American Gun
Metascore
48 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 14
  3. Negative: 2 out of 14
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  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    38
    It turns out the stories don't unite at all. Instead, we get a series of dramatic vignettes, most of them decently executed but all of them rooted in the weepy sensibility of TV movies.
  2. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    30
    This is "Crash" with gun violence substituted for racism, although the tone of director–co-writer Aric Avelino's debut feature may be closer to one of those pious public-safety films that used to be shown to schoolchildren in order to frighten them out of potential bad behavior.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 12 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. ChadShiira
    6
    Janet(Marcia Gay Harden) and her son(Chris Marquette plays David) need to yell at each other until their ears bleed(and ours) as a distraction because "American Gun" is about to become convoluted. After David is thrown out of private school(because his mother did an interview about her other son), Janet informs her child that he'll be attending Ridgeline, the scene of his older brother's crime. Marquette can screams bloody murder at his mom all he wants; we're simply not buying it. A faculty and student body who are still in the process of psychical healing following a bloodbath of Columbinesque proportions(it's only been three years), would not allow David's entrance into the Ridgeline population without a fight. "American Gun" fires a few blanks(I'm also not convinced that a pacifist like Mary Ann(Linda Cardellini) would go to a firing range after one incident), but the inclusion of a predominantly black high school in juxtaposition with a white one hits the bullseye. When Jefferson County(where Columbine is located) residents were interviewed by the media after the slaying, a lot of them expressed disbelief that something like this could happen in their neighborhood. A school shooting is more likely to take place at the educational institution Carter runs. As the principal watches a third anniversary retrospective of the Ridgeline masacre, there is only sadness in his eyes, an understanding that he's been lucky, so far. In the film's deftest move, Principal Carter confiscates a student's gun, which leads to a situation we've never seen before on the screen.… Full Review »
  2. DarkM.
    7
    Sure it has the "Crash"-esque feel, but it's not as bad as everyone seems to make it out to be. It's not like Hollywood has NEVER had similar movies come out at the same time, so give it a chance. Some fine performances, noteably Forest Whitaker, Marcia Gay Harden and Chris Marquette.… Full Review »
  3. Jake
    2
    It's a terrible movie, but the message just pisses me off. Have you ever seen a gun unlock itself out of a cabinet, jump off a shelf, all by itself, and go out and shoot someone? I haven't, you know why? It's the people that choose to kill the people, not the guns.… Full Review »
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