A melancholic character study in the vein of Ryan Murphy’s stable of anti-heroes, those whose unstable natures are actually nurtured and sustained by the ambivalence and callousness of others.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 27, 2023

American Murderer doesn’t exactly kill it.

| Jun 6, 2023

Here is a workmanlike true crime thriller to break out the popcorn for all your entertainment needs.

| Original Score: FOUR STARS | Mar 3, 2023

A fascinating primer on one of America’s rare, understated 21st century true-crime mysteries.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 2, 2023

The man may be missing, but his riddle gets its compelling origin story right here.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 2, 2023

The fact that this film’s ending is so open due to the real-life circumstances lends an eeriness to proceedings that so few true crime stories adhere to.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 2, 2023

…a masterclass of a performance.

| Original Score: 16/20 | Feb 21, 2023

American Murderer isn’t a movie you let slip through the cracks. It’s great true-crime and that’s the kind of movie you seek out.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 17, 2023

Ozark's Tom Pelphrey turns in a terrific performance and, thanks to him, the film is engaging enough to keep watching, even if it's a little short on thrills. True crime fans will lap it up.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 6, 2023

An interesting portrait of “one who got away”, without giving into the worst impulses of contemporary true crime.

| Feb 6, 2023

Jason [Tom Pelphrey] sustains the narrative and our attention through the story. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 6/10 | Feb 4, 2023

Pelphrey is very effective in conveying the loneliness and misery which Brown brings upon himself.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 30, 2023

... is almost entirely cast in shadow, living in that space where no one, not even the audience, can truly trust what we see, hear, or think about Brown and the circumstances he found himself in.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 30, 2023

American Murderer has all the right ingredients but can't seem to cook up much in the way of excitement.

| Original Score: 2.0/4.0 | Jan 30, 2023

The film elides many tropes or excesses that might be expected from its title. Instead, it paints a portrait of a murderous character whose poisonous behavior proved to be suffocating for anyone who touched him.

| Jan 27, 2023

... a gripping crime drama, a promising debut for filmmaker Gentile, and a great acting showcase for Pelphrey.

| Jan 25, 2023

For fans of true crime, writer-director Matthew Gentile’s feature film debut “American Murderer” makes for a sturdy genre entry.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 24, 2023

While many newbie filmmakers go nuts with show-offy shots and edits, Gentile has the maturity not to go in that direction. He knows the story is bananas enough and supports it with direction that’s clean and pacing that’s efficient.

| Jan 16, 2023

Villains, especially fascinating con artists, often dominate a film’s dramatic focus. They’re the dynamic, mesmerizing characters with charisma, or how else would they succeed? ... These ideas govern writer/director Matthew Gentile’s American Murderer.

| Jan 12, 2023

An impressive feature debut that punctures the myth of the charismatic conman.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 5, 2023