Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser

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Videos & Photos

  • Official Trailer

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Charlotte Zwerin

Producer:

Clint Eastwood, Bruce Ricker, Charlotte Zwerin

Release Date:

Oct 25, 1988

Runtime:

1hr 30m

Synopsis

A documentary film about the life of pianist and jazz great Thelonious Sphere Monk. Features live performances by Monk and his band, and interviews with friends and family about the offbeat genius.

Cast

  • Jimmy Cleveland
  • Harry Colomby
  • John Coltrane
  • Ray Copeland
  • Nica De Koenigswarter
  • Tommy Flanagan
  • Larry Gales
  • Johnny Griffin
  • Barry Harris
  • Bob Jones

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.8
3.8K
3.6K
1.2K
RATINGS 3 FANS
3.8
  • Jun 16, 2025

    a few minutes of this is just footage of cats with jazz playing over it, and the rest of it is just as joyful and unexpected — great movie, no notes

    88 Likes
    Justin LaLiberty
    Justin LaLiberty
    Aug 13, 2014

    As a subject, it doesn't get much better than Thelonius Monk in all his pacing, mumbling glory. The footage they have of him just hanging around is incredible, as is, of course, the performances. I'd call this an essential music doc and a very unorthodox one. There's very…

    63 Likes
    Jeremy Milks
    Jeremy Milks
    Jan 17, 2026

    This film has been picked during 3 Criterion Closet visits: Tracy Letts, David Remnick, & Elijah Wood Check out the All Time Top Criterion Closet Picks and all of the Criterion releases never picked in the closet.

    30 Likes
    Criterion Closet Picks
    Criterion Closet Picks
  •
    Nov 1, 2025

    There's a strong case here for any star rating you choose. A "zero star" rating would be earned because this doc descends to the lower-ranks of PBS documentaries, despite the solid-gold footage of the great jazz pianist -- a rare 14-hours worth of backstage and performance…

    25 Likes
    joshmatthews
    joshmatthews
    Jan 3, 2026

    Monk is my favorite pianist, and possibly my favorite musician. Every note he plays is unexpected in some way. The pitch, rhythm, duration, or volume seems out of place. Like a stream of mistakes that an instructor would quickly correct. But it's the most captivating and…

    20 Likes
    BrianSedziol
    BrianSedziol
    Mar 16, 2025

    This feels more like an introduction to Thelonious Monk’s music than a deep dive into his life and legacy, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Watching him play is mesmerizing, there’s an effortless coolness to his presence, the kind you’d expect from a jazz pioneer of…

    19 Likes
    Bryce
    Bryce
  •
    Dec 26, 2025

    "Monk joined the revolution...."" - Narrator, He always seemed high... I like that. Nonstop Jazz listening got me through my Masters and Ph.D. program and Monk was my absolute favorite in the bunch. When played at their full potential, for me, nothing tickles the…

    16 Likes
    {Todd}
    {Todd}
    Jan 2, 2022

    I gave top marks to a Dizzy Gillespie short I saw yesterday, so I was hoping this would be pretty good. Unfortunately, director Charlotte Zwerin and executive producer Clint Eastwood's film on Thelonious Monk just didn't do it for me. Most of the footage wasn't edited…

    14 Likes
    Allison M. 🌱
    Allison M. 🌱
    Jun 26, 2021

    he was making that piano cream tbh

    14 Likes
    mason
    mason
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Atom Users Reviews

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Metacritic

75
metacritic
Based on 16 Critics
tbd

USER SCORE (0)

There are no user reviews yet
88

I had heard the music before. What the film gave me was an opportunity to see Thelonious Monk creating some of it, and, just as importantly, an opportunity to see how those who knew him loved him.

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Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
80

The film reminds us again and again that Monk was as important a jazz composer as he was a pianist.

View full review
Metacritic review by Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
The New York Times
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser (1988) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as PG-13, meaning that some material may be considered inappropriate for children under 13.
How long is Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser (1988)?
The movie is 1hr 30min long.
What's Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser (1988) about?
A documentary film about the life of pianist and jazz great Thelonious Sphere Monk. Features live performances by Monk and his band, and interviews with friends and family about the offbeat genius.
Who's the cast of Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser (1988)?
  • Jimmy Cleveland
  • Harry Colomby
  • John Coltrane
  • Ray Copeland
  • Nica De Koenigswarter
  • Tommy Flanagan
  • Larry Gales
  • Johnny Griffin
  • Barry Harris
  • Bob Jones
Who's the director behind Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser (1988)?
Charlotte Zwerin directed Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser (1988).
Who produced Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser (1988)?
Clint Eastwood, Bruce Ricker and Charlotte Zwerin produced Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser (1988).