Rent American Gigolo (1980)

Call Me… Emotionally Unavailable - American Gigolo review by griggs

I wasn’t quite sure what I expected—probably something sexier, more in line with the title and Schrader’s usual edge—but American Gigolo turned out to be something far more interesting. It’s less about erotic thrills and more about style, psychology, and quiet desperation. Gere, all charm and expensive suits, is framed almost like a female sex worker in a classic melodrama—glamorous, transactional, and hollow. But here, no one’s coming to rescue him. He’s a man who fixes other people’s problems but can’t face his own, spiralling into paranoia and self-destruction.

There’s a flicker of The Conversation in how the tension creeps in—subtle, internal, and unnerving—culminating in scenes where Gere tears his flat and car apart, searching for something solid in a world slipping away.

One unexpected moment that felt like a little gift just for me: Gere confronting a man outside a cinema plastered with advertising for The Warriors. A small, throwaway detail—no doubt studio-mandated—but as a fan of the cult classic, it still felt special. And then there’s Moroder’s icy rework of Blondie’s Call Me, pulsing through the film like a glossy, detached lullaby for the emotionally numb.

Strange, stylish, and unexpectedly sad—American Gigolo stays with you.

Fails to reach top GERE - American Gigolo review by Spoons

American Gigolo plods along at a slow pace to the point where it almost becomes boring. Only the performances of Gere and Hutton kept me watching and hoping that the film would suddenly start to engage me, which it does to a certain extent. Overall a rather dull affair enhanced slightly by Georgio Moroder's soundtrack.

Intriguing but seems very dated now - American Gigolo review by PO

The film was less of a thriller and the ending a disappointing surprise. A film I'd never seen but heard lots about and now I've seen it I don't need to see it again!

Sound on this was awful, but the story was ok. Richard Gere has aged very well!