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American Star

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78% Tomatometer 32 Reviews 47% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
An assassin (Ian McShane) on a final assignment in Fuerteventura, to kill a man he has never met. When his target is delayed, he finds himself drawn to the island, people and a ghostly shipwreck.
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American Star

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Critics Consensus

Thanks in large part to the ever-watchable Ian McShane, American Star entertains as a slow-burning albeit somewhat standard thriller.

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Critics Reviews

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Leslie Felperin Guardian Although the script is a bit formulaic and fairly predictable, the treat here is seeing McShane do what he does best, which is to project a lively mind ticking away under the placid surface of a snake-like visage. Rated: 3/5 Feb 21, 2024 Full Review Rex Reed Observer Movies about professional assassins have an obligation to be juicier and more consistently fascinating than this. Rated: 1/4 Jan 29, 2024 Full Review Matt Zoller Seitz RogerEbert.com This is an unusually intelligent and purposeful movie that doesn't say much but is full of feeling. Rated: 3/4 Jan 26, 2024 Full Review Seb Jenkins Loud and Clear Reviews An action thriller, American Star is not. [...] What Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego (Apollo 18, The Hollow Point) has created is a far more subtle and introspective look into the toll violence and isolation can take on the human mind. Rated: 4/5 Aug 7, 2024 Full Review Calum Baker Radio Times Director Gonzalo López-Gallego keeps the rest of his film compelling by smartly building every scene around McShane's craggy charisma and dry charm, all set against a nicely shot succession of beautiful Canarian locations. Rated: 3/5 Jun 7, 2024 Full Review Kevin Wight The Wee Review Almost serene hitman drama is an incredible vessel for a vintage Ian McShane performance. Rich in texture and melancholy , but deliberately sparse in rollicking gun play Rated: 4 Mar 21, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Eric D There's a little mystery here but it should not be listed as a thriller. The best part of the movie was the interaction with Max, the boy from the hotel. Great acting and not a bad story but slow... really slow. Mislabeled as a mystery thriller. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/25 Full Review Haley S The main characters opposite personalities balance each other out for a beautiful film that leaves you at peace. Which is exactly what the main character was looking for all along. His counterparts wanderlust and free spirit is well accompanied to his wisdom, hardships and his yearning to finally stand still - making for a striking story of acceptance, insight and discovery of an aging man. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/16/25 Full Review Peaches S Put aside your phones because a close watch is needed to appreciate the subtlety of the cinematic style of AMERICAN STAR. Gonzalo López-Gallego’s direction is so contemplative and Nacho Faerna’s script is so pared-down, you wonder at first if anything is happening at all. But then you catch on, and the story reveals itself as a deeply emotional study on survivor’s guilt. We see how it is possible for one person to destroy multiple generations of lives by denying the life he himself could have lived if he had allowed it. There is very little dialogue. McShane is known for his voice but in this film his every thought is expressed on his craggily handsome face and in his remarkable eyes. He carries the film almost single-handedly with his unique charisma. And for a man in his 80s, he is incredibly limber and fit. The rest of the small cast is perfectly cast, each actor stands out in his or her way representing aspects of the family McShane’s character might have had in another time and place. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/12/25 Full Review Avindu G An aging assassin and a sinking wreckage comes comes face to face with realities in a tiny spot off the coast of the great cradle. It's a thriller no doubt but the movie has it's spellbinding ways to distract audience and suddenly snap them off with the killer's nerve tense encounters. Excellent performance by the cast. Stunning visuals of the Fuerteventura. Great cinematography that captures the lonely coasts of late age and the dusty desert of it's present existence. Love and lost is for soldiers of world that's what the message this tale brings to us. American star is a hitman tale from a lovingly unique and a heartbreaking perspective. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/01/24 Full Review Cyns Corner 2.75 STARS - I feel like 3 stars is a bit much, to be honest. This film dragged more often than not, and I didn't get the point of some characters (like the little boy he befriended). The location itself seemed to be almost as much of a character as the humans. The stuck/sinking ship was an interesting landmark, but the timeframe was all wrong. There were some decent enough moments, but the momentum of the story just felt bogged down by this film being longer than it needed to be. It probably would have worked better as a short film. Ian McShane did fine; he was the main reason I watched this. Video review: https://youtube.com/shorts/NPB9ZL7WPMg Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/26/24 Full Review Anne J So…..long….and….boring…..!!! The relationships are implausible, there is no storyline, what a complete waste of time! The only saving grace is the scenery. Honestly, how do these people get the money to produce such shitty movies? Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/25/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis An assassin (Ian McShane) on a final assignment in Fuerteventura, to kill a man he has never met. When his target is delayed, he finds himself drawn to the island, people and a ghostly shipwreck.
Director
Gonzalo López-Gallego
Producer
Michael Elliott, Ian McShane
Screenwriter
Nacho Faerna
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
EMU Films, Head Gear Films, Cayuga Ficción, Metrol Technology
Rating
R (Language|Some Bloody Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 26, 2024, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA)
$9.4K
Runtime
1h 47m
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