J.E. Hertel is a producer, actor, director, and writer with roots in small-town Wisconsin. The daughter of an attorney and a community organizer, she developed a passion for storytelling early on, particularly through experimental theater. That passion led her to New York City, where she became a member of the legendary Living Theatre under the direction of Judith Malina. A graduate of NYU with a Master of the Arts, Hertel has had three of her original plays - Reform, Being, and Text/Love Love/Text - produced in off-off Broadway venues. She began her screen career behind the scenes as a PA and stand-in on Gossip Girl, before moving into producing feature films and acting across the board in features, shorts, TV pilots, and stage productions. Hertel has also directed award-winning short films, and continues to develop screenplays for film and television. Whether working behind the camera or in front of it, she thrives on telling meaningful stories in whatever form best serves the project.
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Biography from IMDb.
- Producer and writer
- 5 on MovieCove
What are Jen Emma Hertel's films like?
Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 1 · Dark 2
Grounded 5 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0
Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 1
Steady 1 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0
Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0
A split, not a type: Casual 3 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 1
A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- 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 Jen Emma Hertel's films?
As of October 24, 2026, all 5 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Jen Emma Hertel'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
5 credits, 5 with a MovieCove page.
Is It a Crime(2025)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Cursed(2024)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
The Mick and the Trick(2024)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Little Ukraine(2022)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
The Christmas Thief(2021)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Career shape
Across their 5 MovieCove titles from 2021 to 2025.
How do Jen Emma Hertel's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 27th percentile, the median of all 5; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 16th percentile for acclaim.
- 25th to 49th3
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
4 of their 5 titles are Mixed.
- Divisive1
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the dialogue 38/100 and the plot and story 42/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
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.
Who does Jen Emma Hertel work with?
People who share at least 2 of Jen Emma Hertel's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Pete Talamo shares the most, 2.
Cinematographers and editors
- Pete TalamoShared titles: Is It a Crime (2025), Little Ukraine (2022)See all 2 shared titles with Pete Talamo
- Snyder DerivalShared titles: Is It a Crime (2025), Little Ukraine (2022)See all 2 shared titles with Snyder Derival
Producers
- Ante NovakovicShared titles: The Mick and the Trick (2024), Little Ukraine (2022)See all 2 shared titles with Ante Novakovic
- Jared SafierShared titles: The Mick and the Trick (2024), Little Ukraine (2022)See all 2 shared titles with Jared Safier
- Rob SimmonsShared titles: The Mick and the Trick (2024), Little Ukraine (2022)See all 2 shared titles with Rob Simmons
Mixed roles
- Brendan Kyle CochraneShared titles: Is It a Crime (2025), Little Ukraine (2022)See all 2 shared titles with Brendan Kyle Cochrane
