An American Pickle

Name: An American Pickle
Genre: Comedy
Released: August 6, 2020
Duration: 88 min
Rating: 58
Cast: Adam Ratcliffe, Alyse Zwick, Carol Leifer, Charles Rogers, David Mattey

2020

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 46 Ratings

See All

4.6

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4.6	Your Score
4.6	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 46 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

An American Pickle

Now Playing: An American Pickle

Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date (Streaming): August 6, 2020 | PG-13

Starring: Adam Ratcliffe, Alyse Zwick, Carol Leifer, Charles Rogers, David Mattey, Eliot Glazer, Emily Austin, Geoffrey Cantor, Jeffrey Daniel Phillips, Jessica Kayrouz, Joanna Adler, Jorma Taccone, Kalen Allen, Kevin O'Rourke, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Maya Erskine, Molly Evensen, Sarah Snook, Sean Whalen, Seth Rogen

Summary: Herschel Greenbaum (Seth Rogen) is a struggling laborer who immigrates to America in 1919 with dreams of building a better life for his beloved family. One day, while working at his factory job, he falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly and when he emerges in present day Brooklyn, he findsHerschel Greenbaum (Seth Rogen) is a struggling laborer who immigrates to America in 1919 with dreams of building a better life for his beloved family. One day, while working at his factory job, he falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly and when he emerges in present day Brooklyn, he finds that he hasn’t aged a day. But when he seeks out his family, he is troubled to learn that his only surviving relative is his great grandson, Ben Greenbaum (also played by Rogen), a mild-mannered computer coder whom Herschel can’t even begin to understand.… Expand

Director: Brandon Trost

Genre(s): Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 88 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Polygon Karen Han

Aug 18, 2020

The film’s plot, adapted by Simon Rich from one of his short stories, is unfortunately saggy. But Rogen’s performance remains rock-solid throughout. Read full review

Barry Hertz

Aug 3, 2020

While Rich’s script misses a few trickier opportunities to further dig into questions of religion and history – Herschel sleeps his way through the entirety of the Second World War, yet there’s never any discussion of how the Holocaust has irrevocably changed the world he wakes up in – An American Pickle is a movie that your bubbe will love. Read full review

A.O. Scott

Aug 5, 2020

Pickles can be comfort food. Not too filling, good for the digestion, noisy and a little sloppy rather than artful or exquisite or challenging. This one, as I’ve said, isn’t bad, and even allows a soupçon of profundity into its formula. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Matt Zoller Seitz

Aug 5, 2020

An American Pickle is charming and moving whenever it is content to be a two-man play. That's where the dramatic and thematic action happens. And it happens mainly through Rogen's dual performance. Read full review

Mike Ryan

Aug 5, 2020

An American Pickle is more interesting than laugh-out-loud hilarious. It’s introspective, without at all seeming that way. Read full review

Jesse Hassenger

Aug 3, 2020

Rogen’s comedies have often layered broad laughs with humanity and thematic ambition. Here, like Herschel and Ben, they aren’t especially convincing sharing the frame. Read full review

Darren Franich

Aug 4, 2020

There are actors who can pull off dual roles, and now we know Seth Rogen isn’t one of them. Read full review

SEE ALL 39 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

Lawlessness01

Aug 6, 2020

For what it is, it's a good movie. To me it seems they made what they set out to make. It's a heartfelt movie and was enjoyable to watch.

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

Mangoturtle

Dec 7, 2020

I don't know why people are giving it such a bad review. It was funny, had a good story, and had great acting. Seriously, if you have HBO Max I suggest watching it.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

PhilosopherPete

Aug 7, 2020

Seth does a wonderful job in this simple, short, and sweet film. It is an enjoyable, easy going watch and features very good commentary on the current constructs of our world.

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

JLuis_001

Sep 11, 2020

It's ironic that Seth Rogen made a film that for viewers like me fails to achieve the goal it seems to aim at and for fans of his humor it won't be boorish and funny enough as most of his films.

To be honest I can say that watching a buddy comedy where Rogen plays both characters wasIt's ironic that Seth Rogen made a film that for viewers like me fails to achieve the goal it seems to aim at and for fans of his humor it won't be boorish and funny enough as most of his films.

To be honest I can say that watching a buddy comedy where Rogen plays both characters was something that I could expect from him but the result is both preposterous and odd to work properly, especially since both characters are charmless.

Of course, this film by no means tries to be realistic nor I as a viewer was looking for some kind of realism in its story, but it's also fair to ask that the idea be sufficiently cohesive or that at least in its own absurdity doesn't feel so distant, because it's true that An America Pickle is a comedy at its core, but its messages go a little further than that humor, and yet the story fails to properly connect both elements.

Yes, I admit that you will laugh more than a couple of times, but in the end there's very little to rescue to become an important film for the career of its lead actor.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Ralfbergs

Mar 21, 2021

It was decent, nothing that good comedy wise but wasn't like completely boring. The story was ok, nothing amazing, but it passed time and was ok.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DirkNeptune

Aug 8, 2020

This movie was all over the place. Is it a comedy? It's not particularly funny and definitely not witty. Is it a fantasy? The fantasy aspects are treated pretty casually. Is it heartwarming? Not really. The message it tries to deliver is predictable and far from earth shattering. SomeThis movie was all over the place. Is it a comedy? It's not particularly funny and definitely not witty. Is it a fantasy? The fantasy aspects are treated pretty casually. Is it heartwarming? Not really. The message it tries to deliver is predictable and far from earth shattering. Some may like it, but, to me, it was like a long unfunny joke that was all setup and no payoff. Frankly, I’m surprised it was made.… Expand

5 of 6 users found this helpful51

masozod

Aug 21, 2020

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

SEE ALL 15 REVIEWS