Ludicrous is the simplest way to describe the chaotic and kinetic "American Ultra". That word may not full encapsulate the unabashed lunacy of this movie.
Director Nima Nourizadeh - whose only other film is "Project X" - goes for broke with Max Landis' (writer of "Chronicle") script in successful and unsuccessful ways. Together, they throw just about anything against the wall to see what sticks and more does than doesn't - especially in the first portion of the movie.
Jesse Eisenberg plays Mike Howell, an anxious and twitchy (shocker!) stoner, who works at a convenience store. He and his girlfriend, Phoebe (Kristen Stewert), spend their days just getting by and smoking weed together. They're madly in love but Mike - who is waiting for the perfect time to propose - feels he isn't good enough for Phoebe and is holding her back. In one of their many stoned nights together, he spouts existential dribble about a tree and a car and how it perfectly describes their imperfect relationship.
But "American Ultra" isn't just a love story. No, no. Things get crazy when Agent Lasseter (Connie Britton) walks into Mike's convenient store one night. She rattles off some code that ignites a killing machine that has been hidden inside of Mike. It becomes clear that the code was a warning that people are coming to kill Mike and he needs to be prepared. All of a sudden Mike, who typically sleepwalks through life, is now taking people out with great ease.
The C.I.A. looms heavily over Mike and Phoebe's small town life. Who is this mysterious woman that drifted into Mike's ghost town of a convenient store one night? She upends Mike's life in every way imaginable. Now, he must spend the night looking over his shoulder for who may come for him next. It really puts a damper on trying to propose to the love of your life.
Something as zany as "American Ultra" runs the risk of losing steam quickly but it is able to sustain its energy for a sufficient amount of time. The final act begins to lag as the movie goes through the motions, bringing a loud and numbing coda to this playful but brutally violent adventure. A twist is thrown in, simply for the sake of throwing in a twist, and the film and the character involved do not warrant it. It brings the film down, simply reminding us it has run out of ideas.
Even when the narrative begins to falter, the cast - mainly the leads - continues to do their best to make sure the fun they are having translates to the audience. Eisenberg and Stewart have a comfortable chemistry together (they previously working together in the wonderful and underrated "Adventureland"). We believe their love for each other and, for a while, that is important in "American Ultra". Britton brings some class and gravitas to her role as the foil to Topher Grace's obnoxious Agent.
If you are looking for the next great comedy classic, keep on looking. "American Ultra" doesn't produce many laughs but gets by on the charming leads and its inconsistent but infectious energy.
| Movie title | American Ultra |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2015 |
| MPAA Rating | R |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart have a comfortable chemistry in this wild but uneven film. |
