Jeff Baena, a screenwriter and director whose credits include the offbeat comedies “The Little Hours” and “Life After Beth,” has died. He was 47.
A spokesperson for Baena confirmed his death. His body was discovered on Friday at a Los Angeles residence, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. A cause of death was not immediately available.
Baena was the husband of Aubrey Plaza, who starred in his films “The Little Hours,” a 2017 black comedy set in a 14th century convent, and “Life After Beth,” a zombie satire. “The Little Hours” was loosely inspired by “The Decameron,” as well as Baena’s college coursework in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. Critics praised the film’s modern sensibility and irreverence, while reviewers also lauded “Life After Beth” for its idiosyncratic, often hilarious, take on a well-worn horror genre.
Baena’s other directing credits include 2022’s “Spin Me Round,” a dark comedy that stars Allison Brie, who co-wrote the script, as well as “Joshy,” a dramedy with Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, and Nick Kroll. Brie and Baena also collaborated on “Horse Girl,” a 2020 psychological drama.
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In addition to his directing work, Baena co-wrote “I Heart Huckabees,” a 2004 David O. Russell film that examined existentialism with humor. Baena’s films were showcased at prominent festivals such as Sundance and South by Southwest, and were released by distributors such as Netflix, IFC, and Lionsgate.
For television, Baena created, wrote, directed and produced “Cinema Toast” for Showtime.
Baena graduated from film school at NYU. He started out as a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis. He then worked an assistant editor for Russell before the two men began a writing partnership.
Baena is survived by Plaza, as well as his mother Barbara Stern, stepfather Roger Stern, father Scott Baena and stepmother Michele Baena. Other survivors include his brother Brad Baena and stepsister and stepbrother Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.