Next came American Wrestler: The Wizard, which follows a 17-year-old Iranian refugee who becomes the high school wrestling champion against adversity during the Iran hostage crisis of 1980.
In this period piece, Ranarivelo directed Jon Voight, William Fichtner and discovered newcomers George Kosturos and Lia Marie Johnson.
In October 2015, Ranarivelo directed Jane Seymour and Paul Rodriguez in Pray for Rain, a murder mystery set against the backdrop of the Central California drought.
A young girl begins to investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding her father's death and discovers that the idyllic farm community of her youth has been replaced by crime and desperation.
Ranarivelo also directed The Ride, about a troubled boy from a Neo-Nazi family who is sent to a juvenile detention center after stabbing his dad and ends up being fostered by an interracial couple.