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Thurston Moore

Thurston Moore

Actor and composer · Born July 25, 1958 (68) · Coral Gables, Florida, USA

Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. Moore was ranked 34th in Rolling Stone's 2004 edition of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." In May 2012, Spin published a staff-selected top 100 ranking Moore and his Sonic Youth bandmate Lee Ranaldo together on number 1.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 25, 1958 (68)
From
Coral Gables, Florida, USA
Works as
Actor and composer
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 64 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 64 days to Oct 27Down 25% in 30 days

What are Thurston Moore's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
47%
Self
20%
Ideas
12%
Survival
8%
Power
5%
Morality
4%
Bonds
3%
Community7 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFaith2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 9 · Serious 3 · Dark 0

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 6 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
8
Melancholic
5
Warm
4
Joyful
3
Bittersweet
3
Other
8

How their films linger

Bittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous5
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Thurston Moore's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Thurston Moore's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

64 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page; 72 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Last Critic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Actor

  • The Wizard of the Kremlin(2025)

    as Synthesizer Player

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Sonic Youth: Live in 1991 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Actor

  • Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story(2024)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Black Lodge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Executive Producer

  • Irma Vep(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • 2020 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Composer

  • Fire Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Executive Producer

  • Sonic Youth: NYC and Beyond (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Actor

  • Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Actor

  • Desolation Center(2018)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Station to Station(2015)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Lou Reed - Remembered (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Actor

  • I'm Now: The Story of Mudhoney(2012)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Hardcore Collection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as (archive footage)

  • Sonic Youth: Live at SWU Festival 2011 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • Sonic Youth: Maquinaria Festival (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • Clean (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Composer

  • Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Composer

  • William S. Burroughs: A Man Within(2010)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Sonic Youth & The Black Keys: Live at Austin City Limits 2011 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Actor

  • Ecstatic Peace Archives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Actor

  • I Was Jack Goldstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Composer

  • Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Composer

  • Extra Action (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Composer

  • Cut Shorts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Actor

  • Sonic Youth: Live at Eurockéennes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • Day Trip Maryanne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • Sonic Youth: Corporate Ghost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Actor

  • Sonic Youth: Corporate Ghost (The Videos: 1990-2002) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • Sonic Youth: Live at Soundstage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Performer

  • Sonic Youth: Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui (April 12, 2003) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Actor

  • Demonlover(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Things Behind the Sun(2001)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Sonic Youth: Live in São Paulo 2000 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Gilmore Girls(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Cool Dad Troubadour

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Hardcore Collection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Sonic Youth: Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Actor

  • Sonic Youth: Rocknacht - Live In Dusseldorf 1996 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Actor

  • Heavy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Composer

  • An Introduction to Harmolodics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Actor

  • Sonic Youth: Screaming Fields of Sonic Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Actor

  • Nirvana Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!(1994)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Space Ghost Coast to Coast(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Fred Cracklin

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Changing Fashions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Actor

  • Sonic Youth: Live at Campo Pequeno Lisboa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Actor

  • Grunge Pedal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Actor

  • 1991: The Year Punk Broke(1992)

    Title Designer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Skeeno H.C. Rules (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Actor

  • Goo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director · Writer · as Self

  • Rap Damage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Actor

  • Hippy Porn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Composer

  • Notebook (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Actor

  • Weatherman '69 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Jeff Jones

  • Sonic Youth: 930 Club (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • Made in U.S.A.(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Submit to Me Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Composer

  • Sonic Youth: Mississippi Nights, St. Louis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Actor

  • Sublapse Video Mag 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Actor

  • Sonic Youth: Gila Monster Jamboree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Actor

  • Submit to Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Actor

  • Rock My Religion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Idea

  • Sonic Youth - Gila Monster Jamboree - January 5, 1985 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Sonic Youth: Tibetan Freedom Concert 1996 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 37th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 64 titles, 62 of them dated from 1984 to 2026; peak year 1994.

Biggest box office

The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)

$433K worldwide

Highest rated

The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

19842026

Peak 1994 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1985Screen debut· Submit to Me

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting44 of 64: 44 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score91stDirecting2 of 64: 1 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting2 of 64: 1 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing2 of 64: 2 only producing, 0 with another roleMusic14 of 64: 14 only music, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thOther crew1 of 64: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1980s9 · 6 acting · 3 crew1990s16 · 12 acting · 4 crew2000s14 · 9 acting · 5 crew2010s15 · 11 acting · 4 crew2020s8 · 4 acting · 4 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Thurston Moore's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 82nd percentile, the median of all 11; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 82nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th4

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 14 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · composer

Made in U.S.A. (1987)

60th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Nirvana Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! (1994)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Thurston Moore work with?

People who share at least 2 of Thurston Moore's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kim Gordon shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Editors

Producers

Mixed roles