Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Atmospheric, slow-burn thriller has shocking violence.
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American Star
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In AMERICAN STAR, hired killer Wilson (Ian McShane) arrives on the picturesque island of Fuerteventura for a job. But his target doesn't show up when expected -- instead, a woman, Gloria (Nora Arnezeder), appears in the target's house. Wilson slips away and decides to stay until he can finish his assignment. He meets a young boy, Max (Oscar Coleman), at his hotel, and discovers that Gloria is a bartender at a blues joint. Wilson becomes interested in a shipwreck on the other side of the island, a boat called the American Star. Then a man who appears to be Wilson's nephew, Ryan (Adam Nagaitis), turns up on the island, seemingly to keep an eye on him. Wilson ends up spending more and more time with Gloria, even meeting Gloria's mother (Fanny Ardant). Will Wilson be able to go through with the job, or has he become too involved?
Is It Any Good?
This slow-burn thriller that seems either purposely opaque or confusingly written still manages to captivate thanks to its commanding lead performance and gorgeous landscapes. There's no shortage of "the lonely life of hitmen" movies, and American Star isn't much different, but it has a few good things going for it. The great McShane, with his weathered face and grizzled voice, gives his hired-killer character weight; Wilson is a man of few words, but he hasn't lost his humanity. He's capable of kindness and curiosity, as well as cold-bloodedness. Director Gonzalo López-Gallego places this singular figure in a unique landscape, a wind-swept island paradise with dirt roads, luxurious hotels, and a rusting shipwreck. It's nothing if not poetic.
It's possible that, like similar movies The American and The Killer, American Star might be paying tribute to French crime thrillers of the 1960s (like the masterful Le Samouraï), which could explain the vagueness of its plot; character and mood are more important in those kinds of movies. But even though it's difficult to pinpoint the nature of the story's flaws, the rest is enough to overcome them.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about American Star's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How are drinking and smoking portrayed? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Why are so many movies made about hired killers? What's fascinating about these characters?
How do you think the metaphor of the shipwreck (the "American Star" of the title) fits in with the rest of the story?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 26, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : January 26, 2024
- Cast : Ian McShane , Nora Arnezeder , Adam Nagaitis
- Director : Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : IFC Films
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 106 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and some bloody violence
- Last updated : January 24, 2024
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