Parents' Guide to

American Ultra

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Extremely violent, bloody drug comedy believes in true love.

Movie R 2015 96 minutes
American Ultra Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Pres
Pres Adult
March 7, 2020
age 18+

Graphic Sex -Graphic Violence 21++++++

This movie was AWFUL! This was so far from God and definitely not for teens or adults!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Cabahara Macoto
Cabahara Macoto Adult
August 31, 2018
age 18+

Incompatible with Christianity

We have a woman carrying a gun on the dvd, and you still need to read a review to find out if it's within Christianity? You better study God's laws and commandments to find out if you're within in...

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) lives in West Virginia and is mostly happy smoking pot and spending time with his girlfriend, Phoebe (Kristen Stewart). They try to go to Hawaii for a romantic getaway, but an anxiety attack prevents them from leaving. And when Mike is attacked at his job at a local market, some kind of forgotten training kicks in, and he kills two men. The CIA takes notice, and Mike's former handler (Connie Britton) tries to save him, while a nasty, bullying agent (Topher Grace) sets up a large sting operation, including more than a dozen trained killers, to take him out. But all Mike wants to do is find the right moment to propose to Phoebe.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6):
Kids say (12):

The movie's excessive, reckless violence rolls right over most of the comedy, but the two leads are so charming together that they save the day. AMERICAN ULTRA focuses, first and foremost, on its action, with lightning-quick fight scenes and shoot outs, as well as their bloody aftermath; characters go through the story wearing blood and gore spattered into just about every crevice. (In fact, it may be destined to freak out its potential cult stoner audience!)

Unfortunately, while the screenplay by Max Landis appears to have been meant to be funny, director Nima Nourizadeh (Project X) lets the comedy dissipate as the action grows larger (though a very funny John Leguizamo helps). Grace further sours things with his sadistic performance as an evil, bullying CIA man. But, in the end, Eisenberg is so thoroughly charming, and his chemistry with Stewart (carried over from Adventureland) is so sweet, that we can't help rooting for them to succeed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the drug use and smoking in American Ultra. Is it glamorized? Does it look fun or appealing? What are the consequences? Do you think movies like this one encourage drug use, or do they reflect drug use that already exists?

  • How prevalent is violence in the movie? Is it over the top? How did you react to it? How was the violence used to achieve this reaction?

  • How is sex depicted between the main couple, and how is it represented elsewhere? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

  • Is the Topher Grace character a bully? How is he dealt with? How does it feel? What message does it send? Is there a better way of handling characters like that?

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