Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Glacial
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- austere
- brooding
- quiet evening
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film beautifully shot and atmospherically controlled, while divided over its glacial pace and emotionally restrained performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jack’s isolated routines, limited speech, and the film’s emphasis on waiting create a notably restrained suspense experience.
Jack declares his next assignment will be his last, yet the weapon commission and contacts keep drawing him back into danger.
The construction of the commissioned weapon and Jack’s meticulous professional habits structure the central suspense.
The small Italian town, secluded spaces, and starkly composed imagery contrast pastoral beauty with Jack’s dangerous existence.
Films like The American, and why
Le Samouraï
Shared austere European setting, restrained assassin protagonist, melancholy mood, and deliberate suspense.
The Day of the Jackal
Shared neo-noir atmosphere, solitary professional killer, sparse dialogue, and fatalistic tension.
Michael Clayton
Shared slow-burn crime thriller structure, morally isolated protagonist, and emphasis on atmosphere over action.
A Most Wanted Man
Shared contemplative pacing, European locations, covert violence, and an emotionally guarded central character.
Movie Details
- Director
- Anton Corbijn
- Release Date
- 2010-08-31
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (1574)
Cast
- George Clooney
- Violante Placido
- Thekla Reuten
- Paolo Bonacelli
- Johan Leysen
- Irina Björklund
- Lars Hjelm
- Björn Granath
- Giorgio Gobbi
- Silvana Bosi
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The American about?
- An emotionally guarded American assassin hides in an Italian village, where a final weapons assignment collides with his fragile hopes for friendship and love.
- What is The American like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The American as glacial, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The American violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The American as moderate.
- What did critics think of The American?
- Critics broadly found the film beautifully shot and atmospherically controlled, while divided over its glacial pace and emotionally restrained performance.
- Which films are like The American?
- Films with a similar feel include Le Samouraï, The Day of the Jackal, Michael Clayton, and A Most Wanted Man.
- How long is The American?
- The American runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch The American?
- In United States, The American is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
