Nearly 36 years later, Denzel and Spike Lee’s original team-up remains a must-see
Tom’s Guide Verdict: “Mo’ Better Blues”
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Decision: This movie is directed by Spike Lee, and his filmmaking talent is undeniable on screen. But like the jazz it portrays, “Mo’ Better Blues” sometimes wanders and gets lost in its craft. Still, it all comes together for a dramatic, sad ending, which makes the journey have a few deviant moments. Plus, you get an amazing lead performance from Denzel Washington, with a sprinkling of Samuel L. Jackson and John Turturro turning it up to 11 for good measure.
Where to watch: Buy or rent “Mo’ Better Blues” from Amazon
I’m now in week 9 of my Denzel Watchathon, and this is the movie I’ve been waiting for. That’s because this week, I watched “Mo’ Better Blues,” the first in a five-film, 35-year (and counting) collaboration between Denzel and legendary director Spike Lee. A partnership that would define both their careers, or (perhaps ironically) each would produce the greatest film of their filmographies without the other.
Starring Denzel as jazz trumpeter and bandleader “Bleek” Gilliam, this first collaboration between him and Lee is flawless. The cinematography is excellent; this might be the best looking Denzel movie I’ve seen so far in this movie race of the year. There are cameras and a great selection of guides. But like jazz, sometimes you get lost in the music and start playing on a riff where you have to bring things back to the main theme of the piece, and that happens a few times. Still, Denzel’s stellar performance is worth sitting through for a detour or two, and small supporting performances by Samuel L. Jackson and John Turturro grab your attention immediately.
If you want to watch this movie before reading, you have a few options. “Mo’ Better Blues” isn’t available on any major streaming services, but you can buy or rent it on Amazon. Trust me, it costs $4.
Malcolm McMillan
Malcolm has had the broadcast team at Tom’s Guide since 2023, reviewing dozens of movies each year so you don’t watch the bad ones.
‘Mo’ Better Blues’ lets Denzel shine like a star
Learn more about the host, Denzel
Having now seen the first nine films of Denzel’s filmography, one thing you notice from the earlier ones is that he is not the only one driving the film. He is only a supporting actor in these early movies. The two films there, “For Queen and Country” and “The Mighty Quinn,” earned him significant voice acting work. So this movie is the first example of Denzel being Denzel as a movie star.
And it works. Although at times the movie lags a bit too much in certain scenes, and the jazz score, while very good, is not muted throughout the film, Lee always finds the right notes in Denzel. Or maybe Denzel just knows how to take notes on the page and improvise.
In any case, as far as acting goes, Denzel’s in this film is excellent. We buy him as Bleek, the leader of a group of roosters at the beginning of the film. We instantly buy her as the kind of woman who keeps two relationships going smoothly.
We buy him again later as the same man, but who has completely lost control of the situation. A man who knows he owes his best friend to Giant (played by Lee), who mismanages his team and calls him out on big money. He also knows he has a bandmate trying to get his band (and one of his girlfriends) out from under him, and if Bleek chooses to egg on his rival, we can easily buy the actor’s hubris. When Bleek finally shows up, and gets him into trouble, we buy it too, and in that moment, Denzel and the character are inseparable.
Verdict: This movie gets a lot of ‘Mo’ Better’ at the end
Watch it open
As great as this movie can be, there are times when my interest wanes, or when it feels like Lee is doing too much.
But there are two characters who, without fail, give a shot in the arm when they briefly appear on screen. John Turturro plays Moe Flatbush, who, along with his brother Josh (played by John’s real-life brother Nicholas) owns the nightclub Bleek plays at. He gets one scene with Lee, and one with Denzel, and in both, he steals the scene from under them.
Then there’s Samuel L. Jackson, who plays a loan shark that Giant is deep into. He, too, appears only twice, but, like Turturro, each time he is a villain. Maybe that’s because now, in 2026, he’s the second big star I’m seeing on screen, but regardless, it’s an outstanding film.
Jackson’s character is also a part until the end of the film, and while “Mo’ Better Blues” may wander from time to time it reaches its end to deliver a cohesive, sad ending that turns to a happy ending in the final moments. It really elevates the movie to another level, almost to the brink of greatness, and saves it from being just a great movie with Denzel’s amazing work at its core.
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