“A completely gorgeous and remarkable film. AMERICAN HONEY manages to depict the desperation of being a poor young person in a forgotten corner of America without condescending to or worshiping its destitute characters.” - Jess Kibler, Bitch Media

“Throbs with raw teenage hormones and sheer chutzpah in a 21st-century version of On the Road.” - Kate Muir, Times

In Andrea Arnold’s (FISH TANK, BIRD) sprawling and raw AMERICAN HONEY, Star (Sasha Lane, delivering an acclaimed debut performance) leaves behind a troubled home to join a traveling sales crew that drives across the American Midwest selling magazine subscriptions. As the ragtag group crosses state lines, Star grows closer to the team’s charismatic veteran Jake (Shia LaBeouf) and gets caught up in their chaotic and dangerous lifestyle. Drenched in color, shot in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa, and vividly captured by cinematographer Robbie Ryan (POOR THINGS), AMERICAN HONEY is an epic vision of contemporary American life and an urgent portrait of a generation searching for connection and purpose.


Awards & Nominations

Winner - Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival 
Nominee - Palme d'Or, Cannes Film Festival
Winner - Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress (Sasha Lane), Outstanding Achievement in Craft, British Independent Film Awards 
Nominee - Best Actor (Shia LaBeouf), Best Screenplay, British Independent Film Awards


HeartlandFlyover country, the third coast, the rust belt. The American Midwest has plenty of nicknames, and is arguably more difficult to outline on a map than the east or west coasts. Despite its ambiguous footprint, the Midwest is often defined by its people: hard working, sympathetic, and “nice.” With Heartland, we search for the Midwest's cinematic definition—how is middle America defined by big screen style and story, and when the lights go down, do we like what we see of our cinematic selves (however realistic or fantastical) reflected back at us? Read more


The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu