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American Me

Play trailer Poster for American Me R 1992 2h 5m Crime Drama Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
73% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
As a young man, Montoya Santana (Edward James Olmos) is introduced to gang life on the tough streets of Los Angeles after spending his youth in reform school. Soon Santana finds himself facing an 18-year prison sentence. In jail, he works his way to the top of the institution's violent drug trade, but, on his release from prison, he opts for a redemptive, family-centered lifestyle. However, his gangster friends (Pepe Serna, William Forsythe) try to force him back into illegal activities.
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American Me

Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Jan 1, 2000
3.5/4
It knows these worlds. The language, the clothes, the attitudes, are all shown with the understated conviction of a director who is sure of his material. Go to Full Review Rosa Parra Latinx Lens Jul 3, 2021
8/10
Olmos's directorial debut provides a window to the experiences a gang member faces. Giving a rare complexity to its protagonist gives a layered in-depth look into why this vicious cycle continues & perhaps a possibility to break this wheel. Go to Full Review Barbara Shulgasser Common Sense Media Jun 10, 2021
2/5
At 125 minutes, American Me is long, and feels longer. Go to Full Review Malcolm L. Johnson Hartford Courant Mar 4, 2019
Throughout, Olmos dominates the film with an impassive, yet inwardly tormented performance as he wears the implacable mask of power. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Feb 12, 2007
C+
The film's intent to serve as a cautionary tale is admirable, but Olmos acts better than he directs, and the film is shapeless and disjointed. . Go to Full Review Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Feb 7, 2005
2/5
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Audience Reviews

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prawnda S @RT72497680 Aug 8, 2026 some aspects of this movie are decent, it's reasonably entertaining, but it seems consistently exaggerated for shock value and has little respect for realism or accuracy. there's also a ton of randomly cast white people who are essentially doing brownface sans makeup. See more Damon G @Dmoney420 Feb 22, 2026 Super dope movie 10 out of 10 See more Chris R @Creeves Dec 1, 2025 Throughout, Olmos dominates the film with an impassive, yet inwardly tormented performance as he wears the implacable mask of power. See more Yossam I @Yossam Jul 7, 2025 Throughout, Olmos dominates the film with an impassive, yet inwardly tormented performance as he wears the implacable mask of power. See more Adam Y @Adyacht Jun 18, 2025 It knows these worlds. The language, the clothes, the attitudes, are all shown with the understated conviction of a director who is sure of his material. See more Camero W @RT71510397 Nov 22, 2024 This movie was savage. I wasn’t ready ! See more Read all reviews
American Me

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Edward James Olmos

Director

Edward James Olmos

Montoya Santana

William Forsythe

J.D.

Pepe Serna

Mundo

Danny De La Paz

Puppet

Evelina Fernandez

Julie

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American Me

American Me (1992) American Me (1992) American Me (1992) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis As a young man, Montoya Santana (Edward James Olmos) is introduced to gang life on the tough streets of Los Angeles after spending his youth in reform school. Soon Santana finds himself facing an 18-year prison sentence. In jail, he works his way to the top of the institution's violent drug trade, but, on his release from prison, he opts for a redemptive, family-centered lifestyle. However, his gangster friends (Pepe Serna, William Forsythe) try to force him back into illegal activities.
Director
Edward James Olmos
Producer
Robert M. Young, Sean Daniel
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
Universal Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 13, 1992, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.3M
Runtime
2h 5m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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