the jury of the 33rd Torino Film Festival. The festival had paid tribute to her work in the Onde section in 2014.[15]

Decker co-directed with Zefrey Throwell the 2017 documentary Flames. As Deadline put it, "Shot over the course of five years, the project charts the immensely passionate and profound relationship between the two artists, watching the spectacular romance, excitement and adventure of their relationship at its peak, and the fallout as Decker and Throwell clash, falling out of love with each other."[16]

Decker’s third feature film, Madeline's Madeline, screened at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals in early 2018.[17][18] It features Molly Parker and Miranda July, and introduces 19-year-old Helena Howard as a troubled acting student whose "class exercises become increasingly immersive and personal".[18]

In 2020, Neon distributed Decker's feature Shirley, inspired by the life of author Shirley Jackson. The film starred Elisabeth Moss and Michael Stuhlbarg, and was produced by Christine Vachon and executive produced by Martin Scorsese.[19] On RogerEbert.com, critic Sheila O'Malley called it Decker's "most ambitious film to date."[20]

In a change of pace, Decker directed the coming-of-age drama The Sky is Everywhere, released in 2022 by Apple+ and A24.[21] In an interview, Decker said, "I think I was really ready to make something that was a little lighter and had more lightness and less gritty, dark, violent, sexual. Probably for my next movie, I'll go back into it hard, but this was a nice little respite."[22]

Decker's millennial coming-of-age narrative feature Chasing Summer, written by and starring Iliza Shlesinger, premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.[23]

Influences

[edit]

Decker cites Antichrist, Days of Heaven, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Silent Light as her primary influences, as well as the novel East of Eden, director Joe Swanberg, and frequent collaborator Sarah Small. She cited Black Swan as a particular influence on Butter on the Latch.[24]

Personal life

[edit]

Decker grew up as a Christian, and is now a Buddhist, having practiced the religion since at least 2011.[25]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Film Director Producer Writer Actor Role Notes
2005 Naked Princeton Yes Yes Short film
2008 Bi the Way Yes Documentary; co-directed with Brittany Blockman
2009 Where Are You Going, Elena? Yes Yes Short film
2010 Squeezebox Yes Documentary short
2011 Uncle Kent Yes Josephine
Autoerotic Yes
Art History Yes Yes Juliette
2012 Me the Terrible Yes Yes Short film
Saturday Morning Mystery Yes Gwen
Richard's Wedding Yes Phoebe
2013 Black Box Yes Holly
Loves Her Gun Yes Charlotte
Butter on the Latch Yes Yes Yes
2014 Thou Wast Mild and Lovely Yes Yes
2015 Rosehill Yes Alice
2017 Flames Yes Yes Yes Herself co-directed with Zefrey Throwell
2018 Madeline's Madeline Yes Yes
2020 Shirley Yes
2020 Once Upon a River Yes Joanna Murray
2022 The Sky Is Everywhere Yes Yes
2026 Chasing Summer Yes

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
2018 Room 104 Director, writer, and actor Season 2, episode 7, "The Man and the Baby and the Man"
2020 Dare Me Director Season 1, episode 6, "Code Red"

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Josephine Decker

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from Grokipedia
Josephine Decker (born April 2, 1981) is an American actress, filmmaker, and performance artist recognized for her work in independent cinema, where she has directed experimental psychological dramas including Thou Wast Mild and Lovely (2014), Butter on the Latch (2013), (2018), and Shirley (2020). Her directorial style frequently incorporates , devised processes, and themes of emotional intensity, artistic creation, and interpersonal dynamics, drawing from her background in and acting in films by directors like . Decker's films have garnered critical attention for innovative approaches to narrative and character, with earning praise for featuring a standout by newcomer and nominations including for Best Feature and Breakthrough Actor, as well as Sundance recognition. Shirley, starring as author , received Sundance auteur filmmaking honors but faced critique for its fictionalized portrayal diverging from biographical accuracy. While Decker has acted in supporting roles across indie projects, her primary impact lies in directing, with works emphasizing raw, process-driven storytelling over conventional scripting.

Early life and education

Upbringing and family background

Josephine Decker was born on April 2, 1981, in , , . Following her birth, her family relocated to , where she spent her formative years. In Texas, Decker grew up immersed in a Christian environment, practicing the faith amid church-influenced routines typical of the region's cultural landscape. Her parents, described as relatively liberal, nonetheless fostered a home dynamic marked by repression around discussions of sexuality during her childhood. Public details on her family's ethnic or professional background remain sparse, with Decker's accounts emphasizing the shift from a brief origin to Texas-rooted influences as key to her early worldview.

Academic and formative experiences

Decker enrolled at in 1999 and graduated in 2003 with an A.B. in . Her coursework included studies in , which exposed her to magical realism and informed the stylistic blending of documentary and fictional elements in her subsequent filmmaking. During her undergraduate years, Decker participated in theater activities, notably through a seven-week residency by the Pig Iron Theatre Company at Princeton in 2003, where she trained in devised theater methods emphasizing ensemble improvisation and physical performance inspired by Jacques Lecoq's techniques. This experience cultivated her interest in experimental , bridging literary analysis with embodied storytelling. Following graduation, Decker's formative pursuits extended to early indie film experimentation, including the production of her debut Naked Princeton in , which drew directly from her university milieu and marked an initial foray into visual narrative without formal professional commitments. These activities laid groundwork for integrating interdisciplinary influences from her academic background into nascent artistic endeavors.

Professional career

Acting beginnings

Decker entered the acting scene through the movement, a style of independent filmmaking emphasizing low-budget productions, improvisational dialogue, and intimate character studies of everyday relationships, primarily in the late 2000s and early 2010s New York indie circuit. Her early roles featured naturalistic performances in ensemble-driven narratives, often shot with minimal crews and relying on actors' input for authenticity. She established key collaborations with director , a central figure in known for films like and , appearing in at least two of his features released in 2011: and . In , a semi-autobiographical story of a lonely navigating fleeting connections, Decker portrayed a potential romantic interest, contributing to the film's raw, dialogue-heavy depiction of millennial awkwardness during its premiere at in March 2011. Art History similarly showcased her in a tense ensemble dynamic involving creative egos and infidelity, with Swanberg directing and co-starring, highlighting the improvisational ethos where scripts served as loose guides. These roles, produced on budgets under $20,000, exemplified 's DIY approach, fostering Decker's reputation among festival audiences for subtle, introspective work rather than polished commercial appeal. Beyond Swanberg, Decker took on parts in other low-budget indie projects pre-2013, such as Onur Tukel's Richard's Wedding (2009), a comedic ensemble piece about pre-wedding tensions shot in a single day, and supporting roles in shorts like Saturday Morning Mystery, which premiered in niche festival slots. These credits, totaling fewer than a dozen verifiable features and shorts by 2012, confined her visibility to arthouse circuits like Tribeca and Rotterdam, with no mainstream theatrical releases or wide distribution, underscoring a career trajectory rooted in experimental, character-focused cinema over box-office metrics. Her performances garnered modest critical notice in indie press for embodying unadorned emotional realism, yet lacked broader exposure, as evidenced by the films' aggregate festival screenings numbering under 20 annually and minimal streaming availability at the time.

Transition to directing

Decker's transition from acting in independent films to directing began with her self-directed feature debut, Butter on the Latch (2013), an improvised shot with a minimal consisting primarily of the director, a , and a sound operator. Drawing from her prior experience in experimental documentaries and short films, Decker adopted a hands-on, experiential approach to , handling editing herself to craft a surrealistic tone emphasizing psychological dislocation. This pivot reflected a deliberate rejection of conventional industry pipelines, prioritizing involvement over structured Hollywood production models to maintain creative autonomy amid resource constraints. Filming for Butter on the Latch occurred at a Balkan camp in , leveraging non-professional settings and to explore themes of isolation and fractured identity, underscoring the risks of micro-budget experimentation where financial limitations necessitated innovative, low-overhead methods. Decker's production timeline overlapped with her next project, as she continued editing Butter while entering on Thou Wast Mild and Lovely in 2012, demonstrating a bootstrapped that relied on personal momentum rather than external financing timelines. Her follow-up feature, Thou Wast Mild and Lovely (2014), further exemplified this independent ethos, with Decker writing the script during a residency and shooting on a Canon 5D camera using handheld techniques to heighten psychosexual tension around desire and power dynamics on a farm. Funding combined personal savings, contributions from friends and family, and a campaign that supported , enabling completion without reliance on studio backing despite extended editing phases totaling over four months. Both films premiered at the Berlinale Forum in 2014—Butter on the Latch following an earlier screening at the Maryland Film Festival—validating her model's viability through festival circuit recognition, where directorial control over narrative experimentation yielded critical attention absent traditional distribution hurdles.

Major directorial projects

Decker's breakthrough narrative feature, (2018), centers on a young actress's immersion in an experimental theater troupe, examining dynamics of artistic guidance and personal boundaries, with in her screen debut as the protagonist. The film held its world premiere in the NEXT section of the on January 22. It garnered an 88% Tomatometer score on from 126 critic reviews. Oscilloscope Laboratories handled U.S. distribution following the festival, with a limited theatrical rollout that included $20,225 in three-day grosses from its New York playdate. Her subsequent project, Shirley (2020), portrays a period of tension in horror writer Shirley Jackson's life amid creative blocks and interpersonal conflicts, led by in the title role alongside and . The film premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the on January 25. It received the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Auteur Filmmaking at the festival. Neon acquired North American rights post-premiere, but restrictions postponed wider theatrical plans, leading to a Hulu streaming debut on June 5, 2020. Marking a pivot to mainstream streaming, (2022) adapts Jandy Nelson's 2010 about a high school musician processing her sister's sudden death through budding relationships and self-discovery, starring , , and . Produced for Apple TV+, the film launched exclusively on the platform on February 11, 2022. It achieved a 66% Tomatometer score on from 58 reviews, reflecting its direct-to-streaming model without traditional box office earnings.

Recent and upcoming works

In August 2025, Decker announced her directorial return with a biopic chronicling the early life and rise to stardom of Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, who died in 2023 at age 56. The project, scripted by Stacey Gregg, is being developed by Irish production company ie: entertainment—behind the 2022 documentary Nothing Compares—in collaboration with See-Saw Films, known for series like Slow Horses. This marks Decker's first feature since The Sky Is Everywhere in 2022, following a three-year gap in major releases. During a 2025 fellowship at MacDowell, Decker progressed an original feature screenplay titled and finalized drafts of two adaptations. Through her , Third Room Productions—established in 2005—Decker has continued exploratory work, though no additional feature releases or theatrical shorts were confirmed between 2023 and mid-2025. No production timelines or casting details for the O'Connor biopic have been disclosed as of October 2025, aligning with Decker's pattern of biographical filmmaking seen in Shirley (2020).

Artistic style and influences

Cinematic and literary inspirations

Decker's cinematic influences draw from filmmakers known for poetic naturalism and visceral intensity, shaping her experimental approach to visuals and narrative fragmentation. Terrence Malick's (1978) particularly impacted her editing style, as introduced by a collaborator during on an early project, emphasizing lyrical landscapes and elliptical that echo in her own works' fluid temporal structures. Similarly, ' (2007) informed her interest in contemplative pacing and intimate human dramas set against stark environments, contributing to the dreamlike realism in films like Thou Wast Mild and Lovely (2016). Lars von Trier's (2009) has been cited as a reference for exploring raw psychological turmoil and bodily horror, aligning with Decker's depictions of desire and fear without conventional resolution. Literary sources further ground her emphasis on emotional depth and surreal undercurrents, often blending factual with heightened . John Steinbeck's East of Eden (1952) stands out as a profound influence, with Decker describing it as the greatest novel and drawing from its themes of familial conflict and moral ambiguity in character-driven narratives. Her academic focus on Latin American magical realism during undergraduate studies at Princeton manifests in her films' fusion of documentary verité and fantastical elements, prioritizing causal emotional realism over strict linearity. Specific adaptations, such as Jandy Nelson's young adult novel (2010) for her 2022 film, reflect influences from introspective prose that capture grief's nonlinear progression, while Haruki Murakami's (1994–1995) inspired isolated scenes of uncanny in Thou Wast Mild and Lovely. These elements collectively foster her style's commitment to unfiltered human causality, evident in visuals that prioritize sensory immediacy over polished exposition.

Philosophical and personal drivers

Decker has articulated her filmmaking as driven by an urge to express ineffable inner experiences through sensory and playful means, emphasizing haptic encounters that prioritize tactile immersion over visual detachment. In a 2014 , she described play as "where ideas come from, and it is also how adults find their way home," positioning it as a core mechanism for and reconnecting with suppressed aspects of the . This approach stems from personal repression encountered in her upbringing, where serves to process , fear, and trauma without resolution into neat narratives. Her ethos extends to portraying feminine complexity, rejecting simplistic stereotypes in favor of women as multifaceted leaders navigating desire, isolation, and societal taboos. Decker draws from lived encounters and readings, such as John Steinbeck's East of Eden, which she has called "the best book ever written" for its depth in human motivation, influencing her aversion to formulaic storytelling. Interactions with collaborators like reinforced a pragmatic rejection of high-production barriers, encapsulated in his advice to "just MAKE shit," underscoring how personal relationships shape her iterative, experience-driven process over preconceived structures. While Decker's artistic pursuits reflect these drivers, she has expressed parallel aspirations for roles as an earth activist, , or , indicating unfulfilled ideals oriented toward direct societal engagement or introspection. In practice, however, her career has channeled such impulses into independent filmmaking's constraints, where low budgets and collaborative —rather than monastic withdrawal or journalistic reporting—provide the feasible outlet for exploring human depths, highlighting the tension between aspirational breadth and medium-specific realities.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Decker had a romantic relationship with performance artist Zefrey Throwell beginning in 2012, which the pair documented extensively in the Flames (2017), chronicling its progression from initial passion to dissolution after eight months, though filming extended over five years to capture post-breakup reflections. She resides in with her partner, filmmaker Vitthal, and their daughter, born circa December 2019. No public records indicate . Decker has referenced her experiences of and early motherhood in subsequent creative projects, including a 2022 immersive theater piece with Pig Iron Theatre Company that incorporated dream-like explorations of prenatal fears and decisions. This period coincided with a measured pace in her directorial output, following (2022), though she has not publicly attributed career pauses explicitly to family responsibilities.

Beliefs and worldview

Decker was raised practicing in , fostering a strong early commitment to the faith that influenced her worldview. During college, however, she encountered disillusionment, realizing what she perceived as deceptions in religious teachings on moral authority, such as simplistic judgments on non-Christians like the notion that are destined for —a view she began questioning in high school. Despite this, she remained self-identified as Christian and engaged in church activities, including serving on the of in New York, an Episcopal parish emphasizing and community governance. Around 2012, she began practicing , which she had maintained for at least six years by 2018, while continuing to attend Christian church services sporadically. This blend reflects an evolving spirituality integrating contemplative Eastern practices with residual Western Christian elements, rather than a complete abandonment of her upbringing. Decker identifies as a feminist, expressing particular concern over conventional portrayals of and advocating for depictions that capture their messy, subversive actions and unique sexual experiences. Her three-year involvement co-directing the 2008 documentary Bi the Way, which examined bisexuality's fluidity in American culture, underscores her engagement with and sexuality . Yet her views diverge from rigid anti-objectification stances prevalent in some feminist ; she has dismissed claims that objectifying women inherently disempowers them, arguing instead that such dynamics can constitute part of female empowerment and bodily agency. This nuance, informed by her religious background's emphasis on human complexity, contrasts with the more uniform secular critiques often amplified in circles, where diverse ideological inputs like faith-based perspectives on innate drives may be underrepresented. Regarding , Decker has voiced aspirations to pursue full-time earth , alongside interests in or monastic life, and participated in eco-focused early in her career. In a 2015 speech at the Human Impacts Institute's Creative Climate Awards, she addressed climate change's effects on oceans and species vulnerability. However, her outputs prioritize filmmaking over organized , channeling such concerns into creative expression rather than sustained advocacy campaigns, as evidenced by the absence of ongoing environmental organizing in her documented activities.

Reception and analysis

Critical praise and achievements

Decker's film (2018) premiered at the , where it received acclaim for its experimental approach to exploring , race, and artistic boundaries through improvised performances. The film holds an 88% approval rating from critics on , based on 126 reviews, with praise centered on its innovative, collaborative storytelling and the breakout performance of newcomer as the titular protagonist. New Yorker critic lauded Howard's role as one of the most distinctive and extreme teen performances in film history, attributing its intensity to Decker's direction that amplifies emotional extremes via agile imagery and . Her subsequent feature Shirley (2020), a biopic of author starring , earned the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Auteur Filmmaking at the , recognizing Decker's distinctive visionary style in blending with . Critics highlighted Decker's ability to heighten dramatic tension through intricate soundtracks and character invention, with Brody describing the film as a "furious " that magnifies the interplay between Jackson's life and art without detracting from the performers. This award underscored her growing reputation in independent cinema for auteur-driven narratives that prioritize emotional invention over conventional realism. Decker's direction in The Sky Is Everywhere (2022), an adaptation of Jandy Nelson's YA novel, further demonstrated her skill in merging conventional with ecstatic, visionary elements, earning praise for revealing deeper emotional layers through whimsical and pained character dynamics. Her body of work has been noted for redefining indie filmmaking limits, with calling Madeline's Madeline a "mind-scrambling " that pushes storytelling boundaries via collaborative, instinct-driven processes. These achievements signal Decker's viability in bridging experimental indie projects toward broader platforms, including streaming distribution for Shirley via , while maintaining a focus on empowerment and thematic depth.

Criticisms and debates

Decker's early feature films, including Butter on the Latch (2013) and Thou Wast Mild and Lovely (2014), drew criticism for their opacity and preference for stylistic whimsy over accessible realism, often leaving audiences disconnected from character motivations and plot progression. A Variety review of Butter on the Latch at the highlighted the film's improvised dialogue as problematic, arguing it withholds crucial information needed for emotional engagement, attributing this to Decker's relative inexperience in crafting intuitive narratives. Similarly, Thou Wast Mild and Lovely was deemed inconsistent and frustrating despite its intriguing elements, with reviewers noting an overreliance on arty preciousness that prioritized atmospheric invention over coherent storytelling. In (2018), debates emerged regarding the portrayal of exploitative dynamics in art-therapy relationships between a vulnerable Black teenage protagonist and her white female director-mentor, raising questions about power imbalances and the authenticity of feminist critiques from a white indie filmmaker's perspective. While the film positions itself as a self-examination of well-meaning white women's influence—inviting the real-life performer into improvisational vulnerability—some analyses contend this risks blurring boundaries between artistic exploration and real exploitation, potentially undermining claims to empathetic realism. Other reviews labeled the work pretentious, arguing its ambitious thematic layering fails to cohere into a convincing whole, prioritizing hazy over substantive narrative resolution. Broader detractors have pointed to a navel-gazing tendency in Decker's introspective indie , evidenced by the niche reception and limited commercial traction of her projects, which suggest constraints in transcending specialized audiences rather than achieving wider causal resonance with everyday experiences. This pattern, seen in mixed-to-negative responses to later efforts like The Sky Is Everywhere (2022), underscores debates over whether her sensory, autobiographical-driven style fosters universal insight or remains mired in solipsistic experimentation.

Broader impact

Decker's contributions to independent cinema lie primarily in advancing experimental forms that prioritize sensory and psychological immersion over conventional structures, influencing a subset of filmmakers focused on intimate, tactile explorations of . Her emphasis on collaborative, low-budget processes—rooted in digital tools and improvisational techniques—has encouraged peers to experiment with non-linear and haptic visuals, as seen in her integration of elements into to heighten immediacy and unease. This approach has resonated within post-mumblecore circles, where she transitioned from in improvisational works to directing features that blend folkloric motifs with , subtly shifting indie aesthetics toward greater formal risk-taking among emerging female voices. Recognition such as Filmmaker Magazine's inclusion of Decker among the 25 of in 2017 underscores her role in elevating female-directed projects that challenge viewer expectations of coherence and resolution, fostering discussions on embodiment and desire in arthouse contexts. Yet, tangible emulation remains sparse, with her influence more evident in niche festivals and academic analyses than in widespread stylistic adoptions or commercial successes. Critically, Decker's net impact is constrained by her aversion to mainstream accessibility, resulting in works that prioritize esoteric intensity over broad appeal; this has limited causal ripple effects beyond indie enthusiasts, where hyperbolic claims of "bringing danger back" often outpace substantive shifts in the field. Her output, while innovative, has not precipitated measurable waves of similar experimental biopics or dramas in young adult genres, nor prompted systemic changes in indie funding or distribution, highlighting a disconnect between critical acclaim and cultural permeation.

Filmography

Directed feature films

Decker's directorial debut, Butter on the Latch (2013), is an experimental exploring themes of female friendship and obsession at a camp, with a runtime of 70 minutes and produced on a micro-budget by Third Room Productions. Her follow-up, Thou Wast Mild and Lovely (2014), an experimental set on a rural involving intergenerational tensions and desire, runs 94 minutes and maintained a low-budget indie scale akin to her first film. Madeline's Madeline (2018), a about a teenager's immersion in an theater troupe, has a 93-minute runtime and featured expanded production through Forager Film Company and Entertainment, premiering at Sundance. In Shirley (2020), a biographical fictionalizing Shirley Jackson's life and creative process, Decker directed a 107-minute with higher-profile and backing, including a script adapted from Susan Scarf Merrell's novel. Her most recent completed feature, (2022), adapts Jandy Nelson's young adult novel into a 103-minute coming-of-age drama about grief and romance, produced with Apple Original Films support for theatrical and streaming release. As of August 2025, Decker is set to direct an untitled biopic on O'Connor's early life and rise to fame, scripted by Stacey Gregg and produced by , marking a shift toward mainstream biographical projects with international producers.

Acting credits

Decker's acting credits are predominantly in independent and experimental films, often featuring ensemble casts and improvised dialogue in the style, with a focus on supporting roles rather than leads. Her early work includes collaborations with director , beginning with Uncle Kent (2011), where she played Kate, a in the story of a cartoonist's weekend escapades. She followed with Art History (2011), portraying Juliette opposite Swanberg in a film exploring tensions on a low-budget shoot. Subsequent roles emphasized her versatility in intimate, character-driven indie projects. In Black Box (2013), she appeared as Holly, contributing to the film's examination of personal relationships. Decker took on the role of Alice in Rosehill (2015), a drama about grief and family dynamics following disturbing news. Later credits include Carolina Monnerat in the short Tormenting the Hen (2017), a tense ensemble piece. She starred as the lead in Flames (2017), an experimental romance co-directed with Zefrey Throwell, playing a character intertwined in a nonlinear love story. In Assassination Nation (2018), Decker had a supporting role as one of the quippy friends in the satirical thriller about a modern witch hunt. Her film acting tapered after transitioning to directing, with a notable appearance as Kenadi DelaCerna in Once Upon a River (2019), a mystery set along the Ohio River.
YearTitleRole
2011Kate
2011Juliette
2013Holly
2015RosehillAlice
2017Tormenting the HenCarolina Monnerat
2017FlamesJosephine
2018Supporting friend
2019Once Upon a RiverKenadi DelaCerna
These roles, drawn from IMDb records, highlight Decker's contributions to over a dozen indie features and shorts before her directing prominence, often in low-budget productions emphasizing raw emotional performances without mainstream commercial appeal.

Television and other appearances

Decker's acting appearances on television are sparse, reflecting her primary focus on independent cinema. Her notable credit is in the HBO anthology series Room 104, where she portrayed Rosie in the season 2 episode "The Man and the Baby and the Man," aired on November 30, 2018; the role depicts a woman navigating an intimate, video-recorded encounter aimed at conception with her partner. Beyond scripted television, Decker has appeared in short-form media, including the role of Sarah in the 2017 short film Tormenting the Hen, a tense drama involving interpersonal conflict on a rural farm. She has also engaged in performance art, incorporating elements of live storytelling, physical expression, and multimedia to explore personal and relational themes, as part of her broader artistic practice that extends beyond conventional screen acting. No web series or additional episodic television roles are documented in available credits.

References

  1. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1033654-josephine-decker
  2. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2528451/
  3. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/08/josephine-decker-is-bringing-danger-back-to-independent-filmmaking
  4. https://www.tribecafilm.com/news/josephine-decker-interview
  5. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/madelines-madeline-reviewed-josephine-deckers-new-film-features-one-of-the-great-teen-performances-in-film-history
  6. https://tisch.nyu.edu/first-run-film-festival/filmmakers-2024/filmmakers-t---y.html
  7. https://www.kinoafisha.info/en/person/8369675/awards/
  8. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2020-06-12/the-problem-with-shirley
  9. https://nofilmschool.com/2018/02/josephine-decker-madelines-madeline-interview-sundance-berlinale
  10. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/pay-attention-to-josephine-decker
  11. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2528451/bio/
  12. https://www.fandango.com/people/josephine-decker-161000/biography
  13. https://bombmagazine.org/articles/2018/08/10/cinema-as-sacred-space-josephine-decker-interviewed/
  14. https://www.anothermag.com/design-living/10565/the-film-documenting-a-real-relationship-beginning-to-end
  15. https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-decker-988b9517
  16. https://www.dmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/2018/08/why-making-madelines-madeline-was-cathartic-for-a-highland-park-grad/
  17. https://sheroars.princeton.edu/speaker/josephine-decker-03/
  18. https://musicboxtheatre.com/series-and-festivals/life-becomes-theater-becomes-life-an-interview-with-madelines-madeline-writer
  19. https://paw.princeton.edu/article/josephine-decker-03-rising-indie-filmmaker
  20. https://www.vulture.com/article/josephine-decker-shirley-profile.html
  21. https://www.sheilaomalley.com/?p=168774
  22. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1912993/
  23. https://indiefilmhustle.com/joe-swanberg/
  24. https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/joe-swanberg-vhs
  25. https://www.splittoothmedia.com/josephine-decker/
  26. https://filmmakermagazine.com/84371-berlinale-2014-josephine-decker-on-thou-wast-mild-and-lovely-and-butter-on-the-latch/
  27. https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/josephine-decker-on-butter-on-the-latch-and-thou-wast-mild-and-lovely
  28. https://deadline.com/2018/03/madelines-madeline-movie-releases-josephine-baker-oscilloscope-1202308167/
  29. https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2018/02/12/josephine-decker-turns-filmmaking-process-head
  30. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/madelines_madeline
  31. https://deadline.com/2018/08/madelines-madeline-from-oscilloscope-magnolias-skate-kitchen-bow-strong-in-exclusive-runs-specialty-box-office-1202444271/
  32. https://variety.com/2020/film/news/parasite-neon-elisabeth-moss-shirley-1203485845/
  33. https://www.macdowell.org/artists/josephine-decker
  34. https://www.sundance.org/blogs/now-streaming-elisabeth-moss-goes-to-extremes-in-horror-author-psychodrama-shirley-3/
  35. https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/the-sky-is-everywhere/
  36. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_sky_is_everywhere
  37. https://variety.com/2025/film/global/sinead-oconnor-biopic-in-works-see-saw-films-1236488752/
  38. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sinead-oconnor-biopic-1235407544/
  39. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/aug/14/sinead-oconnor-biopic-in-the-works-produced-by-company-behind-slow-horses
  40. https://theplaylist.net/josephine-deckers-next-film-is-a-sinead-oconnor-biopic-20250814/
  41. https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/josephine-decker-films-books-people-influenced-me
  42. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/josephine_decker
  43. https://www.josephinedecker.com/about
  44. https://www.slashfilm.com/762906/josephine-decker-on-the-sky-is-everywhere-grief-and-her-all-time-favorite-movie-interview/
  45. https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2014/feature-articles/uncanny-haptic-encounters-and-the-importance-of-play-an-interview-with-josephine-decker-filmmaker/
  46. https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/speakers/441484/Josephine-Decker
  47. https://deadline.com/2017/04/flames-tribeca-film-festival-josephine-decker-zefrey-throwell-interview-news-1202073664/
  48. https://www.ssense.com/en-nz/editorial/culture/loose-free-rhapsody-meet-filmmaker-josephine-decker
  49. https://www.pewcenterarts.org/post/director-josephine-decker-translating-experience-pregnancy-performance
  50. https://www.broadstreetreview.com/reviews/philly-fringe-2022-josephine-decker-and-pig-iron-theatre-company-present-the-path-of-pins-or-the-path-of-needles
  51. https://theplaylist.net/josephine-decker-interview-the-sky-is-everywhere-20220215/
  52. https://www.facebook.com/josephinedecker/
  53. https://msmagazine.com/2016/04/28/the-artist-and-her-work-a-conversation-with-feminist-filmmaker-josephine-decker/
  54. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM3DBXByUpY
  55. https://www.sundance.org/blogs/2020-sundance-film-festival-awards-announced-3/
  56. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/shirley-reviewed-josephine-deckers-furious-melodrama-of-shirley-jacksons-life-and-art
  57. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/in-the-sky-is-everywhere-a-conventional-melodrama-meets-a-visionary-director
  58. https://www.sleek-mag.com/article/josephine-decker-madelines-madeline/
  59. https://variety.com/2020/film/news/josephine-decker-pumping-sundance-1203487166/
  60. https://variety.com/2014/film/markets-festivals/berlin-film-review-butter-on-the-latch-1201095361/
  61. https://theplaylist.net/berlin-review-josephine-deckers-thou-wast-mild-and-lovely-both-fascinating-and-frustrating-20140211/
  62. https://theplaylist.net/review-josephine-deckers-thou-wast-mild-and-lovely-butter-on-the-latch-20141114/
  63. https://www.anothergaze.com/well-meaning-white-women-josephine-deckers-madelines-madeline/
  64. https://medium.com/incluvie/madelines-madeline-and-the-exploitation-of-actresses-e1cf689ad43b
  65. https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/review-madelines-madeline-is-too-pretentious-ambitions-to-fully-work
  66. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/movies/madelines-madeline-review-helena-howard.html
  67. https://mubi.com/en/notebook/posts/to-think-with-hands-the-cinema-of-josephine-decker
  68. https://www.mubi.com/en/notebook/posts/new-voices-an-interview-with-josephine-decker
  69. https://inreviewonline.com/2022/02/11/the-sky-is-everywhere/
  70. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thou_wast_mild_and_lovely
  71. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/03/movies/shirley-review.html
  72. https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/the-sky-is-everywhere-review-1235174921/
  73. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1787831/
  74. https://www.fandango.com/people/josephine-decker-161000/film-credits
  75. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2991330/
  76. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5791216/
  77. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8448488/
  78. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/josephine-decker/credits/3030314067/
  79. https://www.josephinedecker.com/performanceart
  80. https://www.criterion.com/current/top-10-lists/374-josephine-decker-s-top-10
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