American Star is a 2024 British thriller film directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego,^[4] written by Nacho Faerna,^[5] and produced by Ian McShane and Michael Elliott.^[6] The film stars McShane,^[7] Thomas Kretschmann, Nora Arnezeder, Adam Nagaitis, Fanny Ardant, and Oscar Coleman.^[8]

American Star was released in theaters and also digitally on January 26, 2024.^[9] by IFC Films.

Wilson, an aging hitman (Ian McShane) who grows tired of his violent life, heads to Fuerteventura for a job. His target's absence leads him to a tranquil vacation, where he befriends Gloria, a bartender, and forms unexpected connections with the island's residents. As Wilson lets his guard down, the inevitable return to his profession disrupts the peaceful interlude.

The film was produced by both Ian McShane and Michael Elliott.^[12][13] It is a production by UK outfits Tamariska and Emu Films in association with Madrid-based Aquí y Allí Films and Cayuga Ficción.^[14][15][16]

Principal photography for the movie took place on the Canary Islands.^[17]

On December 12, 2023, the trailer for American Star was released by IFC Films.^[18]

American Star was screened in New York City on January 18, 2024.^[19] It was released in the United States on January 26, 2024.^[20] It is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2024.^[21]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 30 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Thanks in large part to the ever-watchable Ian McShane, American Star entertains as a slow-burning albeit somewhat standard thriller."^[22] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[23]

Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com rated the film 3 out of 4 stars, deeming it to be an "unusually intelligent and purposeful movie that doesn't say much, but is full of feeling".^[11]