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The American

Play trailer Poster for The American R Released Sep 1, 2010 1h 45m Mystery & Thriller Drama Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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64% Tomatometer 223 Reviews 39% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
When an assignment in Sweden ends badly, master assassin Jack (George Clooney) retreats to the Italian countryside with the intention of remaining anonymous. In an uncharacteristic move, he becomes friends with a local priest and pursues a torrid romance with a beautiful woman (Violante Placido). But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be making a fatal mistake.
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The American

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Critics Consensus

As beautifully shot as it is emotionally restrained, The American is an unusually divisive spy thriller -- and one that rests on an unusually subdued performance from George Clooney.

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Critics Reviews

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Deborah Ross The Spectator This is a western wrapped up in an Abruzzo tourism brochure, but that's OK. I now know it's my favourite kind of cowboy film. Aug 30, 2018 Full Review Michael Atkinson Sight & Sound The American is in fact a double-stunner - a retro-ish Euro-espionage thriller that's written, acted and directed as if it were still 1974. Jul 10, 2018 Full Review Caryn James Newsday The American doesn't set out to be anything other than a twisty, deliberate film that relies on suspense and paranoia more than car chases and gunplay. The problem is that even on its own artsy terms, the film falls apart long before the end. Feb 7, 2018 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review The entire picture relies on Clooney’s characterization, but the script by Rowan Joffe, based on the novel A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth, offers nothing but atmosphere without feeling. Rated: 1.5/4 Aug 9, 2023 Full Review Graeme Tuckett The Post NZ If you're a fan of Jim Jarmusch and Nic Roeg, you might enjoy what Corbijn is trying to do here. Otherwise, don't bother. Nov 11, 2022 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Despite its title, The American, is a pretentious European cut. [Full review in Spanish] Jul 20, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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David L I saw The American shortly after it came out. The story line was thin, to say the least. So little effort was put into the writing, acting and direction, and it showed. So little, in fact, that they couldn’t be bothered to get basic details right: the assembly of the suppressor was nonsense – a bunch of washers won't work – and for future reference, muzzle velocity is NEVER measured in miles per hour, always feet or meters per second. Lazy! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 06/07/25 Full Review tim s The idyllic Italian scenery is gorgeous, but that's all I can say positively about this one. This mystery thriller is sleep-inducing. Not even George Clooney's charisma could save this one. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 05/02/25 Full Review Shane O It did have a nice pace and feel to it , acting was good , but the story was lacking and I guessed the ending before it happened. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/18/25 Full Review Helen W You could fast forward and miss bits and it wouldn’t matter and, really, that would be the best option…or better still- don’t bother as it just means you’ll have more of your life to do something with . Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/25 Full Review Shaz B Just sex and nudity for the sake of it. Adds nothing to the story at all. Boring plot and seriously self indulgent. Could have been so much better. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/21/25 Full Review Cj P I honestly thought this movie was fantastic. I was not expecting it to be this good. George Clooney is great Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/29/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Anton Corbijn

Director

George Clooney

Jack

Violante Placido

Clara

Thekla Reuten

Mathilde

Paolo Bonacelli

Father Benedetto

Johan Leysen

Pavel

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Movie Info

Synopsis When an assignment in Sweden ends badly, master assassin Jack (George Clooney) retreats to the Italian countryside with the intention of remaining anonymous. In an uncharacteristic move, he becomes friends with a local priest and pursues a torrid romance with a beautiful woman (Violante Placido). But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be making a fatal mistake.
Director
Anton Corbijn
Producer
Anne Carey, Jill Green, Ann Wingate, Grant Heslov, George Clooney
Screenwriter
Rowan Joffe
Distributor
Focus Features
Production Co
This Is That Productions, Greenlit Productions, Smoke House
Rating
R (Sexual Content|Nudity|Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 1, 2010, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 14, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$35.6M
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital, DTS
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