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Adam Bernstein

Adam Bernstein

Director, also producer and writer · Born May 7, 1960 (66) · Princeton, New Jersey, USA

Primetime Emmy winner · 2 other major award bodies

Adam Bernstein (born May 7, 1960) is an American film and television director. For his work on the television series Fargo, he was nominated for the 2014 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special. In 2007, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for his work on 30 Rock. Description above from the Wikipedia article Adam Bernstein, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 7, 1960 (66)
From
Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Works as
Director, also producer and writer
Titles
48 on MovieCove · 62 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 31% in 30 days

What are Adam Bernstein's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
29%
Bonds
27%
Survival
20%
Morality
14%
Society
6%
Power
3%
Family bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 2

Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 1 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 0 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 1 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Absurd
6
Tense
5
Dread
2
Warm
3
Joyful
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Adam Bernstein's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 39 of their 48 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Adam Bernstein's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

62 credits, 48 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Big Mistakes(2026)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • Pluribus(2025)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Hotel Costiera(2025)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • Before(2024)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all shows

  • Sugar(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows

  • Silo(2023)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • City on a Hill(2019)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Fosse/Verdon(2019)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Weird City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

  • Sweetbitter(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • The Sinner(2017)

    Show 16 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Mist(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Doubt(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all shows

  • Divorce(2016)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Outsiders(2016)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Billions(2016)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Sneaky Pete(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The Brink (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Bloodline(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Better Call Saul(2015)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Fargo(2014)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Masters of Sex(2013)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Orange Is the New Black(2013)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Alpha House(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Smash(2012)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • House of Lies(2012)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • A Gifted Man(2011)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • Shameless(2011)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Running Wilde(2010)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • The Big C(2010)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Mercy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Bored to Death(2009)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Nurse Jackie(2009)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • United States of Tara(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Breaking Bad(2008)

    Show 8 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Worst Week(2008)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Californication(2007)

    Show 12 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Law Dogs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • 30 Rock(2006)

    Show 12 episodes · Director · Supervising Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Bedford Diaries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • Beastie Boys Solid Gold Hits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Weeds(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Rescue Me(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Entourage(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Bad Apple(2004)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Leap of Faith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Scrubs(2001)

    Show 12 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent(2001)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Bruce Springsteen: The Complete Video Anthology 1978-2000 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • The Job (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • Beastie Boys: Video Anthology (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director

  • Ed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

  • The Beat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Action(1999)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Six Ways to Sunday(1997)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Direct from Brooklyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • Oz(1997)

    Show 9 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • It's Pat: The Movie(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Homicide: Life on the Street(1993)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Doll Day Afternoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Editor

Career shape

A full career of 61 titles from 1987 to 2026.

Biggest box office

It's Pat: The Movie (1994)

$61K worldwide

Highest rated

Worst Week (2008)

Midcredits 67th

Most popular right now

The Mist (2017)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing60 of 61: 55 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdWriting1 of 61: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing5 of 61: 0 only producing, 5 with another roleEditing1 of 61: 1 only editing, 0 with another role

61 titles, 5 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s8 · crew2000s22 · crew2010s24 · crew2020s6 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

a Primetime Emmy and 1 other major award from 4 major nominations, 2007–2015.

WinNomination
  1. 2015
    • Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television
  2. 2014
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
  3. 2007
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Adam Bernstein's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 18th percentile, the median of all 3; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 19th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

19thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Approval · how many liked their films

21stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Midcredits score across 48 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up31
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

26 of their 48 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved14
  • Crowd Pleaser26
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · director

It's Pat: The Movie (1994)

85th percentile spread · 70% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Better Call Saul (2015)

Midcredits 99th · 96% liked

Reviewers score the pacing 35/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 47, detractors 22. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Adam Bernstein's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Profanity3 titlesmedian 58 · moderateMedian of all films: 36

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Adam Bernstein work with?

People who share at least 2 of Adam Bernstein's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Fortenberry shares the most, 2.

Directors

Composers

Mixed roles