Amreeka

2009, Comedy/Drama, 1h 36m

72 Reviews 2,500+ Ratings

What to know

critics consensus

A dramedy that's got a taste for the tragic as well as the poignantly comic, Amreeka adds a new sweetness to the hope and distress of the immigrant experience. Read critic reviews

You might also like

See More
Samson & Delilah
Cherry
Mumbai Diaries
Sidewalls
August Evening

Rate And Review

User image

Verified

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you buy your ticket?

    Let's get your review verified.

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • How did you buy your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

Amreeka Photos

View All Photos (23)

Movie Info

A vivacious Palestinian woman (Nisreen Faour) and her teenage son (Melkar Muallem) cope with culture clash and more as they try to build a new life in rural Illinois.
  • Rating:
    PG-13 (Involving Teens|Brief Drug Use|Some Language)
  • Genre:
    Comedy, Drama
  • Original Language:
    Arabic
  • Director:
    Cherien Dabis
  • Producer:
    Paul Barkin, Christina Piovesan
  • Writer:
    Cherien Dabis
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     limited
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Runtime:
  • Distributor:
    National Geographic

Cast & Crew

Nisreen Faour
Muna Farah
Melkar Muallem
Fadi Farah
Hiam Abbass
Raghda Halaby
Alia Shawkat
Salma
Jenna Kawar
Rana Halaby
Selena Haddad
Lamis Halaby
Yussuf Abu-Warda
Nabeel Halaby
Joseph Ziegler
Mr. Novatski
Andrew Sannie
James
Daniel Boiteau
Mike
Brodie Sanderson
Matt
Vanessa Mayberry
Sammy
Cherien Dabis
Director
Cherien Dabis
Screenwriter
Paul Barkin
Producer
Cherien Dabis
Executive Producer
Christina Piovesan
Producer
Alicia Sams
Executive Producer
Tobias Datum
Cinematographer
Keith Reamer
Film Editing
Aidan Leroux
Production Design
Patricia J. Henderson
Costume Design
Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Amreeka

All Critics (72) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (63) | Rotten (9)
Full Review… Philip French Guardian Full Review… Tom Seymour Little White Lies Full Review… Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard Full Review… Steve Rose Guardian Full Review… David Jenkins Time Out Full Review… David Parkinson Empire Magazine Full Review… Sam Blan emel Full Review… Lucy Popescu CineVue Full Review… Sophie Ivan Film4 Full Review… Allan Hunter Daily Express (UK) Full Review… David Edwards Daily Mirror (UK) Full Review… Simon Kinnear Total Film
View All Critic Reviews (72)

Audience Reviews for Amreeka

  • Jun 04, 2014
    A middling film about the trials and tribulations of a Palestinian family and their new home in America. When things are bad, they are truly bad and when they are good, things are perfect. Unfortunately that loses reality in a film.
    John B Super Reviewer
  • Dec 29, 2012
    By the end, the messaging gets so heavy-handed that the movie loses some credibility with its intended audience. But if you're an American, you know there is truth to all of it, and this film provides an opportunity to put yourself in a Palestinian's shoes and feel a bit of their experience.
    Matthew S Super Reviewer
  • Apr 07, 2012
    A stealth political piece about a Palestinian family's rough immigration to heartland America, effectively put across by a lovable cast. Here is a writer/director to watch.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
  • Oct 29, 2011
    I was kind of "meh" with this one. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I guess from the cover I expected more of a comedy.. and it is kind of funny.... but not too as it deals with a serious topic. It probably works better in the more serious parts, but I felt like I didn't really connect too well with any of it. The cast are good and you do hope to see them do well, but by the end of the film I was glad to see it finish too. Not really sure what the problem was exactly. And the pipe smoking really put me off at the end as well as it seemed irresponsible with all the kids at the table (just a little pet hate of mine!). Don't know... maybe worth a watch on tv for free, but not one to seek out.
    Nicki M Super Reviewer
See All Audience reviews

Movie & TV guides

View All