Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- irreverent
- witty
- tense
- casual movie night
- 1990s comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the central race-and-class satire promising but undermined by sitcom-like execution and a weaker, conventional buddy-comedy third act.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Andrew is mistaken for a burglar by armed police because of his race, while Chief Tolliver attempts to conceal the mistake.
Successful writer Andrew Sterling and imprisoned thief Amos Odell must work together despite their sharply different backgrounds.
Chief Tolliver recruits Amos to stage Andrew's kidnapping and ransom escape as cover for police misconduct.
The film treats racism, police brutality, and racial injustice through mismatched-buddy-comedy and sitcom conventions.
Films like Amos & Andrew, and why
48 Hrs.
mismatched criminal partnership, comic police pursuit, and race-conscious buddy-comedy structure
The Last Boy Scout
action-comedy pairing of volatile outsiders with crime, policing, and escalating pursuit
Nothing to Lose
satirical treatment of racial prejudice through an unlikely partnership and institutional absurdity
Blue Streak
crime farce combining social commentary, mistaken assumptions, and broad buddy-comedy momentum
Movie Details
- Director
- E. Max Frye
- Release Date
- 1993-03-05
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (192)
Cast
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Nicolas Cage
- Michael Lerner
- Margaret Colin
- Dabney Coleman
- Brad Dourif
- Chelcie Ross
- Jordan Lund
- I.M. Hobson
- Jeff Blumenkrantz
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Amos & Andrew about?
- A successful Black writer and a jailed thief become reluctant partners after a racist police blunder turns a cover-up into a dangerous hostage charade.
- What is Amos & Andrew like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Amos & Andrew as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Amos & Andrew violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Amos & Andrew as moderate.
- What did critics think of Amos & Andrew?
- Critics generally found the central race-and-class satire promising but undermined by sitcom-like execution and a weaker, conventional buddy-comedy third act.
- Which films are like Amos & Andrew?
- Films with a similar feel include 48 Hrs., The Last Boy Scout, Nothing to Lose, and Blue Streak.
- How long is Amos & Andrew?
- Amos & Andrew runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch Amos & Andrew?
- In United States, Amos & Andrew is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
