---
name: "Ernest Dickerson"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ernest-r-dickerson"
fi1m_id: "ernest-r-dickerson"
imdb_id: "nm0225416"
tmdb_id: 15521
wikidata_id: "Q1356510"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "25 June 1951"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 16
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_as: "director"
average_over: 13
updated: "2026-10-07T05:04:43.815778+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ernest Dickerson

## Identity

Ernest Dickerson

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ernest-r-dickerson
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ernest-r-dickerson
- **IMDb ID:** nm0225416
- **TMDB ID:** 15521
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1356510
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dickerson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356510, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0225416/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15521

Director. Born 25 June 1951 in Newark, New Jersey, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 25 June 1951, Newark, New Jersey, USA
- **Active:** 1986–present
- **Also known as:** Ernest R. Dickerson, Ernest Roscoe Dickerson
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 16: 1 acting, 13 directing, 2 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [Anthony Hemingway](https://film.one/person/anthony-hemingway.md), [Steve Shill](https://film.one/person/steve-shill.md), [Adam Davidson](https://film.one/person/adam-davidson.md), [Christopher Misiano](https://film.one/person/christopher-misiano.md), [Dan Attias](https://film.one/person/dan-attias.md), [Darnell Martin](https://film.one/person/darnell-martin.md), [Gloria Muzio](https://film.one/person/gloria-muzio.md), [Guy Ferland](https://film.one/person/guy-ferland.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as director, over 13 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 80 (2), 1990s 80 (3), 2000s 73 (6), 2010s 75 (4), 2020s 57 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 78 to 75 across 9 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 8 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 12, Crime 6, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 4, Mystery 2, Action & Adventure 1, Comedy 1
- **Screen time:** 2 hours of reviewed films
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dickerson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356510, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0225416/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15521

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*The Wire*](https://film.one/tv/the-wire.md) (90), [*The Deuce*](https://film.one/tv/the-deuce.md) (84), [*Treme*](https://film.one/tv/treme.md) (82), [*The Vampire Diaries*](https://film.one/tv/the-vampire-diaries.md) (71)
- **Netflix:** [*The Walking Dead*](https://film.one/tv/the-walking-dead.md) (68), [*Heroes*](https://film.one/tv/heroes.md) (68), [*She's Gotta Have It*](https://film.one/film/shes-gotta-have-it.md) (68)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Do the Right Thing*](https://film.one/film/do-the-right-thing.md) (93)
- **Disney+:** [*ER*](https://film.one/tv/er.md) (88)
- **Paramount+:** [*Weeds*](https://film.one/tv/weeds.md) (76)
- **Apple TV:** [*Dexter*](https://film.one/tv/dexter.md) (74)
- **Hulu:** [*Law & Order*](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Ernest Dickerson

> Ernest R. Dickerson brings a cinematographer’s attention to crime drama and horror. We rate him most highly as a television director, handling complicated characters in work whose success cannot be credited to any one person.

In *The Wire* (2002), departmental politics get the weight other police dramas reserve for gunfire. We were gripped by the bureaucracy because the programme makes those arguments matter to the people caught up in them. Ernest R. Dickerson directed episodes across seasons two to five, including *Bad Dreams* and *Hamsterdam*, as well as season finales. We value his ability to handle this complicated, character-driven material. The programme is a collective achievement, but his sustained contribution gives us good reason to seek out his name in the credits.

Before directing, he shot John Sayles’ *The Brother from Another Planet* (1984) and six features for Spike Lee, from *She’s Gotta Have It* (1986) to *Malcolm X* (1992). His attention to composition and camera movement is hardly surprising after that experience. *Juice* (1992), his feature directing debut, was a crime drama starring Omar Epps and Tupac Shakur; he also co-wrote it. That move matters when considering his work: he was taking responsibility for the story as well as the pictures.

*Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight* (1995) is worth considering for his handling of horror, another recurring interest alongside crime and thrillers. The feature films have had an uneven critical reception, with *Bulletproof* (1996) among the poorly received titles. We would not recommend the whole feature filmography indiscriminately on the strength of his visual skill.

From the early 2000s, episodic television became his main directing occupation, taking him into *The Walking Dead*, *Dexter* and *Bosch*. The continuing collaboration with David Simon on *Treme* (2010) belongs alongside *The Wire* when considering where his strengths have been put to use. Keeping complicated drama clear across individual episodes is work we value, even when it gives us fewer opportunities to point to a director’s signature. Start with *The Wire*, and allow time for the departmental arguments; they are part of what makes it worth watching.

## Biography

Ernest R. Dickerson is an American film and television director and cinematographer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he initially studied architecture at Howard University before training in cinematography at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

He worked extensively as a cinematographer with Spike Lee on films including *She's Gotta Have It* (1986), *Do the Right Thing* (1989), *Mo' Better Blues* (1990), *Jungle Fever* (1991) and *Malcolm X* (1992). Dickerson made his feature directorial debut with *Juice* (1992) and has since directed episodes of series such as *The Wire* (2002), *Dexter* (2006), *The Walking Dead* (2010) and *House of Cards* (2013). He has received NAACP Image Awards for outstanding directing in a drama series.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, dga.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (16)

### Performed in (1)

- *She's Gotta Have It* (1986), Fi1m 68, as Dog 8 — [page](https://film.one/film/shes-gotta-have-it.md)

### Directed (13) — the average rests on these

- *V/H/S/Mixtape* (2026), Fi1m 57, Director, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/v-h-s-mixtape.md)
- *The Deuce* (2017), Fi1m 84, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-deuce.md)
- *Once Upon a Time* (2011), Fi1m 65, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/once-upon-a-time.md)
- *The Walking Dead* (2010), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-walking-dead.md)
- *Treme* (2010), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/treme.md)
- *The Vampire Diaries* (2009), Fi1m 71, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-vampire-diaries.md)
- *Dexter* (2006), Fi1m 74, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/dexter.md)
- *Heroes* (2006), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/heroes.md)
- *Criminal Minds* (2005), Fi1m 60, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md)
- *Weeds* (2005), Fi1m 76, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/weeds.md)
- *The Wire* (2002), Fi1m 90, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-wire.md)
- *ER* (1994), Fi1m 88, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *Law & Order* (1990), Fi1m 72, Director, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)

### Crew (2)

- *Malcolm X* (1992), Fi1m 79, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/malcolm-x.md)
- *Do the Right Thing* (1989), Fi1m 93, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/do-the-right-thing.md)

## Complete filmography (96)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *V/H/S/Mixtape* (2026), Director — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/film/v-h-s-mixtape.md)
- *Den of Vampires* (2025), Actor
- *Parish* (2024), series, Director
- *Bosch: Legacy* (2022), series, Director
- *DMZ* (2022), series, Director
- *Raised by Wolves* (2020), series, Director
- *The Purge* (2018), series, Director
- *Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.* (2018), series, Director
- *Seven Seconds* (2018), series, Director
- *The Deuce* (2017), series, Director — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-deuce.md)
- *Double Play* (2017), Director
- *Blindspot* (2015), series, Director
- *The Man in the High Castle* (2015), series, Director
- *Bosch* (2015), series, Director
- *State of Affairs* (2014), series, Director
- *Sleepy Hollow* (2013), series, Director
- *Low Winter Sun* (2013), series, Director
- *Under the Dome* (2013), series, Director
- *House of Cards* (2013), series, Director
- *Revolution* (2012), series, Director
- *Once Upon a Time* (2011), series, Director — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/tv/once-upon-a-time.md)
- *Last Man Standing* (2011), Director
- *The Cape* (2011), series, Director
- *The Walking Dead* (2010), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-walking-dead.md)
- *Treme* (2010), series, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/treme.md)
- *Stargate Universe* (2009), series, Director
- *The Vampire Diaries* (2009), series, Director — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-vampire-diaries.md)
- *Something with Bite* (2009), Director
- *Miracle at St. Anna* (2008), Second Unit Director, Second Unit Director of Photography
- *Fear Itself* (2008), series, Director
- *In Plain Sight* (2008), series, Director
- *Tell Me You Love Me* (2007), series, Director
- *Burn Notice* (2007), series, Director
- *The V Word* (2006), Director
- *Dexter* (2006), series, Director — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/dexter.md)
- *Heroes* (2006), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/heroes.md)
- *Eureka* (2006), series, Director
- *The Evidence* (2006), series, Director
- *For One Night* (2006), Director
- *Masters of Horror* (2005), series, Director
- *Criminal Minds* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md)
- *Invasion* (2005), series, Director
- *Weeds* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/weeds.md)
- *Miracle's Boys* (2005), series, Director
- *Medium* (2005), series, Director
- *The 4400* (2004), series, Director
- *Never Die Alone* (2004), Director
- *The L Word* (2004), series, Director
- *Good Fences* (2003), Director
- *CSI: Miami* (2002), series, Director
- *Our America* (2002), Director of Photography, Director
- *The Wire* (2002), series, Director — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-wire.md)
- *Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie* (2002), Director
- *Monday Night Mayhem* (2002), Director
- *Bones* (2001), Director
- *Crossing Jordan* (2001), series, Director
- *Night Visions* (2001), series, Director
- *Futuresport* (1999), Director
- *Third Watch* (1999), series, Director
- *Strange Justice* (1999), Director
- *Blind Faith* (1998), Director
- *Ambushed* (1998), Director
- *Bulletproof* (1996), Director
- *Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight* (1995), Director
- *ER* (1994), series, Director — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *Surviving the Game* (1994), Director
- *Stephen King's Golden Tales* (1993), Director of Photography
- *Malcolm X* (1992), Director of Photography — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/malcolm-x.md)
- *Cousin Bobby* (1992), Director of Photography, Camera Operator
- *Juice* (1992), Director, Screenplay, Story
- *Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll* (1991), Director of Photography
- *Jungle Fever* (1991), Director of Photography
- *Ava & Gabriel: A Love Story* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, Director, Director of Photography — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Mo' Better Blues* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Spike & Co.: Do It a Cappella* (1990), Director
- *Def by Temptation* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Spike & Co. Do It a-Cappella* (1990), Director
- *Fright House* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Do the Right Thing* (1989), Director of Photography — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/do-the-right-thing.md)
- *The Laser Man* (1988), Director of Photography
- *School Daze* (1988), Director of Photography
- *Eddie Murphy Raw* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Enemy Territory* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Langston Hughes: The Dream Keeper* (1987), Additional Camera
- *She's Gotta Have It* (1986), as Dog 8 · Director of Photography — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/shes-gotta-have-it.md)
- *Vampires* (1986), Director of Photography
- *Almacita, Soul of Desolato* (1986), Director of Photography
- *Krush Groove* (1985), Director of Photography
- *Desiree* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Tales from the Darkside* (1984), series, Director of Photography, Director
- *The Brother from Another Planet* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads* (1983), Director of Photography
- *Morris Stokes*, Director
- *Revisiting The Learning Tree*, Actor
- *Black Diamond*, Director, Executive Producer

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ernest-r-dickerson