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Erik Poppe

Erik Poppe

Director, producer and writer · Born June 24, 1960 (66) · Oslo, Norway

Erik Poppe is a Norwegian film director, screenwriter and former cinematographer and press photographer. Poppe started his career as a photographer for the newspaper Verdens Gang. He graduated as a cinematographer at the Dramatiska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden in 1989, and had great success as a cinematographer for commercials. He was director of photography on Bent Hamer's film Eggs. His first feature film as director was Schpaaa in 1998, followed by Hawaii, Oslo in 2004. Poppe is co-owner of Paradox Films. Poppe is one of Norway’s most experienced directors of commercials and music videos, as well as short films and documentaries.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 24, 1960 (66)
From
Oslo, Norway
Works as
Director, producer and writer
Titles
11 on MovieCove · 27 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 14% in 30 days

What are Erik Poppe's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography 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
Bonds
31%
Morality
24%
Survival
19%
Self
12%
Power
7%
Ideas
4%
Society
2%
Family bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeParenthood2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 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 1 · Dark 8

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

Grounded 10 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 6

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 6 · 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 1 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 3

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

Easy watch 1 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 7

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

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Melancholic
6
Dread
4
Contemplative
3
Hopeful
3
Other
4

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • 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 Erik Poppe's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Erik Poppe'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

27 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page.

  • Kjærast(2026)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Quisling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 5 episodes · Director · Creator

  • Quisling: The Final Days(2024)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Last Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Still Photographer

  • The Emigrants (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show Creator

  • The Emigrants(2021)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Twigson and the Sea Monster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Executive Producer

  • Utoya: July 22(2018)

    Director · Executive Producer · Idea

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Per Fugelli: Siste resept (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Director

  • The King's Choice(2016)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Last King(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • In Order of Disappearance(2014)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • 1,000 Times Good Night(2013)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • A Somewhat Gentle Man(2010)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Fatso(2008)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Troubled Water(2008)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Second Half (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Executive Producer

  • Giganten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Executive Producer

  • Hawaii, Oslo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Executive Producer · Story

  • Brigaden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Bunch of Five (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Writer

  • 1996: Pust på meg! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Cinematographer

  • Brats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director

  • Eggs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • Applause (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Cinematographer

  • Jon Fosse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Cinematographer

  • Bad Moon Rising (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer

Career shape

A full career of 26 titles, 25 of them dated from 1991 to 2026.

Biggest box office

The King's Choice (2016)

$10M worldwide

Highest rated

Troubled Water (2008)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Utoya: July 22 (2018)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing14 of 26: 7 only directing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score78thWriting4 of 26: 0 only writing, 4 with another roleProducing10 of 26: 6 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score82ndCinematography4 of 26: 4 only cinematography, 0 with another roleOther crew3 of 26: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

26 titles, 7 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1990s6 · crew2000s6 · 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.

How do Erik Poppe's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 11 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · director, producer

Kjærast (2026)

55th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

Troubled Water (2008)

Midcredits 94th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 72/100 and the pacing 43/100 in their films, across 9 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 Erik Poppe's work okay for kids?

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

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 85 · severeMedian of all films: 44

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

Who does Erik Poppe work with?

People who share at least 2 of Erik Poppe's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Finn Gjerdrum shares the most, 9.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers