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Greg Mottola

Greg Mottola

Director, producer and writer · Born July 11, 1964 (62) · Dix Hills, Long Island, New York, USA

Cannes award nominee · Directors Guild Award nominee · Independent Spirit Award nominee

Gregory J. Mottola (born July 11, 1964) is an American film director, screenwriter and television director. Description above from the Wikipedia article Greg Mottola, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 11, 1964 (62)
From
Dix Hills, Long Island, New York, USA
Works as
Director, producer and writer
Titles
19 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 157 days to Oct 28Down 4% in 30 days

What are Greg Mottola's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
45%
Self
39%
Morality
12%
Power
3%
Family bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 7 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

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

Grounded 5 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 5

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 7 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
6
Warm
5
Absurd
3
Bittersweet
3
Tense
2
Other
12

How their films linger

Feel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous3

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 Greg Mottola's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Greg Mottola'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, 19 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Not Suitable for Work(2026)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • The Miniature Wife(2026)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • Nobody Wants This(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Command Z (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 8 episodes · Producer

  • Confess, Fletch(2022)

    Director · Executive Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Peacemaker(2022)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Dave(2020)

    Show 30 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Dangerous Book for Boys(2018)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • Keeping Up with the Joneses(2016)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Clear History(2013)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Newsroom(2012)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Paul(2011)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Scott Pilgrim vs. the World(2010)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Adventureland(2009)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Superbad(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Comeback(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Cracking Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Arrested Development(2003)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Big Wide World of Carl Laemke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Hollywood Ending(2002)

    as Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Undeclared (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · as Young Professor

  • Celebrity(1998)

    as Director

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Daytrippers(1996)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Loser: The Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Cheese Eater

  • Dr. Ded Bug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as "Harvey" the Cockroach (voice)

  • Haunted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Production Assistant

  • Swingin' in the Painter's Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Set Designer · Writer

  • The Hatbox (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor

  • The Rockford Files (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Executive Producer

  • Untitled Bane and Deathstroke Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles, 28 of them dated from 1985 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Superbad (2007)

$170M worldwide

Highest rated

Superbad (2007)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Nobody Wants This (2024)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting5 of 30: 4 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting23 of 30: 11 only directing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score76thWriting5 of 30: 0 only writing, 5 with another roleProducing9 of 30: 1 only producing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score52ndCinematography1 of 30: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleEditing2 of 30: 0 only editing, 2 with another roleOther crew4 of 30: 2 only other crew, 2 with another role

30 titles, 12 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 8 of them.

By decade

1980s4 · 1 acting · 3 crew1990s3 · 2 acting · 1 crew2000s8 · 2 acting · 7 crew2010s6 · crew2020s7 · 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, 1996–2019.

  1. 2019
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs
  2. 2013
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series
  3. 2010
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Screenplay
  4. 1996
    • Cannes award, nominated

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 Greg Mottola's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · director, writer, producer

The Dangerous Book for Boys (2018)

75th percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

The Newsroom (2012)

Midcredits 98th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 65/100 and the pacing 56/100 in their films, across 7 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 Greg Mottola's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity and alcohol & drugs run heavier than most films and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles17–46 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles25–46 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles44–87 · median 70 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles30–77 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles8–29 · median 19 · mildlighter 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 Greg Mottola work with?

People who share at least 2 of Greg Mottola's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bill Hader shares the most, 4.

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors