Levi Miller is a gifted young actor, so it's a shame to see him wasted here alongside the always mediocre Dane Cook in a clichéd, melodramatic father-son road trip crime caper. Also wasted is the always awesome Udo Kier, bringing a true sense of menace to his role as a shady black market art dealer. Clocking in at a mere 85 minutes, this sluggishly paced film still manages to make sitting through it feel like a long slog. For a better showcase of Miller's talents, check out Jasper Jones, and as for Kier, see My Own Private Idaho.
19 Reviews
Lacklustre road movie
omendata18 May 2019
I was really hoping for something special with this as it has the wonderfully weird Udo Kier in it and I like Dane Cook and there is even an appearance from old timer John Savage but the film has such terrible writing that it goes nowhere even with all that acting talent.
They should have carried the journey further to Mexico and made more effort with some exciting scenes down Mexico way but instead it goes nowhere and ends on a dusty road. The script is about as dusty and barren as the road they end up on. I also did not like the photography with its yellow tone and poor panning shots, it made the film feel cramped and a bit depressing.
The action is very poorly orchestrated and the character interaction between father and son seems overly forced and unbelievable. The story seems as if it has been written and then re-written and still not right so they just decided to go with it and cross their fingers.
Everything about the film just says meh!
They should have carried the journey further to Mexico and made more effort with some exciting scenes down Mexico way but instead it goes nowhere and ends on a dusty road. The script is about as dusty and barren as the road they end up on. I also did not like the photography with its yellow tone and poor panning shots, it made the film feel cramped and a bit depressing.
The action is very poorly orchestrated and the character interaction between father and son seems overly forced and unbelievable. The story seems as if it has been written and then re-written and still not right so they just decided to go with it and cross their fingers.
Everything about the film just says meh!
Excellent story poorly executed
wrxsti5421 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I wanted to like this movie because it had a promising storyline: estranged father takes his 14 year old son on a road trip to make up for lost years of a strained relationship because he's dying from a brain tumor. It's a tried and true formula but American Exit manages to hash it with a convoluted art theft plot and a histrionic and over-wraught performance from the dad Charlie (Dane Cook). The movie is rescued somewhat by the superb acting of the son Leo (13 year old Australian Levi Miller) who backed up his top quality performances in Pan (aged 11), Red Dog:True Blue (12) and Better Watch Out (13) with another great performance.
Don't waste your life away
loughran-5537719 August 2021
UNWATCHABLE
mad_crack_scientist20 June 2019
Cliches after cliches after cliches - American Exit is one of the worst movies of 2019. Dane Cook tried really hard, but his performance seems overly dramatic, sometimes to the comical level - My suggestion - he should stick to his comic roles.
The direction is bland. Editing is poor. The filters they used hurt the eyes.
Don't waste your time watching this movie.
The direction is bland. Editing is poor. The filters they used hurt the eyes.
Don't waste your time watching this movie.
Did they steal the idea
roggy-468387 June 2019
sad sad sad
dan_pap23 June 2019
"Is your face a joke?"
Family movies are almost always a miss, but this one is an absolute disaster. The acting is terrible, and the story is so predictable it's not even funny. I can't think of one good thing to say about this grotesque excuse for a film. Gosh, there's not even a good character. Do yourself a favor and don't even consider this
Family movies are almost always a miss, but this one is an absolute disaster. The acting is terrible, and the story is so predictable it's not even funny. I can't think of one good thing to say about this grotesque excuse for a film. Gosh, there's not even a good character. Do yourself a favor and don't even consider this
Story to nowhere
jomayevans9 November 2022
I didnt hate it just felt like nothing was happening or much connection apart from ( actor levi) as tge son. Dad didn't really seem bonded. Storyline was not engaging would have been nice to see some better scenery like a actually tropical beach to just dry rocks and dessert
I didnt hate it just felt like nothing was happening or much connection apart from ( actor levi) as tge son. Dad didn't really seem bonded. Storyline was not engaging would have been nice to see some better scenery like a actually tropical beach to just dry rocks and dessert
I didnt hate it just felt like nothing was happening or much connection apart from ( actor levi) as tge son. Dad didn't really seem bonded. Storyline was not engaging would have been nice to see some better scenery like a actually tropical beach to just dry rocks and dessert.
Too much language.
willballew26 August 2019
Incredible story and acting
DAVIDBANKSCOMEDY8 June 2019
Average father and son road movie
spellbindingcrashed15 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
If you've got a brain tumor and you're dying, you'd want to reconnect with your estranged kid, right? Of course you would. So, why not take him on a road trip after you've stolen some art knowing the shady art dealer and his henchman will come after you, therefore endangering your son's life in the process?!
Sounds legit.
The cast? Oh, they do try. But only Levi Miller (Leo) and the charismatic Udo Kier (Anton) really stand out even though Dane Cook (Charlie) does give it his best shot.
This is a very average road movie in which the father and son sort of bond, l guess. The writing is OK, the scenery with that ghastly yellow tint is OK. Everything is just... OK.
You might like this but you might also feel like you've wasted nearly 2 hours of your life depending on your mood. Ho hum.
Sounds legit.
The cast? Oh, they do try. But only Levi Miller (Leo) and the charismatic Udo Kier (Anton) really stand out even though Dane Cook (Charlie) does give it his best shot.
This is a very average road movie in which the father and son sort of bond, l guess. The writing is OK, the scenery with that ghastly yellow tint is OK. Everything is just... OK.
You might like this but you might also feel like you've wasted nearly 2 hours of your life depending on your mood. Ho hum.
A bit formulaic, but good enough to watch and enjoy
cinciprguy27 December 2022
I find it very interesting that the number of people who loved (rated 10) this film is nearly equal to the number of those who hated it (rated 1). My first impression of this bizarre yet equal split is that odds are, this wide ocean of disagreement comes down to two sects: (a) those who enjoy Dane Cook's body of work, and (b) those who abhor it. Much has been written already about how nonchalantly those in and around Hollywood have cast him aside so quickly after he became so uber-popular seemingly overnight. Perhaps the shadow he began to cast over those far more senior to him was too much to bear for many in those circles. That appears to have spilled over to the general populace, as there is little "grey area" in the pro/con argument for/against Cook. Seldom has this phenomenon been seen in such an extreme and profound manner in the entertainment industry, but it is not uncommon for extremes to exist in the land of the vapid and pretentious.
I rated this movie a 7, as it was neither great nor dreadful. I genuinely enjoyed it, found myself pulling for the anti-hero and his son and became attached enough to the story line to hope for a different ending. That said, the story line is firm and borderline compelling - the acting solid but not over-the-top in either direction - the cinematics and scenery consistent if not a bit on the basic side. All in all, it's a story about the tragic nature of broken families, desperation for healing, redemption and ultimately...love. And also, worth watching. This is NOT a "1" movie - I feel the poll was stuffed by Cook's odd bunch of those bent on continuing to harm his name further.
I rated this movie a 7, as it was neither great nor dreadful. I genuinely enjoyed it, found myself pulling for the anti-hero and his son and became attached enough to the story line to hope for a different ending. That said, the story line is firm and borderline compelling - the acting solid but not over-the-top in either direction - the cinematics and scenery consistent if not a bit on the basic side. All in all, it's a story about the tragic nature of broken families, desperation for healing, redemption and ultimately...love. And also, worth watching. This is NOT a "1" movie - I feel the poll was stuffed by Cook's odd bunch of those bent on continuing to harm his name further.
Very good!
chermcguire5 July 2021
I like dramas, especially drama thrillers, and I never give them a good rating if I don't have an emotional connection with at least one of the actors. In this movie, the connection is with the kid. He is a terrific actor! My husband and I both enjoyed it.
Decent movie
redban0222 January 2022
The movie is especially fun: there are touching father / son moments, gorgeous southwest American scenery, and good suspense / drama. My main flaw is that ending (which I won't spoil) contains way too many plot holes to be credible and satisfying. I also feel the movie could have been a few minutes longer: the villains and the painting-subplot needed more fleshing out.
Simple Review
andrewgrgtwn15 November 2020
Very good script & production.
atraisfire18 May 2019
Surprising, much better than I though
dajitfilms20 April 2021
Starting to watch this movie was tough task, too slow, no flow in the story, but once you pass thirty five minutes, you release how brilliant this movie is, Great acting, great screenplay and above all soothing cinematic beauty. I was impressed by the the acting of Levi Miller (Leo) and Dane Cook (Charlie) perfect Father-Son duo. Excellent movie, must watch.
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