Drama · Music · Thriller
American
2014 · Directed by Damien Chazelle · 107 min
A first-year drummer at a elite New York music conservatory is picked for the school's top jazz ensemble by its feared conductor. What follows is a tense two-man study of ambition, practice and approval, filmed with the pressure of a thriller.
Why it matters in cinema history
A defining film of the 2010s American independent scene, and an influential example of a performance-based drama built with the grammar of the thriller.
Watch with intention
Watch it as a duel between two men, where drumming and conducting replace weapons.
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