Rating: 4/5 stars
Verdict: "American Gangster" is flawed. It's based on a true story, but it's not remotely accurate. On rewatch, the missteps in Ridley Scott's crime epic become more apparent than at first glance. And yet, there's no denying this movie is incredible. Maybe it's more than the sum of its parts; maybe it's Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe putting in career performances. But despite its flaws, this drama remains a great movie and a must-watch.
Where to watch: Stream "American Gangster" for free on Tubi
When people think of Denzel Washington, they often think of "American Gangster." It's an iconic performance and a movie I've been looking forward to during my Denzel Watchathon.
Now that I've rewatched it with real focus, though, I will admit it's not a flawless movie. I used to think of it as a contender for the best Denzel movie of all time, but it's a clear step down from "Crimson Tide" and "Training Day." It's instead in the same tier as "Remember the Titans," which is a great movie, but also flawed.
Just like in "Remember the Titans," however, these flaws aren't really anything Denzel is doing. He's putting on a masterful performance worthy of an Oscar (yet wasn't even nominated). There are lines from this movie that you still quote. When you use the GIF of Denzel saying, "My man," that's from this movie.
No, unfortunately for Denzel, the faults of this movie come almost entirely from its screenplay.
If you want to watch this movie before you read on, I have great news. Right now, "American Gangster is streaming on Tubi, one of the best free streaming services. Go stream it now for free while you still can.
Malcolm has been with the Streaming team at Tom's Guide since 2023, reviewing dozens of movies each year so you don't have to watch the bad ones.
'American Gangster' centers around two incredible actors, for better and worse
Now, I'm not one to just sit here and besmirch Steve Zaillian. How that man has only one Oscar is beyond me. But in this instance, I think the story he's telling could have benefited from being far narrower in scope.
"American Gangster" is about the rise and fall of New York gangster Frank Lucas (Washington). He rose to prominence because of his "Blue Magic" heroin, which was higher quality and lower priced than the competition. The reason he could offer such a superior product? He got it straight from the source in Southeast Asia.
Here are the other Denzel Washington movies I've covered so far in our Denzel Watchathon:
- "Carbon Copy" (1981)
- "A Soldier's Story" (1984)
- "Power" (1986)
- "Cry Freedom" (1987)
- "For Queen and Country" (1988)
- "The Mighty Quinn" (1989)
- "Glory" (1989)
- "Heart Condition" (1990)
- "Mo' Better Blues" (1990)
- "Mississippi Masala" (1991)
- "Ricochet" (1992)
- "Malcolm X" (1992)
- "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993)
- "The Pelican Brief" (1993)
- "Philadelphia" (1993)
- "Crimson Tide" (1995)
- "Virtuosity" (1995)
- "Devil in a Blue Dress" (1995)
- "Courage Under Fire" (1996)
- "The Preacher's Wife" (1996)
- "Fallen" (1998)
- "He Got Game" (1998)
- "The Siege" (1998)
- "The Bone Collector" (1999)
- "The Hurricane" (1999)
- "Remember the Titans" (2000)
- "Training Day" (2001)
- "John Q" (2002)
- "Antwone Fisher" (2002)
- "Out of Time" (2003)
- "Man on Fire" (2004)
- "The Manchurian Candidate" (2004)
- "Inside Man" (2006)
- "Déjà Vu" (2006)
Except "American Gangster" isn't just about Frank. Despite clearly being the titular gangster, this movie is just as much about Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe). He's the Newark detective who brought down Frank and ultimately prosecuted him as well.
Now, this movie says it's based on a true story, but nearly everyone involved with the real Frank Lucas says that it's mostly made up or heavily dramatized. In fact, Richie didn't even arrest Frank, though it was his investigation that was integral in bringing down the drug lord.
I don't care about any of that, to be frank. I'm here to see a great movie. If I need the truth, I have Wikipedia. But this movie really does give Frank and Richie equal time on the screen, and that undercuts the momentum at times.
To me, on this watch, it seems clear the story director, Ridley Scott and Zaillian really want to tell is Richie's. Centered around Frank, to be sure, but still Richie's story nonetheless. The problem is that Frank is a far more compelling and electric character. I think Crowe puts on a great performance, but he doesn't even come close to the scene where Denzel executes Idris Elba in broad daylight on a Harlem street.
Because Frank is so compelling, arguably, more focus should have been given to him, with Richie taking on a more supporting role. That's not to say that they couldn't still be dueling leads, but one of these guys is in a biopic about a rise from rags to riches that makes you root for a criminal. The other guy is in a movie about a cop trying to become a lawyer who is suddenly thrust into a crime thriller with a New York kingpin. They're two different movies.
Verdict: 'American Gangster is still a must-watch
Despite this structural flaw, there's no denying "American Gangster" is awesome. It's no exaggeration when I say (again) that this is a seminal work in Denzel's career. It might even have the best scene he's ever acted in on screen.
Crowe is also great, even if not quite as good as Denzel. He does, however, get to show off his action star chops in a climactic drug den raid. If the Idris scene is the highlight of the movie, then the raid is a fairly close second.
So if you haven't seen this movie in the past year, I recommend giving yourself some time to watch it again. You'll need about three hours. Lucky for you, though, you won't need to pay to stream this one. If you can just suffer through some ads, you can watch it for free on Tubi. But hurry, it could disappear any day.
Stream "American Gangster" for free on Tubi
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