American History X

American History X is currently streaming in the UK on HBO Max Amazon Channel, and it rewards the patience it asks of you. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Edward Norton sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on HBO Max Amazon Channel.

There is a reason American History X keeps coming up in conversation. American History X trusts its audience to sit with discomfort instead of resolving it too quickly. Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for killing two African-American men. Through his brother, Danny Vineyard's narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. And his actions greatly influenced Danny. Edward Norton and Edward Furlong lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. American History X came out in 1998. What elevates American History X is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. The consistency throughout is what elevates it — not every moment is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, American History X delivers. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Edward Norton is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.