Directed by Nima Nourizadeh, American Ultra follows Mike Howell, played by Jesse Eisenberg. He is a clerk at an all-night convenience store in rural West Virginia.

He is laid back because he smokes his pot and spends a great deal of time writing a graphic novel about a superhero monkey. Phoebe, played by Kristen Stewart, is his anchor. She is sweet and loving as his girlfriend, while she accepts his unconventional outlook on life. It’s all too perfect for Mike. Something is amiss, not quite right.

Mike is part of a failed experiment to form a force of super-soldiers.   Victoria, played by Connie Britton, ran the experimental program and decided to shut it down after the super-soldiers exhibited severe psychological side effects. She let Mike live and gave him a new identity after erasing his mind, then adding new memories.

Victoria discovers that Mike is set to be exterminated by an associate, Adrian Yates, played by Topher Grace. Victoria shows up at Mike’s workplace, says a coded phrase, and reawakens his previous training. Mike catches Yates’ team trying to bomb his car. Mike becomes a super-soldier once again. The movie takes off in an R-rated fashion with action-packed combat and brutal overkills.

The movie shows tenderness and some humor. It is not super funny, but laughing is part of watching the movie. A neat and surprising twist at the end wraps up the movie nicely. The movie is not your typical action story, but it is pleasurable to watch and is entertaining. If you are a Stewart or Eisenberg fan, then you will definitely like the movie.