
American Beauty
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Directed by Sam Mendes
Produced by DreamWorks Pictures, Jinks/Cohen Company
A darkly comic, philosophically ambitious dissection of suburban malaise and self-deception that uses satire and voyeurism to examine desire, identity, and the search for authenticity.
Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.
Clusters
Genres
Keywords
Where to watch
Questions people ask
Is American Beauty one of a kind? Yes, very. More singular than 94% of films.
Is American Beauty sad? Yes. More sad than 88% of films.
Is American Beauty scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 67% of films.
Is American Beauty easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 61% of films.
Does American Beauty end with hope? Not especially. Less hopeful than 61% of films.
Is American Beauty violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Written about
Cinnamon Score
How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
There is almost nothing else like this.
How unlike any other film this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Everything like American Beauty, and what each one shares →
Like American Beauty
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as American Beauty
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like American Beauty, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like American Beauty, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like American Beauty, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.





























































