- Network: SHOWTIME
- Series Premiere Date: Sep 11, 2022
Critic Reviews
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In the three episodes provided to critics, the timeline moves forward and backward, over and over, between Julian’s past and his present, in a strained attempt to bring a sense of depth to what is ultimately a shallow story.
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Despite the game if unremarkable efforts of star Jon Bernthal, none of the narrative or character development hinted at in those earlier episodes gives any indication that this is a journey worth continuing.
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Once you get past the familiar strains of Blondie's "Call Me" over the opening credits, the message from American Gigolo isn't worth answering. It is, rather, a misguided and distasteful reboot, seeking to tease the movie's premise into a larger mystery. Jon Bernthal struts his stuff as the escort trying to get his laugh back, but this '80s artifact should have been left in the time capsule.
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The [opening] sequence is just about as good as the show gets. While the original film captured the zeitgeist of its era, all the series has going for it–besides a charismatic performance from its reliably great lead–is nostalgia. ... An otherwise superfluous sequel. And if there’s one thing that snuffs out an erotic thriller even faster than nostalgia, it’s the choice to play it safe.
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“American Gigolo” is lead-footed, and prurient rather than hot. And Bernthal seems at sea here.
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Schrader’s 2% sacred/98% profane pretensions (which the filmmaker himself impishly jokes about) have been replaced with sentimentality; there’s even a beach dog that takes a shine to this puppified Julian. Alternately gritty and snazzy, the series looks good in an unmemorable way. ... The classic Blondie recording, which played over the movie’s and now the series’ opening credits, reminds us of the roaring energy that’s missing this time around.
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The ambition-free, utterly indistinct, and borderline misogynistic “American Gigolo” still exhibits a worst-case scenario. There’s nothing winning here, but plenty to be sad about.