Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- irreverent
- witty
- breezy
- action movie night
- true crime night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film fast, highly watchable, and energized by Tom Cruise's charismatic performance, while noting its loose treatment of real events.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Barry Seal addresses the camera and records an account of his increasingly illicit career, filtering history through his buoyant self-image.
The CIA's operations, cartel dealings, and Iran-Contra-linked events are rendered with breezy humor rather than solemn political-drama conventions.
Barry's piloting skill makes him valuable first to the CIA and later to traffickers, arms dealers, and money launderers.
Barry moves fluidly between intelligence missions, drug smuggling, gun running, and laundering money for powerful institutions and criminal networks.
Films like American Made, and why
The Wolf of Wall Street
shared true-crime subject, charismatic rule-breaking protagonist, brisk action-comedy tone, and drug-trafficking milieu
War Dogs
shared 1980s espionage, government conspiracy, criminal enterprise, and satirical historical perspective
Blow
shared fast-paced crime storytelling, morally compromised ambition, dark humor, and kinetic visual energy
Charlie Wilson's War
shared covert operations, political scandal, comic irreverence, and a reckless antihero navigating government power
Movie Details
- Director
- Doug Liman
- Release Date
- 2017-08-18
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (5143)
Cast
- Tom Cruise
- Domhnall Gleeson
- Sarah Wright
- Jesse Plemons
- Caleb Landry Jones
- Lola Kirke
- Jayma Mays
- Alejandro Edda
- Benito Martinez
- E. Roger Mitchell
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- 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 American Made about?
- A daredevil pilot becomes the indispensable courier for a covert American operation that spirals into cartel crime and political scandal.
- What is American Made like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of American Made as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is American Made violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in American Made as moderate.
- What did critics think of American Made?
- Critics broadly found the film fast, highly watchable, and energized by Tom Cruise's charismatic performance, while noting its loose treatment of real events.
- Which films are like American Made?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wolf of Wall Street, War Dogs, Blow, and Charlie Wilson's War.
- How long is American Made?
- American Made runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch American Made?
- In United States, American Made streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
