Harry's Movie Review

American Assassin follows Mitch Rapp as he channels his grief into training under Stan Hurley, a Cold War veteran played with dry authority by Michael Keaton. They're then sent to uncover who is behind a series of coordinated attacks. The film understands its own limits and works within them. It's not trying to deconstruct the spy thriller or say something profound about vengeance. It just wants to tell a clean story with proper action beats, and that directness is refreshing.

O'Brien brings a taut physicality to Rapp that sells the character's transformation from mourning boyfriend to operative. He doesn't overact the emotional weight; there's a moment where you see him pull back from rage rather than perform it. Keaton is the real draw though. He delivers instructions and commentary with the kind of economy that makes every line land. When he and O'Brien spar verbally, there's actual friction, not just exposition dressed as banter. Kitsch appears as another operative, and the supporting cast fills out the action without unnecessary side plots eating runtime.

Michael Cuesta keeps the camera steady and the cuts clear. You can follow the action, which sounds basic but matters more than it should. The pacing never sags, though the film does tip toward generic when it leans into typical villain motivation. That's the one weak spot: the antagonists lack any real dimension, and it shows in the third act. Nothing here will surprise you if you've watched a handful of spy thrillers, but that's almost the point.

What stayed with me was how the film treats Hurley as a mentor without making it maudlin. There's no big speech about belief or potential. Just a trainer watching someone learn, with the smallest nod of approval when things go right. That restraint made the relationship believable in a way that heavy-handed character development never could.