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American Star
Movie

American Star

2024 • Unknown

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

An assassin on a final assignment in Fuerteventura, to kill a man he has never met. When his target is delayed, he finds himself drawn to the island, people and a ghostly shipwreck. Instead of following protocol he stays. But when the target returns, the world has shifted. Before everything was simple, now nothing is.

Overall Series Review

American Star is an existential thriller focused on an aging assassin named Wilson on his final assignment in the Canary Islands. When his target is delayed, the professional killer, who is also a Falklands War veteran, is drawn into the simple, authentic life of the island and its inhabitants. The film is a character study that explores themes of moral ambiguity, mortality, and the possibility of redemption, using the picturesque and slightly melancholic backdrop of Fuerteventura and a ghostly shipwreck as a metaphor for a life coming to an end. The narrative is deliberately slow-paced and introspective, contrasting Wilson's dark past with the quiet tranquility and humanity he finds in the local community. The core conflict is internal, revolving around the protagonist's struggle to find meaning and shed his violent identity after years of living "off the grid".

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The plot centers entirely on the individual moral and existential crisis of a contract killer, Wilson, and his interaction with local residents; it does not introduce a lecture on immutable characteristics, race, or intersectional hierarchy. Character value is judged by their internal soul and capacity for change, not group identity. There is no forced insertion of diversity or vilification of 'whiteness.'

Oikophobia3/10

The narrative draws a clear contrast between the violent, corrupted nature of the Western protagonist's profession (assassination) and the simple, authentic community of the island, suggesting the Western lifestyle is destructive. The tranquil foreign culture provides a path toward a normal life that the protagonist has been running from, subtly favoring the 'Other' as more grounded and less corrupt. However, the film indicts the individual's choice of violence, not Western civilization or ancestry at large.

Feminism2/10

The main female character, Gloria, and her mother are instrumental in grounding the male protagonist and facilitating his self-reflection, but they are not presented as 'Mary Sue' figures who instantly dominate the storyline. Gloria's interest in the lead character is linked to a connection to her father, which keeps the dynamics rooted in traditional family-like relationships. The focus is on a man's regret and mortality rather than gendered political messaging.

LGBTQ+1/10

The film focuses on a classic noir setup involving an older male protagonist and a young female love interest, with a traditional nuclear family structure implied through the presence of Gloria's mother. There is no mention of non-traditional sexualities, gender ideology, or the deconstruction of the nuclear family in the narrative or critical commentary.

Anti-Theism2/10

The film deals with themes of moral ambiguity, sin, and redemption in a secular context typical of the neo-noir genre. The moral universe is fatalistic and focused on the consequences of the individual's choices, but this is a vacuum of faith rather than an active hostility toward religion. There is no explicit criticism, mockery, or vilification of Christianity or other traditional faiths.