[4] He is best known for writing and directing the films Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines and The Light Between Oceans as well as the HBO miniseries I Know This Much Is True.

At 23, he wrote, directed, and edited his first feature film, Brother Tied, which premiered and was awarded at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg and was well received at festivals including Sundance.

The film tells the story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife who rescue and adopt an infant girl adrift at sea.

[10] The project was developed for years with Cianfrance eventually passing the reigns over to his friend and The Place Beyond the Pines co-writer Darius Marder resulting in Sound of Metal (2019).

[14] In October 2021, he was set to write and direct Wolfman, replacing Leigh Whannell as director, along with screenwriters Rebecca Angelo and Lauren Shuker Blum.

[16] Cianfrance is also known for his TV documentary work, which includes portraits of musicians Sean Combs and Run DMC and the Battleground basketball series.