American History X
A European-American man is released from prison and now a changed man and hopes to prevent his younger brother from following in his footsteps.
Directed by Tony Kaye · Crime · Drama · 119 min · 1998
Trailer
Director
Tony Kaye
Writer
David McKenna
Studio
N/A
Release
20 Nov 1998
Runtime
119 min
Genres
Crime, Drama
Full Plot
Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for brutally killing two black men who tried to break into/steal his truck. Through his 14 yr old brother's, Danny Vineyard, 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. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did.
Cast & Characters
Derek Vinyard, a former neo-Nazi
Edward Norton
Danny Vinyard, Derek's younger brother
Edward Furlong
Doris Vinyard, Derek's mother
Beverly D'Angelo
Davina Vinyard, Derek's younger sister
Jennifer Lien
Seth Ryan
Ethan Suplee
Stacey
Fairuza Balk
Dr. Bob Sweeney, Danny's history teacher and Derek's old history teacher
Avery Brooks
Murray, a history teacher who dated Derek's mother briefly.
Elliott Gould
Cameron Alexander
Stacy Keach
Dennis Vinyard
William Russ
Lamont
Guy Torry
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $20.0M, American History X has grossed $23.9M worldwide — about 1.2x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
American History X premiered in Los Angeles on October 28, 1998, and on the same week in New York.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Screenwriter David McKenna wrote the screenplay for American History X and sold the rights to New Line Cinema when he was 26.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
American History X holds 8.5/10 on IMDb (1,271,167 votes), 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 62/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.5/10 on IMDb (1,271,167 votes), 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 62/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is American History X's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
American History X holds a 84% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is American History X's IMDb rating?+
American History X has a 8.5/10 rating on IMDb from 1,271,167 votes.
What is American History X's Metacritic score?+
American History X has a Metascore of 62/100 on Metacritic.
Is American History X good? What are critics saying?+
American History X holds 8.5/10 on IMDb (1,271,167 votes), 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 62/100 on Metacritic.
How long is American History X?+
American History X has a runtime of 119 min.
Who directed American History X?+
American History X was directed by Tony Kaye.
Where can I watch American History X?+
American History X is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Rakuten TV, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to "American History X" is mixed, with some critics finding it too violent or close-to-home, while others praise its poignant drama and message. A review by The New York Times notes that despite the film's flaws, it is an "incredibly poignant drama". However, many reviewers also criticize the movie for being too intense, and suggest that its exploration of hatred and racism may be problematic.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Despite having a somewhat weak cast, this is an incredibly poignant drama of one man's struggle to live a new life. Probably too violent and close-to-home for some.
tmdb15435519 · 9/10There's really no point to the movie. Just a lot of violence. That's pretty much it.
Andre Gonzales · 5/10You could use this as a skinhead recruitment film because it failed so miserably in the message it was trying to push, and it failed miserably because they were too concerned about pushing the message that they forgot how they were framing the film. So a bunch of skinheads win a…
GenerationofSwine · 1/10"Danny" (Edward Furlong) isn't making much progress at school so his teacher "Sweeney" (Avery Brooks) gives him a project. He is to document the life of his elder brother "Derek" (Edward Norton) whom he adores. "Derek" was a neo-Nazi - and an active one at that who has only recen…
CinemaSerf · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
“Has anything you’ve done made your life better.” 10/10 Who cares about Oscars
@OnlyusemyBlade420 · 922 likesHow did Norton not win an Oscar for this?!?! How??????
@coffeetea8577 · 2327 likesI think the black kid at the end had the same story as Derek the whole point of this movie is hatred only gives birth to more and more hatred.
@kilansgames556 · 2355 likesI feel like this is one of the most important movies of all time
@glitchin1233 · 1590 likesThis movie is an absolute masterpiece and it shows how easily one can twist the mind of young people by filling them with hatred and negative ideas. I highly suggest you not to judge it by the trailer and to give it a try. It's honestly one of the best movies ever made..
@asmaaamy · 1246 likesgarbage trailer for a masterpiece movie...
@alaskayoung3101 · 3787 likesThe movie was more like a life lesson...
@Dumakingthembeats · 282 likesEdward Norton role here is one of the best performances in cinema history
@tonigeorg7652 · 75 likes
