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.... (Full plot summary below)
Enjoy FREE movies and series with your Prime (USA) subscription or when you start a 30-day free trial!
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | UK only | 1 Month Free Trial | 29 Mar 2025 | 2735 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 70% |  Report: Broken Link |   |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 06 Jan 2025 | 3191 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 82% | Report: Broken Link | |
| IRELAND only | 1 Month Free Trial | 29 Nov 2019 | 3419 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 94% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 21 Nov 2025 | 583 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 96% | Report: Broken Link | |
![Its HD [Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser]](/images/logos/icons/itshd.png){kind=icon} | WORLDWIDE | ? | 17 Oct 2022 | 3787 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 94% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 30 Apr 2014 | 347 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 63% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | Free Credit | 10 Mar 2015 | 165 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 39% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 07 Oct 2015 | 48 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 21% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 05 Mar 2025 | 12 | SD / TV | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 21% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 07 Sep 2020 | 134 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 14% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 21 Jan 2019 | 21 | SD / TV | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 11% | Report: Broken Link | |
Links compiled using automated software. Availability of offers subject to change / might be region specific / out of date.
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 27 Aug 2022 | 3210 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Post | 60% |  Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | N/A | 27 Aug 2022 | 47 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Post | 19% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 27 Aug 2022 | 194 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Mail | 3% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 27 Aug 2022 | 18184 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Mail | 96% | Report: Broken Link | |
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 25 Mar 2020 | 295 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Post | 89% | Report: Broken Link | |
| UK only | N/A | 25 Mar 2020 | 39 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Post | 27% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 27 Aug 2022 | 434 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Mail | 13% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 25 Mar 2020 | 10260 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Mail | 80% | Report: Broken Link | |
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.
Leave your thoughts about Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser.
| Chicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumThe musical value of this footage is so powerful that nothing can deface it, despite the best efforts of Zwerin to do so. |
| New York TimesStephen HoldenThe Monk music that courses through the film is extraordinary in its range of feeling. |
| User ReviewChandler AListening and watching Thelonious play is enough to know that the man is a genius and seeing his slow twirls on stage is enough to know that he is a little off in the head, but this documentary brings out stories of hilarity and sadness, about the artist, told by the people closest to him. After watching this I am on the verge of listening to every single recording. |
| User ReviewIan RI don't think there's a musician who better captured the sounds of his own mind, and I don't think there's one who could do so more joyfully. Monk seemed impossible to penetrate and this only adds a mysterious quality to his music, as if it is written in a personal code, but one that he offers you the tools to decipher with the arrangement of his notes. This is filled with great rare footage of him in performance and the studio - it was my first encounter with him, in fact, and lead me to a love of his work that I doubt will ever fade. |
| User ReviewArt SLargely lets the music speak for itself...and what complicated music it is! The film briefly charts Thelonious Monk's rise from Coleman Hawkins sideman to leader in his own right and lavishly offers us concert footage from the late 1960s. A few talking heads tell us about his probable mental illness (sounds like bipolar) but we do not get to know the man through his own words, as he seems mysterious and not interested in talking for the camera. If you haven't checked Monk out, you really should. |
| User ReviewRandy LI appreciated the absence of music critics and the way the movie honored the pace of the music. Great footage. |
