Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be honest: American Assassin is the cinematic equivalent of gas station sushi. Technically it's food, technically it's a movie, but why would you choose this?

The film opens with a brutal murder that launches our protagonist into a revenge spiral, then follows every predictable beat of the post-Bourne spy thriller playbook. Critics savaged it (34% on Rotten Tomatoes) for good reason - it's generic, uninspired, and brings nothing new to a saturated genre. Even audiences who are typically more forgiving only gave it 61%.

The violence is extreme and graphic, making it inappropriate for anyone under 17, but the storytelling is so paint-by-numbers that adults who've seen any decent action movie will be bored. It's not enriching, it's not imaginative, and it certainly doesn't model healthy emotional processing (spoiler: revenge isn't therapy).

If you're desperate for background noise and have literally exhausted every other option on your streaming service, sure, it'll fill 111 minutes. But there are dozens of better action thrillers that will actually entertain you. This one's a skip.

Age Fit

This is strictly 17+ content due to extreme violence, and even then, it's really only for adults who enjoy formulaic action thrillers. The poor critical reception and generic execution mean most viewers will forget it immediately after watching.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

25

Revenge-driven narrative following a protagonist whose fiancée is murdered; models violence as problem-solving; dark, intense tone throughout with little emotional balance or kindness. The film glorifies aggressive masculinity and retribution rather than cooperation or healthy emotional processing.

Imaginative

35

Standard revenge-thriller formula with predictable spy-action beats; offers little originality in either plot or execution. Generic 'wave of attacks' premise and mentor-student dynamic follow well-worn paths. Mediocre critical reception (34% RT critics, 45 Metacritic) suggests uninspired execution.

Safe

20

Extremely violent action thriller with graphic content including murder of fiancée as inciting incident, extensive combat violence, torture scenes typical of R-rated spy thrillers. Common Sense Media rates it 16+. This is definitively NOT content that would be appropriate for a young child to stumble upon. Multiple trigger warnings apply including graphic violence, death, and likely torture.

Enriching

30

Limited enrichment value beyond surface-level action entertainment. The revenge narrative offers little ethical complexity or personal growth beyond 'bad guys must be stopped.' No meaningful exploration of grief, trauma, or moral ambiguity. Audience scores (61% RT, 6.2 IMDb, 2.8/5 Letterboxd) suggest it's forgettable entertainment at best.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

If you're 17+ and need background noise while folding laundry, this delivers competent action sequences
Michael Keaton brings some gravitas as the grizzled mentor, even if the script doesn't deserve it
Might spark interest in the Vince Flynn book series (which are actually better)

⚠

What to Watch For

Extremely graphic violence including the murder of the protagonist's fiancée in the opening - this sets a brutal, traumatic tone
Glorifies revenge and violence as the solution to grief and trauma without exploring healthier coping
Torture scenes and intense combat throughout - this is a hard R-rated thriller
The 34% critic score isn't wrong - this is paint-by-numbers action that wastes its premise

Conversation Starters

"This movie uses revenge as the main motivation - what are healthier ways people deal with grief and trauma?"
"Why do you think critics rated this so much lower than audiences? What makes action movies 'good' versus just 'watchable'?"
"The mentor-student relationship is pretty one-note here - what makes a good mentor in real life versus movies?"

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