Mo' Better Blues (1990): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Mo' Better Blues is a 1990 romantic drama directed by Spike Lee, starring Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes and Giancarlo Esposito. It runs 2 hours 9 minutes and earned $16.2 million worldwide. Critics gave it 71% on Rotten Tomatoes and 61 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 9m (129 min)
- Director
- Spike Lee
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Universal Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Mo' Better Blues About?
The premise of Mo' Better Blues without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A talented but volatile jazz pianist, Giant, finds himself embroiled in a conflict with his friend and fellow musician, trumpeter Bleek. As the band struggles for success, Bleek must balance loyalty to his friend with the ambition to secure the group's future. Complicating matters are romantic entanglements with two women, Indigo and Clarke, forcing him to confront difficult choices about love and friendship amidst the vibrant world of jazz.
Mo' Better Blues Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- african american
- new york city
- pianist
- saxophonist
- spaniard
- dialogue over studio logo
- reference to arsenio hall
- bare chested male
- playing catch
- reference to george steinbrenner
- reference to frank robinson
- yiddish
+38 more Show fewer
- club bouncer
- interracial relationship
- talking in someone else's voice
- reference to elvis presley
- pretending to be dracula
- accountant
- jazz record
- b word
- throwing object at the camera
- speaking french
- rapping
- real life brothers playing brothers
- jewish stereotype
- manager artist relationship
- reference to mr. magoo
- reference to robert parish
- reference to larry bird
- rivalry between men
- sex scene
- calling a woman by the wrong name
- riding a bicycle
- friendship between men
- hit with a car door
- breaking someone's fingers
- n word
- reference to king kong
- tower records new york
- standing on a bridge
- reference to darryl dawkins
- shaky camera shot
- breaking eyeglasses
- punched in the stomach
- reference to mike tyson
- fight scene intercut with music scene
- hit in the face with a trumpet
- bleeding from the mouth
- reference to john coltrane
- gambling addiction
Mo' Better Blues Cast
Denzel Washington leads the cast, with Wesley Snipes and Giancarlo Esposito. Directed by Spike Lee; 9 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Spike Lee
Also Starring in Mo' Better Blues
· 5 moreMore from Spike Lee
More films directed by Spike Lee, best-rated first: David Byrne’s American Utopia, BlacKkKlansman, Do the Right Thing and Pass Over.
Mo' Better Blues Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Mo' Better Blues 71% on Rotten Tomatoes and 61 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10.
-
IMDb 6.7 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 71% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 75%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 61 Metascore
User score 5.7
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 65% User score
See on TMDB
Mo' Better Blues Plot Summary
What happens in Mo' Better Blues from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In Brooklyn, New York, 1969, a group of four boys approaches Bleek Gilliam (Zakee L. Howze) at his family’s brownstone, eager to invite him to a game of baseball. However, Bleek’s mother insists he stay home for his trumpet lesson, much to his dismay. This prompts a familial debate, as Bleek’s father worries that his son might grow up soft. Ultimately, Bleek remains focused on his music, while his friends depart, leaving him to practice alone.
Full summary
The whole story of Mo' Better Blues, scene by scene
Mo' Better Blues Box Office
Mo' Better Blues grossed $16.2 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$16.2M
- US & Canada
- $16.2M
Mo' Better Blues Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 clip.
- Clip Mo' Better Blues | Denzel Washington & Wesley Snipes Perform "Mo' Better Blues"
How Well Do You Know Mo' Better Blues?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What instrument does Bleek Gilliam play?
Cars in Mo' Better Blues
12 cars on screen, including the 1986 CXA CX and the 1977 Ford Thunderbird.
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1986 CXA CX Important role -
1977 Ford Thunderbird Important role -
1968 Checker Taxicab Minor role -
1987 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role
Mo' Better Blues Also Known As
21 alternative titles, including “Блюз про краще життя” and “Mais e Melhores Blues”.
- Also known as
-
- Блюз про краще життя
- Mais e Melhores Blues
- Cuanto más
- ¡mejor!
- Parallages s' ena blues
- Czarny blues
- Quanto Mais Melhor
- Još bolji bluz
- Блюз о лучшей жизни
- Iki kadin arasinda
- A Love Supreme
- Variations on the Mo' Better Blues
+9 more Show fewer
- Mo' Betta Blues
- 爵士风情
- Mý lepší blues
- 모베터 블루스
- Cuanto más, mejor
- Totul pentru muzica Blues
- Παραλλαγές σ' ένα μπλουζ
- Mejores blues y más
- モ'・ベター・ブルース
Seen Mo' Better Blues?
Movies Like Mo' Better Blues
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Blues in the Night, St. Louis Blues and A Jazzman's Blues.
Mo' Better Blues FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Mo' Better Blues, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Mo' Better Blues?
Mo' Better Blues runs 2 hours 9 minutes (129 minutes).
When was Mo' Better Blues released?
Mo' Better Blues was released on August 3, 1990.
Who directed Mo' Better Blues?
Mo' Better Blues was directed by Spike Lee.
More films by Spike Lee Who is in the cast of Mo' Better Blues?
Mo' Better Blues stars Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes and Giancarlo Esposito, among 9 credited actors.
How much did Mo' Better Blues make at the box office?
Mo' Better Blues grossed $16.2 million worldwide.
How is Mo' Better Blues rated?
Mo' Better Blues has 6.7/10 on IMDb, 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, 61 on Metacritic and 65% on TMDB.
Does Mo' Better Blues have a post-credit scene?
No. Mo' Better Blues has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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