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Our take
An honest detective pursues a Harlem heroin kingpin in this long crime drama. American Gangster can make its criminal lead seem courteous, even while the film shows shootings, heroin use, overdoses and women working nude in a drug-packing room. Strong swearing runs throughout. We would keep it for 16 and up and talk about the gap between his manners and his business.
Uplifting themes
The story shows how corruption and greed spread and what an honest person pays for refusing to join in. It also respects hard work and family loyalty The detective keeps to his principles at personal cost, and the title figure treats his family with care. The film also makes a murderous criminal look smooth and admirable Gives teens a window on 1970s Harlem, the Vietnam-era drug trade, and how corrupt policing worked. It is based on real people, which makes it a handy start for a history chat, though events are dramatised
Story (may spoil tone)
Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts.
What we flagged
Details
Violence Shootings are sudden and sometimes public, including a killing in broad…
Shootings are sudden and sometimes public, including a killing in broad daylight, and there are beatings and threats with weapons. It feels cold and realistic
Language Strong swearing is constant, especially the f-word and the s-word, with…
Strong swearing is constant, especially the f-word and the s-word, with slurs and heated insults between gangsters and cops. It is steady from start to finish
Sex / nudity A scene shows women working nude in a drug-packaging room, and nightclu…
A scene shows women working nude in a drug-packaging room, and nightclub and bedroom scenes carry sexual tension. Nothing is shown at length, but it is clearly adult
Drugs / alcohol Heroin drives the story, with dealing, cutting and packing, and a numbe…
Heroin drives the story, with dealing, cutting and packing, and a number of overdoses and addicts shown on screen. Characters also smoke and drink heavily in clubs and homes
Frightening Tension builds through quiet threats and sudden shootings that arrive w…
Tension builds through quiet threats and sudden shootings that arrive with little warning. A few overdose scenes and bodies on the ground may unsettle younger viewers, and the cold, grim tone rarely lets up
Bullying / discrimination Racism and police corruption run through the story, with slurs used and…
Racism and police corruption run through the story, with slurs used and a few scenes where people are treated as lesser. It is part of the period setting
Gore / death / weapons Gunshot wounds and bodies are shown in clear detail, and drug overdoses…
Gunshot wounds and bodies are shown in clear detail, and drug overdoses are not softened. Several deaths leave blood on screen, and the street killing is especially hard to watch
Dangerous behaviour The film shows how heroin is cut, packaged, and moved, and crime pays o…
The film shows how heroin is cut, packaged, and moved, and crime pays off for a long time. That can make the life look appealing to some viewers
Grief / bereavement A mentor's death early on sets the story moving, and a funeral is shown…
A mentor's death early on sets the story moving, and a funeral is shown. Several characters also lose family and friends to the drug trade, and the sadness hangs over the later scenes
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- The crime boss is calm, polite, and generous to his family. How did that change the way you saw him?
- The detective stays honest while many cops around him take money. What would make it hard to do the same?
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American Gangster
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