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American Gangster

R Released Nov 2, 2007 2h 37m Crime Drama Biography List
81% Tomatometer 217 Reviews 89% 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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American Gangster

American Gangster

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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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Critics Reviews

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Alonso Duralde MSNBC Telling a true story doesn't excuse a filmmaker from making his movie stand out from the many others that have traversed similar ground. Rated: 2/5 May 1, 2008 Full Review David Stratton At the Movies (Australia) Best of all, there are top-flight performances from both Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe who create interesting, rounded characters out of potential clichés. Rated: 4/5 Feb 12, 2008 Full Review Amy Nicholson I.E. Weekly Scott's not interested in fireworks but small implosions of the soul and ego. Rated: B Feb 3, 2008 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand 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. Jun 11, 2023 Full Review Justin Brown Medium Popcorn 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. Rated: 5/5 Nov 20, 2022 Full Review Brandon Collins Medium Popcorn 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. Rated: 4/5 Nov 20, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ron R A great movie. Denzel at his best. Otherwise, made me despise the POS crusader Ritchie Roberts. Please go dispose of yourself you despicable self righteous a**ole. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/27/24 Full Review Brian D Boring story, not Denzel's best work. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/25/24 Full Review Audience Member Such an underrated movie. I watch it at least once a year. Amazing performances. Great story. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/20/24 Full Review Sams K Denzel Washington totally rocks here! A masterpiece of gangster genre. You must watch this! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/23/24 Full Review Andy B The gangster's rise and fall story has been done plenty of times before but this one does it nearly as well as any. On the downside, I got the impression the audience was supposed to somehow sympathise with Lucas and it's difficult when he shows no care or remorse for the enormous damage he's done. Plus, for someone who spends the entire runtime talking about how much family means and having deliberately involved them in his business, he's awfully quick at helping the police lock them up to cut his own sentence. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/22/24 Full Review Ryan B Similar ground of the tale of the rise and fall of a gangster however this is one of the best to do it & Denzel’s performance is very good. I loved the music choices, the settings and the story of Lucas. However it lacks the violence and tension other gangster flicks drum up better however this is still an incredible movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/19/24 Full Review Read all reviews
American Gangster

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Cast & Crew

American Gangster

American Gangster: Official Clip - Don't Lie to Your Mother American Gangster: Official Clip - Don't Lie to Your Mother 1:52 American Gangster: Official Clip - Progress American Gangster: Official Clip - Progress 2:59 American Gangster: Official Clip - The End For Frank American Gangster: Official Clip - The End For Frank 1:42 American Gangster: Official Clip - Heroin House Raid American Gangster: Official Clip - Heroin House Raid 2:45 American Gangster: Official Clip - Above the Mafia American Gangster: Official Clip - Above the Mafia 1:52 American Gangster: Official Clip - Drive-By Shooting American Gangster: Official Clip - Drive-By Shooting 1:49 American Gangster: Official Clip - Diluting the Brand American Gangster: Official Clip - Diluting the Brand 2:54 American Gangster: Official Clip - Somebody Or Nobody American Gangster: Official Clip - Somebody Or Nobody 2:00 American Gangster: Official Clip - The Right Thing To Do American Gangster: Official Clip - The Right Thing To Do 2:26 American Gangster: Official Clip - Fed Up American Gangster: Official Clip - Fed Up 2:08 View more videos
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Movie Info

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, Ridley Scott, Dan Griffin
Screenwriter
Steven Zaillian
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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