---
name: "Michael Cuesta"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-cuesta"
fi1m_id: "michael-cuesta"
imdb_id: "nm0191147"
tmdb_id: 84931
wikidata_id: "Q720615"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "8 July 1963"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 75
average_as: "director"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-09-17T14:12:53.139310+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."
---

# Michael Cuesta

## Identity

Michael Cuesta

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/michael-cuesta
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** michael-cuesta
- **IMDb ID:** nm0191147
- **TMDB ID:** 84931
- **Wikidata ID:** Q720615
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cuesta, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q720615, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191147/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/84931

Director. Born 8 July 1963 in New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 8 July 1963, New York City, New York, USA
- **Active:** 2001–present
- **Frequently works with:** [Jeremy Podeswa](https://film.one/person/jeremy-podeswa.md), [Adam Davidson](https://film.one/person/adam-davidson.md), [Dan Attias](https://film.one/person/dan-attias.md), [Daniel Minahan](https://film.one/person/daniel-minahan.md), [John Dahl](https://film.one/person/john-dahl.md), [Alan Ball](https://film.one/person/alan-ball.md), [Chip Johannessen](https://film.one/person/chip-johannessen.md), [Jeffrey Nachmanoff](https://film.one/person/jeffrey-nachmanoff.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as director, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 77 (3), 2010s 78 (1), 2020s 71 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 75 to 74 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 6, Crime 4, Mystery 2, Action & Adventure 1, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1, War & Politics 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cuesta, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q720615, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191147/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/84931

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Homeland*](https://film.one/tv/homeland.md) (78), [*Daredevil: Born Again*](https://film.one/tv/daredevil-born-again.md) (74), [*True Blood*](https://film.one/tv/true-blood.md) (71), [*Dopesick*](https://film.one/tv/dopesick.md) (68)
- **HBO Max:** [*Six Feet Under*](https://film.one/tv/six-feet-under.md) (86)
- **Apple TV:** [*Dexter*](https://film.one/tv/dexter.md) (74)

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

## Biography

Michael Cuesta is an American film and television director. Born in New York City on 8 July 1963, he received a BFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts in 1985.

He co-wrote and directed the independent film *L.I.E.* (2001), which premiered at Sundance and won two Independent Spirit Awards. His other feature films include *12 and Holding* (2005), *Kill the Messenger* (2014) and *American Assassin* (2017).

Cuesta has directed episodes of numerous television series, including pilots for *Dexter* (2006), *Homeland* (2011), *Blue Bloods* (2010) and *Elementary* (2012). He directed episodes of *Daredevil: Born Again* (2025).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, hollywoodreporter.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Daredevil: Born Again* (2025), Fi1m 74, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/daredevil-born-again.md)
- *Dopesick* (2021), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/dopesick.md)
- *Homeland* (2011), Fi1m 78, Director, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/homeland.md)
- *True Blood* (2008), Fi1m 71, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/true-blood.md)
- *Dexter* (2006), Fi1m 74, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/dexter.md)
- *Six Feet Under* (2001), Fi1m 86, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/six-feet-under.md)

## Complete filmography (22)

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

- *Man on Fire* (2026), series, Director
- *Daredevil: Born Again* (2025), series, Director — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/daredevil-born-again.md)
- *Accused* (2023), series, Director
- *Promised Land* (2022), series, Executive Producer
- *Dopesick* (2021), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/dopesick.md)
- *City on a Hill* (2019), series, Executive Producer, Director
- *American Assassin* (2017), Director
- *Billions* (2016), series, Director
- *Second Chance* (2016), series, Director
- *Kill the Messenger* (2014), Director
- *Elementary* (2012), series, Director, Producer
- *Roadie* (2012), Director, Writer
- *Homeland* (2011), series, Director, Executive Producer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/homeland.md)
- *Blue Bloods* (2010), series, Director
- *Tell-Tale* (2009), Director
- *True Blood* (2008), series, Director — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/tv/true-blood.md)
- *Dexter* (2006), series, Director, Co-Executive Producer — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/dexter.md)
- *12 and Holding* (2006), Director, Producer
- *L.I.E.* (2001), Director, Writer, Producer
- *Six Feet Under* (2001), series, Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/six-feet-under.md)
- *Babylon Fields*, series, Director
- *TRINITY*, series, 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/michael-cuesta