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Sam Levinson

Sam Levinson

Producer, director, writer and actor · Born January 8, 1985 (41) · USA

Primetime Emmy nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 4 other major award bodies

Samuel Levinson (born January 8, 1985) is an American filmmaker and actor. He is the son of Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson. In 2010, he received his first writing credit as a co-writer for the action comedy film Operation Endgame. The following year, he made his directorial film debut with Another Happy Day (2011), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. He then received a writing credit on his father's HBO television film The Wizard of Lies (2017). He continued writing and directing feature films for Assassination Nation (2018) and Malcolm & Marie (2021).  In 2019, Levinson created the HBO teen drama series Euphoria, adapted from the Israeli series of the same name. The series is popular with audiences and received positive reviews from critics. In 2023, he created the HBO series The Idol, which was controversial and received negative reviews. Description above from the Wikipedia article Sam Levinson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 8, 1985 (41)
From
USA
Works as
Producer, director, writer and actor
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 25 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 156 days to Oct 27Down 42% in 30 days

What are Sam Levinson's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Comedy 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
27%
Morality
24%
Survival
22%
Bonds
10%
Society
10%
Power
7%
Survival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 2 · Dark 10

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 10

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

Steady 1 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 5

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

Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 2 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 2

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

Easy watch 2 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 11

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 8 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles
  • Allyas Peter Thompson in Stoic (2009)
  • Tricksteras Peter Thompson in Stoic (2009)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Dread
7
Melancholic
6
Thrilling
2
Absurd
2
Other
9

How their films linger

Unsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous5

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 Sam Levinson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sam Levinson'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

25 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Place to Be (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Executive Producer

  • Euphoria: A Look Back(2026)

    Director · as Self

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Megalopolis(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • MaXXXine(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Idol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • The Idol(2023)

    Show 5 episodes · Director · Composer · Creator · Executive Producer · Story · Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • The Weeknd - Double Fantasy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • Pearl(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Breaking(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Irma Vep(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Deep Water(2022)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • X(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Malcolm & Marie(2021)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Pieces of a Woman(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Bombshell(2019)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Euphoria(2019)

    Show 24 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Teleplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Assassination Nation(2018)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Wizard of Lies(2017)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Another Happy Day(2011)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Operation: Endgame(2010)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Stoic(2009)

    as Peter Thompson

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • What Just Happened(2008)

    as Carl

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Bandits(2001)

    as Billy Saunders

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Toys(1992)

    as War Room Player

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Hell Naw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 25 titles, 24 of them dated from 1992 to 2026.

Biggest box office

MaXXXine (2024)

$22M worldwide

Highest rated

Pearl (2022)

Midcredits 85th

Most popular right now

X (2022)

Film career

  • 1992Screen debut· Toys

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 25: 4 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting8 of 25: 2 only directing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score56thWriting8 of 25: 3 only writing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score46thProducing12 of 25: 8 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thMusic1 of 25: 0 only music, 1 with another roleOther crew4 of 25: 2 only other crew, 2 with another role

25 titles, 6 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s3 · acting2010s6 · crew2020s14 · 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

2 major awards from 9 major nominations, 2011–2023.

WinNomination
  1. 2023
    • Cannes award, nominated
    • Directors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series
  2. 2022
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
  3. 2021
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
  4. 2020
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · International
  5. 2018
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Long Form - Adaptation
  6. 2011
    • Sundance award, won
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic

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 Sam Levinson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 52nd percentile, the median of all 18; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 21 titles are Mixed.

  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · actor

Stoic (2009)

90th percentile spread · 40% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Pearl (2022)

Midcredits 85th · 71% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 66/100 and the pacing 38/100 in their films, across 12 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 Sam Levinson's work okay for kids?

Across up to 12 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore10 titles31–90 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity12 titles35–79 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity10 titles37–89 · median 78 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles40–74 · median 49 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense9 titles43–84 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian 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 Sam Levinson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sam Levinson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kevin Turen shares the most, 9.

Directors

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles