Top 5 Movies About The American Dream Ever Till 2023

The "American Dream" is a national identity that has permeated Western cinema history; it is a simmering ambition that many of the greatest protagonists in cinema have in the background. No matter one's social background, life should be better, richer, and fuller for everyone, with opportunities for each according to ability or achievement, according to historian James Truslow Adams, who gave the concept its name in 1931.

Here is the list of movies about the American Dream ever to date.

1. American Beauty (2000)

American Beauty lifts the curtain off the American dream to address some enduring issues that have long festered in the roots of national identity, particularly those relating to body image and homosexuality. Few people are willing to learn this lesson because Mendes challenges modern society's ideals, questions the idolization of success itself, and emphasises the futility of capitalism.

2. American Psycho (2000)

Looking inside the mind of an American psychopath, Bateman is an obsessive maniac who is only motivated by his desire for material success and perfection. His internal conflict is so narcissistic that he starts committing violent murders as a way to vent his insecurities on those around him. The scene in which Bateman and his coworkers compare business cards has become a staple of modern cinema, and it serves as perhaps the best representation of the protagonist's own vapid life by amplifying the consumerist notion of success that permeates Mary Harron's movie.

3. Bonnie & Clyde (1967)

Penn's movie, which is based on the true story of the outlaws, follows the two lovers as they go on a violent rampage across the nation, robbing banks and stealing cars. Arthur Penn's portrayal of Bonnie and Clyde as two attractive lovers who choose to create their own American dream by rejecting the failing economic systems during the Great Depression crystallises their image in much the same way that their deaths turned them into martyrs. It is not surprising that Bonnie and Clyde became cultural icons during a time when the Land of Liberty was covered in property foreclosures and helpless people were evicted from their own lands by banks.

4. Citizen Kane (1941)

One of the most iconic critiques of the fabled American Dream is a newspaper magnate who bought the world but couldn't save himself. It is Kane's own destructive narcissism, fueled by the allure of the national dream, that leads to his lonesome demise in this story, which presents a deeply flawed main character. Welles attacks American values in this undisputed classic, calling into question the morality of a nation that is always pursuing success.

5. Paris Texas (1984)

A newspaper tycoon who bought the world but couldn't save himself is one of the most well-known critiques of the mythical American Dream. In this story, which presents a deeply flawed main character, Kane's lonesome demise is caused by his own destructive narcissism, fueled by the allure of the national dream. In this undisputed classic, Welles criticises American values and questions the morality of a society that constantly seeks success.