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Mike Barker

Mike Barker

Director and producer · Born November 29, 1965 (60) · England, UK

Primetime Emmy nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 1 other major award body

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mike Barker (born November 29, 1965) is a British film director. Description above from the Wikipedia article Mike Barker (film director), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 29, 1965 (60)
From
England, UK
Works as
Director and producer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 30 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 1% in 30 days

What are Mike Barker's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.

Genres

Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
24%
Survival
24%
Bonds
17%
Power
16%
Morality
9%
Ideas
6%
Society
4%
Trauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession3 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFate2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 0 · Intense 3

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 1 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 1 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Dread
6
Melancholic
7
Warm
1
Contemplative
1
Other
4

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous2

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 Mike Barker's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mike Barker'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

30 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Testaments(2026)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Malice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Luckiest Girl Alive(2022)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Sandman(2022)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Hit & Run(2021)

    Show 9 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • The Handmaid's Tale(2017)

    Show 13 episodes · Director · Co-Executive Producer · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Versailles(2015)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Z: The Beginning of Everything (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Outlander(2014)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Fargo(2014)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • The Smoke(2014)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • The Tunnel(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Rogue(2013)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Broadchurch(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Playhouse Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Moby Dick(2011)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Creator

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Sea Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Sea Wolf(2009)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows

  • Shattered(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • American Dad!(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · as Terry Bates (voice)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • A Good Woman(2004)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • To Kill a King(2003)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Lorna Doone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Lorna Doone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Best Laid Plans(1999)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The James Gang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director

  • The Tenant of Wildfell Hall(1996)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Silent Witness(1996)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Last American Freak Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director

  • The Living Soap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles from 1993 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Shattered (2007)

$7.7M worldwide

Highest rated

The Testaments (2026)

Midcredits 94th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 30: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting29 of 30: 24 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thProducing4 of 30: 0 only producing, 4 with another roleOther crew1 of 30: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

30 titles, 5 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1990s6 · crew2000s8 · 1 acting · 7 crew2010s11 · crew2020s5 · 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

4 major nominations and no wins, 2018–2020.

  1. 2020
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
  2. 2019
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best International Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
  3. 2018
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama 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 Mike Barker's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 5; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · director

Rogue (2013)

50th percentile spread · 12% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Fargo (2014)

Midcredits 99th · 96% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 64/100 and the pacing 45/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles. 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 Mike Barker's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 4 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 62 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles21–54 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 61 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 52 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Mike Barker work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mike Barker's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Richard G. Mitchell shares the most, 5.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers