What is the iRankMovies score for American History X?

Name: American History X
Director: Tony Kaye
Genre: drama
Released: 1998
Duration: 1 h 59 min
Rating: 8.5

American History X has an iRankMovies score of 79.9/100, based on a weighted combination of IMDb (×3.0), Rotten Tomatoes (×2.0), Metacritic (×1.5), and TMDb (×1.0).

American History X (1998)

Some legacies must end.

Release:1998

Runtime:1h 59m

Country:United States

Director:Tony Kaye

Language:English

Genre

Drama

See the best drama movies →

Keywords

PrisonNeo NazismRapeSkinheadSibling RelationshipSwastikaNaziBrother

iRank80

American History X rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb8.5/10· 1.3M votes

Rotten Tomatoes84%

Metacritic62%

TMDb8.328/10· 13K votes

With 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 8.5/10 on IMDb and 62/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been positive.

About American History X

Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for killing two African-American men. Through his brother, Danny Vineyard's narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. and his actions greatly influenced Danny. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did.

Cast of American History X

Edward Norton
as Derek
Edward Furlong
as Danny
Beverly D'Angelo
as Doris
Jennifer Lien
as Davina
Ethan Suplee
as Seth
Fairuza Balk
as Stacey
Avery Brooks
as Sweeney
Elliott Gould
as Murray
Stacy Keach
as Cameron
William Russ
as Dennis
Guy Torry
as Lamont
Joe Cortese
as Rasmussen

American History X facts

Budget: $20M
Box office: $23.9M

Our take on American History X

Tony Kaye's 1998 drama follows Derek Vineyard, paroled after three years for killing two men, whose story reaches us through the narration of his younger brother Danny. Before prison, Derek led a violent white-supremacist skinhead gang in Los Angeles, and his example shaped Danny deeply. Out and reformed, Derek cuts ties with the gang and fights to keep his brother from repeating his path. As unflinching drama, it confronts racism, radicalization and the difficulty of change head-on, using a stark structure to weigh who Derek was against who he's trying to become. Best for viewers ready for hard, morally serious material; its violence and subject matter are genuinely tough. Not comfortable viewing.

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026Methodology Data sources