American Gangster

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American Gangster

R

2007

2h 37m

Crime

Drama

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

213 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Frank Lucas earns his living as a chauffeur to one of Harlem's leading mobsters. After his boss dies, Frank uses his own ingenuity and strict business code to become one of the inner city's most powerful crime bosses. Veteran cop Richie Roberts senses a change in the mob's power structure and looks for ways to bring his opponent to justice.

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Critics Consensus

American Gangster is a gritty and entertaining throwback to classic gangster films, with its lead performers firing on all cylinders.

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Alonso Duralde

MSNBC

05/01/2008

2/5

Telling a true story doesn't excuse a filmmaker from making his movie stand out from the many others that have traversed similar ground.

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David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

02/12/2008

4/5

Best of all, there are top-flight performances from both Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe who create interesting, rounded characters out of potential clichés.

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Amy Nicholson

I.E. Weekly

02/03/2008

B

Scott's not interested in fireworks but small implosions of the soul and ego.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

06/11/2023

Scott evokes the crime cinema of the seventies with his mix of gritty police thriller and sprawling crime epic (with a sprinkling of blaxploitation excess).... But its roots are equally in the rise-and-fall gangster thrillers of the eighties and nineties.

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Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

11/20/2022

5/5

Despite having a personal connection to the story in this film, I also love this movie for the dialogue, performances (particularly Denzel's) and the music.

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Brandon Collins

Medium Popcorn

11/20/2022

4/5

Very solid performances anchored by Denzel. I think they could have trimmed 15-20 minutes of the Russell Crowe storyline and it would have been a near perfect film.

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Wayne

12/08/2024

Definitely worth watching

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Stoner J

@Stoner Mar 8

An underrated gangster flick, big time. It’s directed perfectly with the action scenes inducing anxiety, and is never dull. It also has many comedic parts. It’s a great movie from start to finish and although I love Alien, I think it’s Ridley Scott’s best film.

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Kauã M

@KauaMiguel Feb 21

A film I expected nothing from, but it delivered everything. It's long and captivating from the first minute. The film skillfully manages its excellent cast throughout the two hours, and especially its protagonists, with actors perfectly suited to their respective roles.

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Per S

@RT83737705 Feb 6

Every character is great - except from Denzel Washington. He just doesn't fit this role.

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Yaaron R

@KompetenterMedi Feb 2

Power, patience, and the cost American Gangster is a long crime film that earns its runtime through clean pacing and two commanding leads. Denzel Washington plays Frank Lucas with calm control and rare, shocking ferocity, making him fascinating even when he is terrifying. Russell Crowe is solid as Richie Roberts, an honest cop surrounded by corruption, and the dynamic between them works even with limited shared scenes. The film’s best angle is the contrast between Lucas’ polished wealth and the relentless damage his drugs inflict every day, every hour, every minute. A frustration is that Cuba Gooding Jr. feels underused. Still, this is a very strong watch, elevated by performance and purpose.

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Enrique R

@EnriqueRamosLovesMovies Jan 20

American Gangster, one of me and my dad’s favorite movies ever. I love the story, the plot, the entertainment. It’s so crazy that is based on a true story. Everyone does great. Denzel Washington did great as Frank Lucas, other actors did great, also like Russell Crowe, T.I, Common. Everybody did great. Overall, I give American Gangster a 10/10 or a 5/5 stars.

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Ridley Scott

Director

Denzel Washington

Frank Lucas

Russell Crowe

Richie Roberts

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Huey Lucas

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Nicky Barnes

Josh Brolin

Detective Trupo

American Gangster: Official Clip - Don't Lie to Your Mother

1:52

American Gangster: Official Clip - Progress

2:59

American Gangster: Official Clip - The End For Frank

1:42

American Gangster: Official Clip - Heroin House Raid

2:45

American Gangster: Official Clip - Above the Mafia

1:52

American Gangster: Official Clip - Drive-By Shooting

1:49

American Gangster: Official Clip - Diluting the Brand

2:54

American Gangster: Official Clip - Somebody Or Nobody

2:00

American Gangster: Official Clip - The Right Thing To Do

2:26

American Gangster: Official Clip - Fed Up

2:08

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Synopsis

Frank Lucas earns his living as a chauffeur to one of Harlem's leading mobsters. After his boss dies, Frank uses his own ingenuity and strict business code to become one of the inner city's most powerful crime bosses. Veteran cop Richie Roberts senses a change in the mob's power structure and looks for ways to bring his opponent to justice.

Director: Ridley Scott
Producer: Brian Grazer, Dan Griffin
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Scott Free Productions
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Pervasive Drug Content|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 2, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 13, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $130.1M
Runtime: 2h 37m
Sound Mix: SDDS, DTS, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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