Quartile rating: 5/10 · 1 rating
Following the murder of his fiancée, Mitch Rapp trains under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley. The pair then is enlisted to investigate a wave of apparently random attacks on military and civilian targets.
American Assassin is a competent but formulaic spy-action thriller that hits familiar beats without much surprise. The plot follows a well-worn revenge-to-operative pipeline with a predictable rogue-agent twist. Dylan O'Brien brings some energy to Mitch Rapp and Michael Keaton elevates his scenes as the gruff mentor Hurley, keeping the acting serviceable to above average. Cinematography is workmanlike — functional action sequences but nothing visually distinctive. Novelty is low; the film is essentially a by-the-numbers CIA origin story drawing heavily from Vince Flynn's novel but offering little that separates it from dozens of similar post-9/11 thrillers. The ending, involving a nuclear device and a climactic water detonation, is rushed and underwhelming, failing to deliver a satisfying payoff to the setup.