American Assassin
Following the murder of his fiancée, Mitch Rapp trains under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley. The pair then is enlisted to investigate a wave of apparently random attacks on military and civilian targets.
Despite a moderate budget of $33.0M, American Assassin became a commercial success, earning $67.2M worldwide—a 104% return.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
American Assassin (2017) exemplifies strategically placed dramatic framework, characteristic of Michael Cuesta's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 52 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Mitch Rapp
Stan Hurley
Irene Kennedy
Ghost
Annika
Main Cast & Characters
Mitch Rapp
Played by Dylan O'Brien
A young man driven by revenge after his fiancée is killed in a terrorist attack, who is recruited and trained as a black ops assassin by the CIA.
Stan Hurley
Played by Michael Keaton
A gruff, experienced Cold War veteran and CIA operative who becomes Mitch's mentor, training him in counterterrorism and covert operations.
Irene Kennedy
Played by Sanaa Lathan
A high-ranking CIA Deputy Director who identifies Mitch's potential and oversees his recruitment into the black ops program.
Ghost
Played by Taylor Kitsch
A former operative trained by Hurley who went rogue and seeks revenge against his former handlers, serving as the primary antagonist.
Annika
Played by Shiva Negar
A Turkish intelligence operative who works alongside Mitch and develops a connection with him during their mission.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Mitch Rapp proposes to girlfriend Katrina on idyllic beach in Ibiza. They are happy, in love, planning their future together. This establishes Mitch's "before" state: a normal young man with normal dreams of marriage and happiness.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Just as Mitch is about to execute the terrorist cell leader who ordered the beach attack, CIA operatives storm in and capture the target, stopping Mitch's revenge. His 18-month quest for personal vengeance is disrupted by institutional intervention.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Mitch chooses to fully commit to Hurley's program and accept the discipline of being a professional operative rather than a revenge-seeker. He passes Hurley's final test by controlling his emotions during interrogation. He enters the world of sanctioned black ops., moving from reaction to action.
At 57 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Ghost captures Mitch and Annika in Poland. Ghost reveals he knows everything about Mitch, including Katrina's death. The hunter becomes the hunted. Ghost escapes with the plutonium while Hurley's team rescues Mitch. The stakes escalate: Ghost now has everything needed for the weapon., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 83 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Ghost ambushes the team on the boat. In brutal combat, Ghost severely wounds Hurley, shooting him multiple times. Mitch's mentor and father figure appears to be dying. The whiff of death: Hurley, the man who gave Mitch purpose beyond revenge, may not survive., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 89 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Mitch synthesizes personal motivation with professional duty. He secures Hurley's evacuation, then pursues Ghost and the bomb. He's no longer driven by blind revenge but by purposeful mission focus - becoming the operative Hurley trained him to be while retaining his humanity., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
American Assassin's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping American Assassin against these established plot points, we can identify how Michael Cuesta utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish American Assassin within the action genre.
Michael Cuesta's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Michael Cuesta films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. American Assassin takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Michael Cuesta filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Michael Cuesta analyses, see Kill the Messenger.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Mitch Rapp proposes to girlfriend Katrina on idyllic beach in Ibiza. They are happy, in love, planning their future together. This establishes Mitch's "before" state: a normal young man with normal dreams of marriage and happiness.
Theme
Stan Hurley later tells Mitch: "You can't let it be personal." This encapsulates the film's central thematic question: Can vengeance and duty coexist, or must personal revenge be sublimated for the greater mission?
Worldbuilding
Mitch's world is shattered when terrorists attack the beach, killing Katrina. Eighteen months later, Mitch has transformed himself into a self-trained killer obsessed with finding her murderer. He infiltrates terrorist cells online, trains relentlessly in combat and weapons. CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy observes his rogue activities.
Disruption
Just as Mitch is about to execute the terrorist cell leader who ordered the beach attack, CIA operatives storm in and capture the target, stopping Mitch's revenge. His 18-month quest for personal vengeance is disrupted by institutional intervention.
Resistance
Irene Kennedy offers Mitch a choice: join a black ops program or face prosecution. Mitch meets his mentor Stan Hurley, a hardened Cold War veteran who runs an off-the-books assassination training program. Hurley puts Mitch through brutal psychological and physical tests, challenging his vendetta-driven motivations. Mitch resists subordinating his personal mission.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Mitch chooses to fully commit to Hurley's program and accept the discipline of being a professional operative rather than a revenge-seeker. He passes Hurley's final test by controlling his emotions during interrogation. He enters the world of sanctioned black ops.
Mirror World
The team learns their target is "Ghost" - a rogue operative who was once Hurley's star pupil before being betrayed and left for dead. Ghost represents what Mitch could become if he lets personal pain override duty: a monster created by the same system.
Premise
Mitch and the team pursue Ghost across Europe as he assembles materials for a nuclear weapon. Operations in Rome and Istanbul showcase Mitch using his new training. He works with Turkish agent Annika. The team discovers Ghost is working with Iranian hardliners to acquire weapons-grade plutonium and detonate a bomb.
Midpoint
Ghost captures Mitch and Annika in Poland. Ghost reveals he knows everything about Mitch, including Katrina's death. The hunter becomes the hunted. Ghost escapes with the plutonium while Hurley's team rescues Mitch. The stakes escalate: Ghost now has everything needed for the weapon.
Opposition
Ghost assembles the nuclear device on a boat in the Mediterranean. Intelligence failures and political maneuvering hamper the team's efforts. Ghost outmaneuvers them at every turn. Mitch's aggressive tactics create friction with Hurley and Kennedy. The ticking clock intensifies as Ghost prepares to detonate the bomb near the U.S. Sixth Fleet.
Collapse
Ghost ambushes the team on the boat. In brutal combat, Ghost severely wounds Hurley, shooting him multiple times. Mitch's mentor and father figure appears to be dying. The whiff of death: Hurley, the man who gave Mitch purpose beyond revenge, may not survive.
Crisis
Mitch must choose between saving Hurley or stopping the nuclear bomb. He realizes what Hurley taught him: the mission comes first, personal attachments second. This is his dark night - accepting that duty requires sacrifice, even of those we love.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Mitch synthesizes personal motivation with professional duty. He secures Hurley's evacuation, then pursues Ghost and the bomb. He's no longer driven by blind revenge but by purposeful mission focus - becoming the operative Hurley trained him to be while retaining his humanity.
Synthesis
Mitch infiltrates the boat, fights through Ghost's men, and confronts Ghost in final combat. Unlike Ghost, who was consumed by betrayal, Mitch fights for something beyond himself. He defeats Ghost and drives the boat with the armed nuclear weapon away from the fleet into open water, attempting to disarm it.
Transformation
Mitch recovers in the hospital where Hurley is also healing. Kennedy offers Mitch his next assignment. Unlike the opening where Mitch was carefree and naive, he's now a professional operative who has channeled grief into purpose, transformed from revenge-seeker to protector. He accepts his new identity.