The American
An ambitious American ballerina enters Moscow's brutal Bolshoi Academy, where artistic greatness demands a perilous confrontation with power and endurance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- intense
- bitter
- edgy
- focused weekend viewing
- dance film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's compelling moral tension, striking choreography, handheld cinematography, and performances by Talia Ryder and Diane Kruger.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joy enters the notoriously demanding Bolshoi Ballet Academy and confronts its relentless standards.
Tatiyana Volkova's student-teacher relationship with Joy combines artistic instruction with a bitter, coercive power dynamic.
The film uses ballet training and performance as sources of squirm-inducing suspense and physical danger.
The reported handheld cinematography closely observes Joy's training and the demanding choreography.
Films like The American, and why
Whiplash
shared student-teacher intensity, artistic ambition, psychological pressure, and obsessive performance culture
Black Swan
shared ballet setting, bodily discipline, psychological strain, and visually heightened performance sequences
The Novice
shared true-story sports-drama structure, determined young protagonist, institutional obstacles, and inspirational ambition
Billy Elliot
shared dance-centered drama, rigorous training, mentorship conflict, and emotionally charged performance
Movie Details
- Director
- James Napier Robertson
- Release Date
- 2023-11-02
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (101)
Cast
- Talia Ryder
- Diane Kruger
- Oleg Ivenko
- Natasha Alderslade
- Natalia Osipova
- Charlotte Ubben
- Borys Szyc
- Tomasz Kot
- Karolina Gruszka
- Martin Hugh Henley
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 ambitious American ballerina enters Moscow's brutal Bolshoi Academy, where artistic greatness demands a perilous confrontation with power and endurance.
- What is The American like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The American as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The American violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The American as mild.
- What did critics think of The American?
- Critics broadly praised the film's compelling moral tension, striking choreography, handheld cinematography, and performances by Talia Ryder and Diane Kruger.
- Which films are like The American?
- Films with a similar feel include Whiplash, Black Swan, The Novice, and Billy Elliot.
- How long is The American?
- The American runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch The American?
- In United States, The American streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
