MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for American Me

American Me

1992 · 125 min

A grim, sprawling chronicle of gang life that weighs heavily, offering little light and a slow, tragic inevitability.

Tagline
In prison they are the law. On the streets they are the power.
Overview
During his 18 years in Folsom Prison, street-gang leader Santana rules over all the drug-and-murder activities behind bars. Upon his release, Santana goes back to his old neighborhood, intending to lead a peaceful, crime-free life. But his old gang buddies force him back into his old habits.

Search YouTube for the trailer

Rent in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
More options Data from JustWatch
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • darkstrength 3 of 3
  • bleakstrength 3 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • crime
  • violence
  • betrayal
  • identity
  • family
Places
  • prison
  • big city
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • nonlinear
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language strong
  • Violence strong
  • Sex strong
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror3
Humour1
Realism8
Romance3
Tension7
Darkness9
Complexity6
Emotional weight9

More like this

Titles like American Me

Movie

Bound by Honor

1993

A sprawling, tragic saga that immerses you in its world, heavy with consequence and raw emotion.

Same writer: Floyd Mutrux · Dark, bleak, slow-burn · about violence and betrayal · nonlinear

Also
Same writer: Floyd Mutrux
Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • violence
  • betrayal
  • nonlinear
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
190 min
Details In your watch list
Bound by HonorHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Snowfall

2017–2023

A slow-building, sobering crime saga that immerses you in a world of ambition and consequence, leaving a heavy, lingering unease.

Dark, bleak · about crime and family

Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • crime
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
6
Details In your watch list
SnowfallHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Goodfellas

1990

A seductive, fast-paced rise-and-fall crime saga that immerses you in glamour and paranoia, with sharp dialogue and sudden violence.

Dark, tense · about crime and betrayal · nonlinear

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • crime
  • betrayal
  • nonlinear
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
145 min
Details In your watch list
GoodfellasHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Breaking Bad

2008–2013

A slow, suffocating descent into moral rot, powered by magnetic performances and a constant sense of dread.

Same cinematographer: Reynaldo Villalobos · Dark, bleak, slow-burn · about identity and family · nonlinear

Also
Same cinematographer: Reynaldo Villalobos
Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • identity
  • family
  • nonlinear
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Seasons
5
Details In your watch list
Breaking BadHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

City of God

2002

A dizzying, sun-scorched plunge into a violent favela underworld, told with restless energy and a cold, cumulative sense of doom.

Dark, bleak · about crime and violence · nonlinear

Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • crime
  • violence
  • nonlinear
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
129 min
Details In your watch list
City of GodHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Once Upon a Time in America

1984

A sweeping, mournful epic that drifts through memory and time, heavy with regret and lost friendship, demanding patience but rewarding it with haunting images.

Dark, tense, slow-burn · about crime and betrayal · nonlinear

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • crime
  • betrayal
  • nonlinear
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
139 min
Details In your watch list
Once Upon a Time in AmericaHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

American History X

1998

A harrowing, unflinching look at hate and redemption that grips you with raw intensity and leaves you shaken.

Dark, bleak · about violence and family · nonlinear

Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • violence
  • family
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
119 min
Details In your watch list
American History XHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

The Boy's Word: Blood on the Asphalt

2023

A raw, immersive plunge into gang life, blending brutal violence with moments of tenderness and a pervasive sense of doom.

Dark, bleak, slow-burn · about crime and violence

Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • crime
  • violence
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Seasons
1
Details In your watch list
The Boy's Word: Blood on the AsphaltHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Pixote

1980

A relentless plunge into a child's brutal world, leaving you hollowed out and haunted long after the final frame.

Dark, bleak · about crime and violence · true story

Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • crime
  • violence
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
127 min
Details In your watch list
PixoteHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Godfather of Harlem

2019–2025

A slow-burning, weighty crime saga that simmers with racial and political tension, anchored by a commanding, brooding lead performance.

Dark, tense · about crime and betrayal

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • crime
  • betrayal
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
4
Details In your watch list
Godfather of HarlemHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Young and the Damned

1950

A grim, unflinching plunge into poverty and violence that leaves you shaken and heartbroken.

Dark, bleak · about crime and violence · nonlinear

Via
  • dark
  • bleak
  • crime
  • violence
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
82 min
Details In your watch list
The Young and the DamnedHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

South Central

1992

A heavy, earnest redemption drama that immerses you in a cycle of gang violence and fragile hope, anchored by raw performances.

Dark, tense · about crime and violence · nonlinear

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • crime
  • violence
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
99 min
Details In your watch list
South CentralHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Rent
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
  • YouTube
Buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
crime, drama
Directed by
Edward James Olmos
Written by
Desmond Nakano, Floyd Mutrux
Starring
Edward James Olmos, William Forsythe, Pepe Serna, Panchito Gómez, Steve Wilcox, Danny De La Paz, Sal Lopez, Dyana Ortelli
Music
Claude Gaudette, Dennis Lambert
Cinematography
Reynaldo Villalobos
Runtime
125 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English, Spanish

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata