American Yakuza

American Yakuza is currently streaming in Australia on Hoopla, and in the US on fuboTV and The CW, and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 76 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Viggo Mortensen leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Hoopla.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, American Yakuza is worth clearing space for. The plotting gives American Yakuza its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. When Nick Davis leaves prison after one year in solitairy, he is hired to operate a forklift in a warehouse in the harbor owned by the Japanese Yakuza patriarch Isshin Tendo. The place is assaulted by the Italian Mafia lead by Dino Campanela and Nick rescues and saves the life of Shuji Sawamoto, who is the representative of Yakuza interests in America. Shuji hires Nick to work for Yakuza and becomes his godfather in the family after his oath to join Yakuza. Credit to Viggo Mortensen and Ryo Ishibashi for grounding it — this is a cast that earns the twists. It hit screens in 1993. What makes American Yakuza hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in American Yakuza. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Viggo Mortensen's performance is the kind that shows up on best-of lists years later. If you have been looking for something to fill the gap left by a recently finished story, this is a reliable answer.

American Yakuza was released in 1993, directed by Frank A. Cappello. The full 96-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.