Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- oppressive
- bleak
- serious viewing
- true crime marathon
What critics said
Critics were divided, with some praising Catherine Keener's portrayal of Gertrude Baniszewski and the television-drama intensity while others found the script and direction underdeveloped.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film gives Gertrude and the children recognizable grievances and motivations while depicting their collective abuse of Sylvia.
The Indianapolis household and its basement become the enclosed setting for escalating abuse and terror.
The story focuses not only on Gertrude but also on the children and surrounding community participating in or enabling the crime.
Gertrude Baniszewski and Paula Baniszewski receive interior motivations that complicate, without excusing, their actions.
Films like An American Crime, and why
The Girl Next Door
shared true-crime subject matter, child abuse, institutional failure, and harrowing dramatic realism
Mysterious Skin
shared historical crime drama framework, disturbing abuse, and focus on perpetrators within a dysfunctional household
In Cold Blood
shared biographical crime subject, courtroom aftermath, and bleak examination of collective complicity
The Nightingale
shared real-world atrocity, oppressive domestic setting, and emotionally severe crime drama tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Tommy O'Haver
- Release Date
- 2007-07-27
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (795)
Cast
- Catherine Keener
- Elliot Page
- James Franco
- Bradley Whitford
- Ari Graynor
- Nick Searcy
- Michael O'Keefe
- Romy Rosemont
- Jeremy Sumpter
- Evan Peters
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon 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 An American Crime about?
- A harrowing true-crime drama follows a neglected teenager trapped in a household where poverty, resentment, and collective cruelty escalate into unimaginable abuse.
- What is An American Crime like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of An American Crime as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is An American Crime violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in An American Crime as graphic.
- What did critics think of An American Crime?
- Critics were divided, with some praising Catherine Keener's portrayal of Gertrude Baniszewski and the television-drama intensity while others found the script and direction underdeveloped.
- Which films are like An American Crime?
- Films with a similar feel include The Girl Next Door, Mysterious Skin, In Cold Blood, and The Nightingale.
- How long is An American Crime?
- An American Crime runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch An American Crime?
- In United States, An American Crime streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
