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The American

The American

TV movie199884 minMidcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Director
Paul Unwin
Starring
Matthew Modine, Diana Rigg, Aisling O'Sullivan, Paul Hickey

After the horror of the Civil War, 'ignorant' Christopher Newman made his fortune. He travels to France is search of cultural treasures. He won't get past the Paris nightlife. After an affair with a haughty painter, he falls in love with the daughter of the late marquis de Bellegarde. She was married off and traumatized by her abusive late husband for the family's sake. Her elder brother supports their ruthless mother, but junior Valentin is besotted with the artist and strikes a partnership with Christopher.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The American?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The American streaming on Prime Video and Tubi (free).

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Your rating, lists and review

Reception

Is The American worth watching?

The American's Midcredits score is the 33rd percentile of all films, from 298 ratings across 3 sources. 41% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

33rd percentile

Better received than 33% of films

29th percentile among Drama36th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)29th
Approval (how many liked it)39th

55 /100

29th percentile of all films

24th percentile among Drama30th percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.8 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

41% liked it

39th percentile of all films

35th percentile among Drama41st percentile among 1990s
41% rated it 7–1059% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

24th percentile

298 ratings across platforms

24th percentile among Drama14th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 34% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a loose adaptation of a Henry James novel with melodramatic elements.

Fans praised

  • Matthew Modine's performance suits the material
  • Cinematography and camera work are evocative
  • Music effectively reinforces emotional tone

Detractors panned

  • Screenplay is a misguided, unfaithful adaptation
  • Diana Rigg's villainy feels silly and overwrought
  • Overall execution is worthless and unsatisfying

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive68

Sentimental shots and evocative camera movement

ActingDivisive52

Modine likeable but script-bound; Rigg effective but cartoonish

AtmosphereDivisive45

Dark family secrets and oppressive tone

CharactersDivisive40

Psychology well treated by fans; villainess seen as silly

Emotional impactDivisive35

Claire's sadness conveyed but ending depresses detractors

EndingDivisive30

Non-happy ending unsatisfying to many; fans appreciate the unconventional

Plot and storyDivisive20

Diverges significantly from novel; feels far-fetched and melodramatic

Originality18

Generic class conflict; unremarkable adaptation choices

Watch experience

What is The American like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark.

It takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicRomantic
Heaviest: late
Register
Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its romantic tragedy straight, with heightened emotion and a solemn gravity, never undercutting its material.
The rideReviews indicate a buildup of tension and sadness throughout, with a non-happy ending that lands the heaviest emotional weight in the final act.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from Christopher's arrival in Paris through the romance, conflict, and resolution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with the sadness of a love thwarted by family secrets and personal trauma, a melancholy that lingers.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% (this title) · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Doomed love: Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeChristopher Newman's love for Claire de Cintré is systematically destroyed by her aristocratic family's opposition and a dark secret, resulting in a tragic separation.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% (this title) · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsFamily bondsTradition vs change · 2% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe story centers on Newman's pursuit of love with Claire against the resistance of her aristocratic family, contrasting old-world tradition with American modernity.
StanceThe film focuses on Newman's personal romantic pursuit and its tragic outcome, mourning the impossibility of love across class and family barriers.

The world

19th centuryUrbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Stephen McKeon
SettingParis in the 1870s, among the French aristocracy
MusicThe score is period-appropriate and underlines the sentimental and tense moments.

Content guide

Is The American okay for kids?

As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at mild (33/100), language at minimal (0/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (0/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • UKU
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (5 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The American have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The American?

Cast

Matthew Modine
as Christopher Newman
Diana Rigg
as Madame de Bellegarde
Aisling O'Sullivan
as Claire De Cintré
Paul Hickey
as Henri de Bellegarde
Andrew Scott
as Valentin de Bellegarde
Brenda Fricker
as Mrs. Bread
Eva Birthistle
as Noemie Nioche
T.P. McKenna
as Marquis de Bellegarde
Phillip O'Sullivan
as Marquis de Cintre
Ian Fitzgibbon
as Tom Tristram

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The American?

Movies like The American include Camille (1936), A Frozen Flower (2008) and Kalank (2019). Of the 12 closest matches, all are forbidden-love stories, and several are films set in Paris.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its story type: period drama. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The American?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: tycoon. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.