Emmy Award-winning composer Alex Wurman is highly versatile with a broad musical palette. He can traverse the film-score landscape by writing a critically-acclaimed score for an Oscar®-winning film, to supporting comedy with musical punctuation for box office giants, to capturing the essence of brainy ideas for indie films. Some examples include: the eerie piano melodies of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), minimalist/20th century sculpted sounds for Temple Grandin (2010), groovy '70's themes for Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), contemporary interpretations of French impressionism for 13 Conversations About One Thing (2001), and soulful melodies combined with ethereal orchestrations for March of the Penguins (2005). When asked to score another wildlife documentary, The Last Lions (2011) for Dereck Joubert and Beverly Joubert, Wurman wrote a score that won him his second award for "best music" at the world's leading natural history film forum: The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. Although known primarily for his work on films, when scoring major telefilms, such as Mrs. Harris (2005), or Bernard and Doris (2006), he is rewarded with Emmy recognition. Wurman's score for Temple Grandin (2010) starring Claire Danes won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special. Alex Wurman's talents are the result of both nature and nurture, hailing from a family with generations devoted to the study and performance of music. The Chicago native's father, Hans Wurman, was an arranger and composer, who pioneered the world of electronic music by recording intricate works on the first Moog synthesizer. As a youngster, Alex would spend afternoons at his father's workplace; his love for the arts would secure him admission into the prestigious Academy of Performing Arts High School. He went on to study composition at the University of Miami in Coral Gables and the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. In his early twenties, Wurman moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film scoring. He immediately began scoring AFI student films. These valuable experiences proved to be the launching pad for Wurman's independent career. Soon thereafter, assignments came his way as directors discovered a fresh and versatile composer whose music lent depth to their films. This cerebral composer is able to work with directors in many film genres. He especially develops a close relationship with writer/directors, such as Steve Conrad, John August, Jill Sprecher, and Ron Shelton; perhaps because Wurman's music, on its own, also tells a story. "He is a born storyteller whose work gets to the heart of the matter and expresses what words cannot. The music he creates is completely unique, complex and stunning," said Jill Sprecher, director of 13 Conversations About One Thing (2001). Ron Shelton (Play It to the Bone (1999), Hollywood Homicide (2003)) stated, "I don't think there is any kind of music in which he is not conversant." The Los Angeles Times wrote: "Wurman's spare, elegant score contributes strongly to creating and sustaining the film's shifting moods." Percy Adlon, director of Bagdad Cafe (1987) and The Glamorous World of the Adlon Hotel (1996) Adlon described Wurman's abilities by stating, "He has a wonderfully wide range of styles. You can travel with him from Schubert to Thelonius Monk, from Jamaican to Baroque, from noise to ballroom, from rich to sparse. He will never give you a cheap imitation. You always get an original."
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Biography from IMDb.
- October 5, 1966 (60)
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Composer
- 43 on MovieCove · 54 credits in all
Known for
What are Alex Wurman's films like?
Across their 40 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 7 · Wry 3 · Earnest 28
A split, not a type: Light 19 · Serious 13 · Dark 7
A split, not a type: Grounded 25 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 7
Gentle 15 · Charged 20 · Intense 4
Steady 14 · Shifting 21 · Whiplash 4
Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 16 · Funny 14
Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 24 · Relentless 1
Casual 25 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 3
Easy watch 24 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 6
Resolved 26 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 7
Moods and endings
- Happy18
- Bittersweet10
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous10
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 Alex Wurman's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 43 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).
- The Nines (2007) · composer · free
- $5 a Day (2008) · composer · free
- The Grave (1996) · composer · free
- The Promotion (2008) · composer · free
- Eat Your Heart Out (1997) · composer · free
- Half Magic (2018) · composer · free
- Hollywood Homicide (2003) · composer · free
- The Crew (1994) · composer · free
- Just Getting Started (2017) · composer · free
- Exposé (2000) · composer · free
Subscription and free streaming for Alex Wurman'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
54 credits, 43 with a MovieCove page.
DTF St. Louis(2026)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows
A Little White Lie(2023)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Ultra City Smiths (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Buddy Games(2019)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Perpetual Grace, LTD(2019)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
Half Magic(2018)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Just Getting Started(2017)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Patriot(2015)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Unfinished Business(2015)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Cloud 9(2014)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
The Millionaire Tour(2012)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Newsroom(2012)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Something Borrowed(2011)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
The Last Lions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
The Switch(2010)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Temple Grandin(2010)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
What Doesn't Kill You(2008)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Four Christmases(2008)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
$5 a Day(2008)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The Promotion(2008)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Run Fatboy Run(2007)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Homo Erectus(2007)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
The Baker(2007)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
The Nines(2007)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Bernard and Doris(2006)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Mrs. Harris(2005)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
A Lot Like Love(2005)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy(2004)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Criminal(2004)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Hollywood Homicide(2003)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Normal(2003)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Koenig's Sphere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes(2000)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Play It to the Bone(1999)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
No Vacancy(1999)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Bloodsport: The Dark Kumite (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Dangerous Waters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Exposé(2000)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
In der glanzvollen Welt des Hotel Adlon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Eat Your Heart Out(1997)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
The Good Life(1997)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
The Grave(1996)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
French Exit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Dominion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Getting In (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
The Crew(1994)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
L.A. Goddess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Rising Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 51 titles, 50 of them dated from 1993 to 2026.
Biggest box office
Four Christmases (2008)
Highest rated
Temple Grandin (2010)
Most popular right now
Unfinished Business (2015)
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
a Primetime Emmy from 3 major nominations, 2008–2026.
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score)
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 Alex Wurman's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 39; across their 39 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up8
- 50th to 74th12
- 25th to 49th11
- Below 25th12
Shape of the crowd
18 of their 43 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Universally Panned1
- Divisive1
- Crowd Pleaser18
- Broadly Agreed7
- Mixed13
Reviewers score the sound and music 55/100 in their films, across 26 reviewed titles; fans 64, detractors 35. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.
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 Alex Wurman's work okay for kids?
Across up to 21 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films and frightening / intense lighter.
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 Alex Wurman work with?
People who share at least 2 of Alex Wurman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ron Shelton shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Ron SheltonShared titles: Just Getting Started (2017), Hollywood Homicide (2003), No Vacancy (1999), Play It to the Bone (1999)See all 4 shared titles with Ron Shelton
- Adam McKayShared titles: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Wake Up, Ron Burgundy (2004)See all 3 shared titles with Adam McKay
- Steve ConradShared titles: Perpetual Grace, LTD (2019), Unfinished Business (2015), The Promotion (2008)See all 3 shared titles with Steve Conrad
- Nigel ColeShared titles: $5 a Day (2008), A Lot Like Love (2005)See all 2 shared titles with Nigel Cole
Writers
- Will FerrellShared titles: Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Wake Up, Ron Burgundy (2004)See all 4 shared titles with Will Ferrell
Actors
- Amanda PeetShared titles: $5 a Day (2008), What Doesn't Kill You (2008), A Lot Like Love (2005)See all 3 shared titles with Amanda Peet
- John C. ReillyShared titles: The Promotion (2008), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Criminal (2004)See all 3 shared titles with John C. Reilly
- Lolita DavidovichShared titles: Hollywood Homicide (2003), No Vacancy (1999), Play It to the Bone (1999)See all 3 shared titles with Lolita Davidovich
- Jimmi SimpsonShared titles: A Little White Lie (2023), Perpetual Grace, LTD (2019)See all 2 shared titles with Jimmi Simpson
Cinematographers and editors
- Paul SeydorShared titles: Just Getting Started (2017), Hollywood Homicide (2003), Play It to the Bone (1999)See all 3 shared titles with Paul Seydor
- Brent WhiteShared titles: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Wake Up, Ron Burgundy (2004)See all 3 shared titles with Brent White
- Stephen MirrioneShared titles: Criminal (2004), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), 13 Conversations About One Thing (2001)See all 3 shared titles with Stephen Mirrione
- Barry PetersonShared titles: Just Getting Started (2017), Hollywood Homicide (2003)See all 2 shared titles with Barry Peterson
Producers
- Judd ApatowShared titles: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Wake Up, Ron Burgundy (2004)See all 3 shared titles with Judd Apatow
- Jason BlumenthalShared titles: Perpetual Grace, LTD (2019), Unfinished Business (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Jason Blumenthal
- Steve TischShared titles: Perpetual Grace, LTD (2019), Unfinished Business (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Steve Tisch
- Todd BlackShared titles: Perpetual Grace, LTD (2019), Unfinished Business (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Todd Black
Mixed roles
- George ClooneyShared titles: Criminal (2004), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)See all 2 shared titles with George Clooney
