: The film has been criticized for its simplistic and potentially problematic portrayal of Middle Eastern politics and "American vigilante" themes, which some found dated or irresponsible.
“I actually found this movie to be not too bad actually. It is far from a cinematic masterpiece but it is a pretty solid action/revenge movie.” Metacritic American AssassinHD
: Director Michael Cuesta, drawing on his experience from Homeland , crafts several intense and bloody action sequences. The opening beach massacre is particularly harrowing and effective at establishing the stakes. : The film has been criticized for its
: Easily the film's strongest asset, Keaton brings a fierce, "crazy Bruce Wayne" energy to the role of the grizzled trainer. He elevates every scene he is in, particularly a graphic torture sequence where his character's sheer grit is on full display. The opening beach massacre is particularly harrowing and
Released in 2017 and based on the best-selling novel by Vince Flynn, American Assassin is a gritty spy thriller that attempts to launch a new action icon in Mitch Rapp. While it delivers visceral, hard-hitting action and a standout performance from Michael Keaton, it ultimately falls into generic territory that prevents it from reaching the heights of franchises like Bourne or John Wick .
The film follows Mitch Rapp (Dylan O'Brien), a man consumed by rage after witnessing the murder of his fiancée in a brutal terrorist attack. This trauma fuels his singular mission: to hunt down those responsible. His relentless self-training catches the eye of the CIA, specifically Deputy Director Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan), who recruits him into a shadowy black-ops unit.