Movie

The American Friend

★ 7.1(442)19772h 5m

The American Friend is streaming on Criterion Channel and Hollywood Suite Amazon Channel in Canada, and available to rent or buy on Apple TV Store. Availability checked 21 July 2026.

Where to watch The American Friend

🇨🇦 Canada

Criterion ChannelStream

Hollywood Suite Amazon ChannelStream

Apple TV StoreRent

Apple TV StoreBuy

Good to know

Director: Wim Wenders
Release date: 1977-06-24
Runtime: 2h 5m
Language: English
Status: Released
Country: France
Studio: Road Movies

The American Friend — trailer

About The American Friend

The American Friend is a 1977 movie in the Drama, Thriller and Crime genres, directed by Wim Wenders, starring Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz and Lisa Kreuzer. It has a runtime of 2 hours 5 minutes. It holds an average rating of 7.1/10 from 442 viewers. Below you can see where to watch The American Friend in Canada — across streaming, rental and purchase options — along with the full cast, trailer and viewer reviews.

Synopsis

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.

Cast

Dennis Hopper

Tom Ripley

Bruno Ganz

Jonathan Zimmermann

Lisa Kreuzer

Marianne Zimmermann

Gérard Blain

Raoul Minot

Nicholas Ray

Derwatt

Samuel Fuller

The American

Peter Lilienthal

Marcangelo

Daniel Schmid

Igraham

Sandy Whitelaw

Doctor in Paris

Jean Eustache

Friendly Man

Lou Castel

Rodolphe

Andreas Dedecke

Daniel Zimmermann

Themes & keywords

dying and deathnew york cityfriendshiphusband wife relationshipparis, francebased on novel or bookhitmanmunich, germanymale friendshipterminal illnessleukemiadying manmurdermafiatape recorder

Frequently asked questions

Where can I watch The American Friend in Canada?+

In Canada, you can stream The American Friend on Criterion Channel and Hollywood Suite Amazon Channel. It's also available to rent or buy on Apple TV Store.

Is The American Friend on Netflix?+

The American Friend is not on Netflix in Canada right now, but you can stream it on Criterion Channel and Hollywood Suite Amazon Channel.

How long is The American Friend?+

The American Friend has a runtime of 2 hours 5 minutes (125 minutes).

Who stars in The American Friend?+

The American Friend stars Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzer, Gérard Blain and Nicholas Ray.

When did The American Friend come out?+

The American Friend is a 1977 movie directed by Wim Wenders.

What genre is The American Friend?+

The American Friend is Drama, Thriller and Crime film.

Who directed The American Friend?+

The American Friend was directed by Wim Wenders.