American Gigolo (1980)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A high-priced escort in Los Angeles becomes entangled in a murder investigation while pursuing a forbidden romance with a politician's wife.
The story
Julian Kaye is a high-end male escort in Los Angeles who maintains a luxurious lifestyle and an emotionally detached existence. His life takes a complicated turn when he becomes romantically involved with Michelle Stratton, the wife of a prominent U.S. Senator. While navigating their burgeoning relationship, Julian's world is upended when he is identified as the prime suspect in the murder of a wealthy woman, Judy Rheiman. As the police begin to question him and his associates, Julian must navigate the escalating pressure of a criminal investigation while trying to protect his personal life and the woman he has grown to care for.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Julian Kaye, a high-end male escort in Los Angeles, lives a life of luxury and emotional detachment. After a series of assignments, he begins a secret romantic relationship with Michelle Stratton, the wife of Senator Charles Stratton. The situation turns dire when Julian is accused of the murder of Judy Rheiman. While his associates refuse to provide alibis, Julian discovers stolen jewelry in his car, leading him to believe he is being framed by his associate Leon and a man named Mr. Rheiman. In a fit of rage, Julian pushes Leon off a balcony, resulting in Leon's death. Ultimately, Michelle sacrifices her reputation and marriage to provide Julian with an alibi, and the two profess their love for each other while Julian awaits trial.
- First release year
- 1980
- Runtime (minutes)
- 117
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Paul Schrader
- Writers
- Paul Schrader · writer
- Cast and characters
- Richard Gere · Julian Kaye; Lauren Hutton · Michelle Stratton
- Genres
- crime drama; thriller; neo-noir
- Themes
- loneliness; identity; moral ambiguity
- Tone and mood
- stylish; melancholic
- Premise and plot tags
- crime; romance; mystery
- Content notes
- nudity
- Reception
- The film received generally mixed to positive reviews, being praised as a stylish character study and a study in loneliness, though some critics criticized its moral ambiguity and narrative construction.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 73% · scale: percentage · review count: 33; Metacritic · score: 57 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe · Best Original Score · nomination; Golden Globe · Best Original Song · nomination; Grammy · Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group · nomination
- Production trivia
- One of the first mainstream Hollywood films to feature frontal male nudity from its lead.; The film was adapted into a television series in 2022.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…