Shoot the Piano Player

1h 25m · 1960 · Directed by François Truffaut · 3.8 / 5 on Letterboxd

Shoot the Piano Player (1960) runs 1h 25m, directed by François Truffaut. It is one of 3,647 films in the 100 Minute Movies catalog — every one rated 3.0 or higher by Letterboxd members and short enough to finish in an evening.

Charlie is a former classical pianist who has changed his name and now plays jazz in a grimy Paris bar. When Charlie's brothers, Richard and Chico, surface and ask for Charlie's help while on the run from gangsters they have scammed, he aids their escape. Soon Charlie and Lena, a waitress at the same bar, face trouble when the gangsters arrive, looking for his brothers.

Genres: Drama, Thriller, Crime

Where to watch: HBO Max (US, checked 9 July 2026)