Overview
A gripping tale of ambition and betrayal in the drug underworld of Harlem.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- gritty
- propulsive
- morally conflicted
- crime movie night
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film gritty, entertaining, well-paced, and elevated by the commanding performances of Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, while noting that its familiar biographical crime-drama framework offers limited novelty.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Frank Lucas builds a heroin empire while Richie Roberts leads the narcotics task force targeting him.
The film renders late-1960s and 1970s Harlem, narcotics policing, nightlife, and Vietnam-era trafficking networks in detailed historical style.
Lucas's operation intersects with organized crime and compromised law-enforcement figures, while Roberts confronts corruption within the police system.
Lucas competes through direct sourcing, superior product, and lower prices while heroin devastates Harlem communities.
Films like American Gangster, and why
The Departed
shared neo-noir crime drama, organized crime, dual protagonists, and morally compromised institutions
Scarface
shared biographical gangster narrative, drug trafficking, period setting, and charismatic criminal protagonist
Serpico
shared crime thriller structure, police corruption, narcotics investigation, and 1970s urban atmosphere
The French Connection
shared true-crime drama, law-enforcement pursuit, organized crime, and richly detailed period reconstruction
Movie Details
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Release Date
- 2007-11-02
- Runtime
- 157 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (6260)
Cast
- Denzel Washington
- Russell Crowe
- Josh Brolin
- Chiwetel Ejiofor
- Cuba Gooding Jr.
- Lymari Nadal
- Ted Levine
- Armand Assante
- John Ortiz
- John Hawkes
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV, MGM Plus, Starz 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 Gangster about?
- A calculating Harlem drug kingpin and an incorruptible narcotics detective wage parallel campaigns through the corruption and violence of 1970s New York.
- What is American Gangster like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of American Gangster as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is American Gangster violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in American Gangster as brutal.
- What did critics think of American Gangster?
- Critics broadly found the film gritty, entertaining, well-paced, and elevated by the commanding performances of Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, while noting that its familiar biographical crime-drama framework offers limited novelty.
- Which films are like American Gangster?
- Films with a similar feel include The Departed, Scarface, Serpico, and The French Connection.
- How long is American Gangster?
- American Gangster runs 157 minutes.
- Where can I watch American Gangster?
- In United States, American Gangster streams on YouTube TV, MGM Plus, Starz Apple TV channel.
