American Assassin

Directed by Michael Cuesta, American Assassin follows Dylan O’Brien’s Mitch Rapp as he’s recruited into a top-secret CIA program in the aftermath of a personal tragedy – with the narrative detailing Mitch’s training at the hands of the tough-as-nails Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton) and, eventually, his efforts at preventing a nuclear device from killing thousands of people. Filmmaker Cuesta, armed with a script by Stephen Schiff, Michael Finch, Edward Zwick, and Marshall Herskovitz, does a superb job of immediately luring the viewer into the slightly overlong production, as American Assassin kicks off with a striking opening sequence that paves the way for an often frenetic narrative riddled with exciting, energetic action sequences – with the entertaining atmosphere heightened by O’Brien and Keaton’s solid efforts as the central protagonists. (It’s clear, ultimately, that Taylor Kitsch’s work as the movie’s vicious villain remains an ongoing highlight within the proceedings.) And although the 111 minute running time does result in a small handful of palpable lulls, American Assassin‘s hold on the viewer remains remarkably strong due to its ongoing emphasis on larger-than-life (and impressively brutal) action sequences and set-pieces – which, when coupled with an almost excessively over-the-top (yet thoroughly compelling) climax, cements the film’s place as an above-average thriller that does, at times, feel like a throwback to the 1990s’ similar-themed fare.

*** out of ****