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American Me

Play trailer Poster for American Me R Released Mar 13, 1992 2h 5m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
73% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
As a young man, Montoya Santana (Edward James Olmos) is introduced to gang life on the tough streets of Los Angeles after spending his youth in reform school. Soon Santana finds himself facing an 18-year prison sentence. In jail, he works his way to the top of the institution's violent drug trade, but, on his release from prison, he opts for a redemptive, family-centered lifestyle. However, his gangster friends (Pepe Serna, William Forsythe) try to force him back into illegal activities.
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American Me

Critics Reviews

View All (11) Critics Reviews
Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Rated: 4.5/5 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times It knows these worlds. The language, the clothes, the attitudes, are all shown with the understated conviction of a director who is sure of his material. Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Rosa Parra Latinx Lens Olmos's directorial debut provides a window to the experiences a gang member faces. Giving a rare complexity to its protagonist gives a layered in-depth look into why this vicious cycle continues & perhaps a possibility to break this wheel. Rated: 8/10 Jul 3, 2021 Full Review Barbara Shulgasser Common Sense Media At 125 minutes, American Me is long, and feels longer. Rated: 2/5 Jun 10, 2021 Full Review Malcolm Johnson Hartford Courant Throughout, Olmos dominates the film with an impassive, yet inwardly tormented performance as he wears the implacable mask of power. Mar 4, 2019 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com The film's intent to serve as a cautionary tale is admirable, but Olmos acts better than he directs, and the film is shapeless and disjointed. . Rated: C+ Feb 12, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (447) audience reviews
Camero W This movie was savage. I wasn’t ready ! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/22/24 Full Review Rick N This movie made is one of my top 10 gangster movies… Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/26/23 Full Review M R Pretty sad film from what I recall. It's solid though, with a pretty good message. The best cholo movie though is Blood In Blood Out. Grade: 83/100 B Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/26/23 Full Review Audience Member A story of grit, and survival of the fittest. After being locked up Montoya finds the necessity to band together as a race/pack in order to stand against other predators, those who do not obey or conform to the orders assigned to them may find themselves on the chopping block, no one is safe not even the founder(s) Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review georgan g A slow, relentless telling of a sad, true tale of the Mexican Mafia. Well-acted. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This is one of those gangster classics that just never quite clicked with me. Olmos is good in it, and it's an engaging enough story, but I don't view it as a must see. I still prefer Blood In, Blood Out if we're talking about movies dealing with this subject matter. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/12/20 Full Review Read all reviews
American Me

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis As a young man, Montoya Santana (Edward James Olmos) is introduced to gang life on the tough streets of Los Angeles after spending his youth in reform school. Soon Santana finds himself facing an 18-year prison sentence. In jail, he works his way to the top of the institution's violent drug trade, but, on his release from prison, he opts for a redemptive, family-centered lifestyle. However, his gangster friends (Pepe Serna, William Forsythe) try to force him back into illegal activities.
Director
Edward James Olmos
Producer
Robert M. Young, Edward James Olmos, Sean Daniel
Screenwriter
Floyd Mutrux
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
Universal Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 13, 1992, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.3M
Runtime
2h 5m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Surround
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