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SummaryMike (Jesse Eisenberg), a seemingly hapless and unmotivated stoner is enjoying his small-town life with his live-in girlfriend, Phoebe (Kristen Stewart), when his world is suddenly turned upside down. Unbeknownst to him, Mike is actually a highly trained, lethal sleeper agent. In the blink of an eye, as his secret past comes back to haunt him, Mi... Read More

Directed By:Nima Nourizadeh

Written By:Max Landis

American Ultra

Metascore
50
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
My Score
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Metascore
50
29% Positive
9 Reviews
65% Mixed
20 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Aug 18, 2015
100
Village Voice
Nima Nourizadeh’s American Ultra is a bloody valentine attached to a bomb. It’s violent, brash, inventive and horrific, and perhaps the most romantic film of the year.
Aug 20, 2015
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
This is not a spoiler alert; it’s a tip: If you go to see American Ultra, stay for the credits, right to the end. They are animated and provide a mini fourth act for the film, a little action movie starring a super simian and a beautiful (human) damsel; they are an amusing addendum, but mainly they tell you a lot about where American Ultra’s heart lies, deep in comic-book territory.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
48% Positive
110 Ratings
36% Mixed
81 Ratings
16% Negative
36 Ratings
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Jun 3, 2016
10
TheQuietGamer
It's a movie that feels like an exciting adaption of limited series comic book. Heck, it feels more like a comic book movie than most actual comic book movies. Marvel and DC could learn a lot from "American Ultra" as far as capturing the feeling of a comic panel onscreen. The best part? It's all a completely original idea! Director Nima Nourizadeh is able to nail every aspect necessary to bring his and writer Max Landis' vision to life. The humor, the heart, the action, and the plot are simply amazing. It's not really what you would expect going into it. It's deep, sweet, violent, and weirdly emotional. The twists and turns are gripping, the characters are lovable, and the romance is real. It nails every aspect required to keep you invested and entertained. Speaking of the characters, the cast is phenomenal. Eisenberg plays an oddball character unlike anything he's done before. It can easily stand out as one of his best portrayals/characters. However the real star here is a real shocker. It's Kirsten Stewart! Who knew she could act this well? Her chemistry with Eisenberg add the needed emotion and weight to the romance which ends up being so integral to the whole thing. The rest of the cast is just as amazing, also giving some of their best performances. Topher Grace even makes for an excellent villain. It's just an all around masterpiece. One where all of the ideas click and everything comes together to create some even more incredible than the sum of it's parts. It's a goofy, violent, funny mess with a surprising heart and romance to it. It really is like a comic book brought to life, all vibrant and exciting. Truly like reading panels, only those panels are moving and fully voiced.Turns out that one of the best comic book movies I've ever seen isn't even an actual comic book movie. American Ultra is a masterpiece and I can't recommend it enough. Truly some of the most enjoyable entertainment I have ever partaken in.
Jan 22, 2016
10
LoxoxG
A good movie . Un poco de humor, cargado de adrenalina. Esto es realmente fantastico. Las actuaciones de sus protagonistas, magistrales. Muy bien por la productora y el director.
Aug 18, 2015
60
New Orleans Times-Picayune
While Nourizadeh's just-for-fun head trip is no more ambitious than its long-haired pothead of a main character, it delivers on its sole goal: to entertain and to surprise.
Aug 20, 2015
50
Washington Post
American Ultra has a clever premise. But it misses several opportunities to at least comment on, if not skewer, the spy movies that it only halfheartedly pokes fun at. As it is, it’s content to generate a low-grade buzz, rather than deliver a true high.
Aug 18, 2015
50
Variety
Too often plays like an earnest yet unsatisfying adaptation of a cult graphic novel, with most of the charm lost in translation.
Aug 19, 2015
40
Austin Chronicle
By turns sweet, sadistic, and silly, American Ultra will probably make a stronger impression if you watch it while high.
Aug 18, 2015
16
The Playlist
American Ultra hopes to leave you both shellshocked and blissfully stoned, but as perfect storm of aggressively repulsive choices, it’s a queasy bad trip worth avoiding at all costs.
See All 31 Critic Reviews
Aug 26, 2015
10
Thegodfatherson
OH BOY. American Ultra is a damn good movie. Not just because it's stupid, stoner movie fun. But because it's much more than Pineapple Express meets Bourne. There is a solid love element attached to this film, believe it or not, and the film switches between action and comedy to romance very quickly. Jesse Eisneberg is an actor that continues to impress me, film after film, he is funny and energetic in a over the top, insane film. Kristen Stewart is the real star, believe it or not, she managed to be less annoying and more dramatic and she fit the role very well. Guess she is trying very hard to forget the Twilight Saga. There is a lot in this movie that moviegoers can enjoy, Action, Comedy, Romance, Drama, and Thrills. When I mean thrills, I mean THRILLS, not the cheap thrills you get from an Asylum movie. John Leguizamo was very funny as well. Ultra is the most entertaining piece of cinema I have seen this week. And that includes Straight Outta Compton (which was damn brilliant by the way) and that awful Hitman movie. GO WATCH IT!
May 29, 2025
6
pdt1308
Not a great movie... but not a bad one either. Worth the watch. An interesting premise but not much of a story. Fun brutal action for fun brutal action's sake.
Sep 6, 2020
6
Greyhoundes
Drugz r gud and always trust Queens Kristin Stewart and Connie Britton cuz they dope
Apr 11, 2019
3
imthenoob
It started off pretty interesting and then it started to unravel. By the time I reached an hour into the hour and a half runtime, I realized how quickly this movie utter fell apart. The story is filled with so many needless plot twists, uninteresting side-characters who's only use is to be killed off within minutes of meeting them and a pace that seems to come to a cripple halt halfway through. By the time the climax came around, I couldn't wait to be done with it.
Oct 3, 2015
3
Nobilis1984
Of what does this film fail because? First Kristen Stewart is no good actress and since her big time her stars fall. Now Jesse Eisenburg is not the big action actor and should avoid such roles. And the action here with comedy in a film is connected could go off only to the back.
See All 227 User Reviews
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  • PalmStar Media
  • FilmNation Entertainment
  • Likely Story
  • PalmStar Entertainment
  • Circle Management + Production
  • Merced Media Partners
  • Tadmor Entertainment
  • The Bridge Finance Company
Aug 21, 2015
1 h 36 m
R
There's nothing more dangerous than a stoned cold killer
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