Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- volatile
- melancholic
- jazz listening night
- music film marathon
What critics said
Critics found the film an inventive but uneven Miles Davis portrait, elevated by Don Cheadle’s performance and musical energy despite its digressive storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film explores Miles Davis through an imaginative, nontraditional account rather than a straightforward cradle-to-career timeline.
Miles’s music and career history provide the central pathway for exploring his identity, relationships, and past.
The film presents Davis’s life through an idiosyncratic, energetic perspective shaped by jazz sensibility.
Miles is portrayed as a musician resisting fixed expectations while navigating his reputation as a historical figure.
Films like Miles Ahead, and why
Ray
music-centered biographical drama with an unconventional portrait of a legendary artist
I’m Not There
stylized musician biopic driven by a commanding lead performance and creative mythology
Bird
jazz biographical drama combining artistic achievement with personal turmoil
Love & Mercy
intimate, performance-focused portrait of a troubled musical genius
Movie Details
- Director
- Don Cheadle
- Release Date
- 2016-01-22
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (246)
Cast
- Don Cheadle
- Ewan McGregor
- Emayatzy Corinealdi
- Michael Stuhlbarg
- LaKeith Stanfield
- Austin Lyon
- Leticia Martinez
- Morgan Wolk
- Jeffrey Grover
- Philip Krinsky
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Miles Ahead about?
- A volatile, jazz-infused portrait of Miles Davis that treats the legend as boldly unfinished, haunted, and impossible to contain.
- What is Miles Ahead like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Miles Ahead as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Miles Ahead violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Miles Ahead as mild.
- What did critics think of Miles Ahead?
- Critics found the film an inventive but uneven Miles Davis portrait, elevated by Don Cheadle’s performance and musical energy despite its digressive storytelling.
- Which films are like Miles Ahead?
- Films with a similar feel include Ray, I’m Not There, Bird, and Love & Mercy.
- How long is Miles Ahead?
- Miles Ahead runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Miles Ahead?
- In United States, Miles Ahead is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
