I’ve gotten into this point in previous reviews, but for the uninitiated, let me just get it out there: There are few things I find duller to (personally) sit through than films that critique or otherwise examine the ideal of the American Dream. Every time I see a new film dealing in this subject matter, it feels like I have to incentivise my own brain into paying attention; American Made had this effect on me, same with Home Sweet Hell and, to a lesser extent, Gold, so this seems to be regardless of a film’s individual quality as entertainment.
I just… don’t care about the idea, as even all the way over here in Australia, I was taught from a fairly early age that the American Dream is a fantasy not worth chasing. As such, I think I’ve developed a blind spot to it as a regular filmgoer; unless it’s told in a really out-there fashion (i.e. slathered in genre engagement and commentary on other things like with Knives Out), it just doesn’t register for me.
