American Ultra
Directed by Nima Nourizadeh
Mike is an unmotivated stoner whose small-town life with his live-in girlfriend, Phoebe, 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, Mike is thrust into the middle of a deadly government operation and is forced to summon his inner action-hero in order to survive.
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- ShaydeknightMarch 26, 2026American Ultra has a clever premise that never quite finds the right tone. It wants to be an action comedy with romantic elements, but for some reason, it can't find the right landing strip. The action is too subdued, it's too straight faced for comedy, and it's too far fetched to function as a romantic story. The result is uneven rather than terrible, but it never really clicks. The biggest problem is Jesse Eisenberg. He can work in very specific roles. He fit well in Zombieland, and he was effective in The Social Network. But this kind of reluctant action lead doesn't suit him in the least. The film asks the audience to believe in sudden bursts of lethal competence, and he never convinces. The same mismatch appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Now You See Me. His screen presence here is out of place, which drains energy from scenes that depend on surprise and escalation. Any action involving him is lame, quite frankly. By contrast, Kristen Stewart is a genuine surprise. She gives the film emotional grounding and handles both the comedy and sincerity well. Every moment she plays feels intentional, and she ends up carrying much of the film. It's a far stronger showing than their previous pairing in Adventureland, which had a similar tonal problem. The supporting cast is mixed. Topher Grace is reliably good and brings some needed energy, though he once again feels underused, he's always the bridesmaid and never the bride. I would have cast hm as the lead. John Leguizamo is odd but effective, making a strange role work through sheer commitment. Connie Britton never quite settles into her part, and her scenes feel flat. Walton Goggins is memorable, though the shattered teeth gag crosses from darkly funny into simply unpleasant and gross. The concept itself is amusing. A stoner sleeper agent suddenly activating has shades of Captain America: The Winter Soldier filtered through a comedy lens, with a touch of The Manchurian Candidate. There are flashes where the film leans into that absurdity and works. But it never commits fully to the comedy, and it never builds convincing action momentum either. There are fun moments scattered throughout, yet the overall impression is drab. It's not a bad film, but it feels like a strong idea diluted by tonal uncertainty and a starring lead that just doesn't fit well. The result is a film that should have been sharper, funnier, and more energetic, but ends up merely passable.
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American Ultra Trivia
American Ultra was released on August 19, 2015.
American Ultra was directed by Nima Nourizadeh.
American Ultra has a runtime of 1h 36m.
American Ultra was produced by Raj Brinder Singh, Britton Rizzio, Anthony Bregman, Kevin Scott Frakes, David Alpert.
Mike is an unmotivated stoner whose small-town life with his live-in girlfriend, Phoebe, 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, Mike is thrust into the middle of a deadly government operation and is forced to summon his inner action-hero in order to survive.
The key characters in American Ultra are Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg), Phoebe Larson (Kristen Stewart), Adrian Yates (Topher Grace).
American Ultra is rated R.
American Ultra is a Comedy, Action film.
American Ultra has an audience rating of 4.5 out of 10.
American Ultra had a budget of $28M.
American Ultra has made $27.1M at the box office.