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Mo' Better Blues

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Spike Lee

Runtime:

2hr 10m

Synopsis

Jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam makes questionable decisions in his professional and romantic lives.

Cast

  • Denzel Washington
  • Spike Lee
  • Wesley Snipes
  • Giancarlo Esposito
  • Robin Harris
  • Joie Lee
  • Bill Nunn
  • John Turturro
  • Dick Anthony Williams
  • Cynda Williams

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.7
35.6K
16.1K
11.4K
RATINGS 412 FANS
3.7
  • Jul 13, 2020

    The cinematography in this movie knocked me out, so much so that I wish I could drop everything and just rewatch all of Spike Lee and Ernest Dickerson’s movies together just for the camerawork. It’s not even that it’s flashy, because it’s not. It’s just so expressive. The…

    750 Likes
    Matt Singer
    Matt Singer
    Oct 20, 2020

    Secret MVP is Giancarlo Esposito's character who keeps trying really hard to be French

    699 Likes
    Patrick Willems
    Patrick Willems
    Feb 3, 2020

    Following up Do the Right Thing was such a giant hill to climb that people overlooked that this is one hell of a movie.

    428 Likes
    Brian Tallerico
    Brian Tallerico
  •
    Jul 14, 2020

    Martin Scorsese taught Spike Lee at NYU’s film school, and the connection between these two legendary filmmakers has never been clearer than in Mo’ Better Blues. Lee effectively applies his own style and interests — in this case, jazz — to Scorsese’s crime hangout film…

    376 Likes
    Wesley Stenzel
    Wesley Stenzel
    Nov 30, 2018

    the bi sexual lighting when denzel is torn between two lovers ! 35mm. Metrograph.

    260 Likes
    KYK
    KYK
    May 27, 2020

    like if la la land was good

    202 Likes
    caillin
    caillin
  •
    Jun 20, 2025

    The song called "Mo' Better Blues" is so ethereal that I feel like for a few days next that the only thing I will humming. Also this movie makes me more curious about Blues music. Do yall have any recommendation?

    177 Likes
    Cellar Door L
    Cellar Door L
    Jan 26, 2023

    Has to be one of the coolest opening credit sequences I've ever seen.

    163 Likes
    RashaadHarris
    RashaadHarris
    Feb 2, 2022

    Action! - Spike The Power, Lee The Riot' Spike Lee follows up what many consider to be his best movie with a film about jazz and love and the intrisicate bond between the two. This is also the first of the subsequent collaborations with Denzel Washington. Speaking of…

    139 Likes
    Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine
    Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine
See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

91%
Community 407
❤️ LOVE
28%
👍 LIKE
63%
😐 MEH
8%
👎 DISLIKE
3%
Top Reviews
  • Wagner Freitas
    Wagner Freitas liked
    Mo' Better Blues

    Denzel Washington & Wesley Snipes did a collab for the ages in this one!!

    1Y
    Keithan Donaldson
    Keithan Donaldson liked
    Mo' Better Blues

    Happy birthday Denzel!😁

    5M
View More Popular Mo' Better Blues Reviews on Queue

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

61
metacritic
Based on 23 Critics
5.6

USER SCORE (9)

Mixed or average reviews based on 9 Reviews
50

Though it's full of striking visual ideas and actorly turns, it never fully convinces.

View full review
Metacritic review by Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
75

Mo' Better Blues is not a great film, but it's an interesting one, which is almost as rare.

View full review
Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mo' Better Blues family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is Mo' Better Blues?
The movie is 2hr 10min long.
What's Mo' Better Blues about?
Jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam makes questionable decisions in his professional and romantic lives.
Who's the cast of Mo' Better Blues?
  • Denzel Washington as Bleek Gilliam
  • Spike Lee as Giant
  • Wesley Snipes as Shadow Henderson (Sax)
  • Giancarlo Esposito as Left Hand Lacey (Piano)
  • Robin Harris as Butterbean Jones
  • Joie Lee as Indigo Downes
  • Bill Nunn as Bottom Hammer (Bass)
  • John Turturro as Moe Flatbush
  • Dick Anthony Williams as Big Stop Williams
  • Cynda Williams as Clarke Bentancourt
Who's the director behind Mo' Better Blues?
Spike Lee directed Mo' Better Blues.