American Yakuza

A slow-burning undercover crime drama that balances tense mob violence with a quiet study of divided loyalty and belonging.

Directed by

Frank A. Cappello

Genres

Crime, Action, Thriller

Starring

Viggo Mortensen, Ryo Ishibashi, Michael Nouri

Tagline

The mob has a new enemy.

Overview

When Nick Davis leaves prison after one year in solitairy, he is hired to operate a forklift in a warehouse in the harbor owned by the Japanese Yakuza patriarch Isshin Tendo. The place is assaulted by the Italian Mafia lead by Dino Campanela and Nick rescues and saves the life of Shuji Sawamoto, who is the representative of Yakuza interests in America. Shuji hires Nick to work for Yakuza and becomes his godfather in the family after his oath to join Yakuza. However, Nick is a lonely FBI undercover agent assigned to penetrate the criminal organization. When the FBI discovers that Campanela is organizing a massive attack to destroy the Yakuza, Nick's boss Littman calls off the operation to leave the dirty work to the Italian Mafia. But the connection of Nick with Shuji and his goddaughter Yuko forces him to help his Japanese family.

How it feels

Tense, dark, melancholic and earnest. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Identity, loyalty, betrayal, isolation

Content

Strong violence and language. Mild gore and sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)