American Me

"In prison they are the law. On the streets they are the power."

1992 2h 5m EN

👍

7.5

SOLID

🍅

73%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.1

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 426🍅73%Rotten Tomatoes●66Metacritic★7.1IMDB · 11,442

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

During his 18 years in Folsom Prison, street-gang leader Santana rules over all the drug-and-murder activities behind bars. Upon his release, Santana goes back to his old neighborhood, intending to lead a peaceful, crime-free life. But his old gang buddies force him back into his old habits.

“In prison they are the law. On the streets they are the power.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Peacock PremiumSubscription

Peacock Premium PlusSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Edward James Olmos
Montoya Santana
William Forsythe
J.D.
Pepe Serna
Mundo
Panchito Gómez
Young Montoya Santana
Steve Wilcox
Young J.D.
Danny De La Paz
Puppet
Sal Lopez
Pedro Santana
Dyana Ortelli
Yolanda

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Edward James Olmos
Writers: Floyd Mutrux, Desmond Nakano, Floyd Mutrux
Languages: English, Spanish
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 82% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

34 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CAST

Did you know

216+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Edward James Olmos, shot by Reynaldo Villalobos. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Claude Gaudette. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Richard Candib shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Edward James Olmos and William Forsythe and Pepe Serna carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Edward James Olmos directs. Reynaldo Villalobos behind the camera. Claude Gaudette scores. Richard Candib cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 82% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
234 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.
4216+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
5Directed by Edward James Olmos, shot by Reynaldo Villalobos. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Claude Gaudette. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Richard Candib shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Edward James Olmos and William Forsythe and Pepe Serna carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "In prison they are the law. On the streets they are the power.".
10IMDB entry: tt0103671 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 9 themes, including "prison", "juvenile prison", "jail", "east los angeles".