The American Friend

Name: The American Friend
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: 1977-06-24
Duration: 2 h 5 min
Rating: 7.1
Cast: Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzer, Gérard Blain, Nicholas Ray

1977·Movie·NR·125 min·★ 7.1(441)

Drama Thriller Crime

Tom Ripley, an American who deals in forged art, is slighted at an auction in Hamburg by picture framer Jonathan Zimmerman. When Ripley is asked by gangster Raoul Minot to kill a rival, he suggests Zimmerman, and the two, exploiting Zimmerman's terminal illness, coerce him into being a hitman.

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Where to watch The American Friend in United States

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Click a service to open The American Friend there. Availability last verified on June 21, 2026.

Where is The American Friend streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Criterion Channel	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
United Kingdom	Curzon Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Sky Store
Canada	Criterion Channel, Hollywood Suite, Hollywood Suite Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store
Germany	Amazon Arthaus Channel, Arthaus+ Apple TV channel, Arthaus+	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, maxdome Store
France	MUBI, Sooner, Molotov TV, MUBI Amazon Channel	Canal VOD, Orange VOD, LaCinetek
Spain	Amazon Prime Video, Acontra Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Tivify	Apple TV Store, Acontra Plus
Brazil	Globoplay, Oldflix	—
Japan	U-NEXT	—

About The American Friend

The American Friend is a 1977 German-language drama, thriller and crime film directed by Wim Wenders. The cast is led by Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzer. It has a runtime of 2h 5m. Viewers rate it 7.1/10 across 400 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.

The American Friend was produced by Road Movies, Wim Wenders Productions, and Les Films du Losange and made in France and Germany. It was released on June 24, 1977, and carries a NR certification.

Director: Wim Wenders
Writers: Wim Wenders
Release date: June 24, 1977
Original language: German
Age rating: NR
Status: Released
Country: France, Germany
Production: Road Movies, Wim Wenders Productions, Les Films du Losange

#dying and death#new york city#friendship#husband wife relationship#paris, france#based on novel or book#hitman#munich, germany#male friendship#terminal illness#leukemia#dying man#murder#mafia

The American Friend cast & crew

The American Friend was directed by Wim Wenders and written by Wim Wenders.

The cast features Dennis Hopper as Tom Ripley, Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Zimmermann, Lisa Kreuzer as Marianne Zimmermann, Gérard Blain as Raoul Minot, Nicholas Ray as Derwatt, and Samuel Fuller as The American.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Jürgen Knieper, cinematography is by Robby Müller, and it was produced by Renée Gundelach and Joachim von Mengershausen.

Is The American Friend worth watching?

The American Friend holds an audience score of 7.1/10 from 441 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed drama films.

At 2h 5m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama, thriller, and crime, The American Friend is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The American Friend

In United States, you can stream The American Friend on Criterion Channel, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.