By Vlad Zakh · August 28, 2026
From smoky Paris basement clubs to glamorous American nightspots, these are the best movies steeped in the sound and atmosphere of jazz. In Shoot the Piano Player (1960): A former classical pianist who now plays jazz in a grimy Paris bar gets caught up in his brothers’ trouble with gangsters. Don’t overlook Round Midnight (1986): Inside a Paris nightclub, an aged, ailing jazzman forms a final, redemptive friendship with a young admirer.
01 A fired governess's chance encounter with a glamorous jazz singer upends both of their lives over one chaotic day.
Directed by Bharat Nalluri · 1h 32m · Rated PG-13
Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Rent or buy: Google Play Movies, YouTube
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Rent: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video · Buy: Apple TV Store
02 Inside a Paris nightclub, an aged, ailing jazzman forms a final, redemptive friendship with a young admirer.
Directed by Bertrand Tavernier · 2h 11m · Rated R
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Sky Store, YouTube
03 A former classical pianist who now plays jazz in a grimy Paris bar gets caught up in his brothers' trouble with gangsters.
Directed by François Truffaut · 1h 25m · Rated NR
Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Darkroom, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Stream: Criterion Channel · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store
04 A gambling hall owner relocates from New Orleans to Chicago and entertains his patrons with hot jazz by Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Woody Herman.
Directed by Arthur Lubin · 1h 30m · Rated NR
Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video
Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video
Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
05 A struggling band finds themselves attached to a fugitive and drawn into a series of old feuds and love affairs, as they try to stay together and find musical success.
Directed by Anatole Litvak · 1h 28m
Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Amazon Video
06 An idealistic young man is torn between a sultry Chicago nightclub owner and a Scottish South Dakotan farmgirl.
Directed by Oscar Micheaux · 1h 14m
Stream: Criterion Channel
Stream: Criterion Channel
Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.
