“American Murderer” is the latest movie directed by Matthew Gentile and stars Hollywood big shots like Tom Pelphrey, Shantel Van Santen, and Ryan Phillipe Idina Manzel. The movie centers around an American fugitive named Jason Derek Brown, who is running away from the authorities. The narrative tries to bring forth his transition into a criminal and the circumstances or choices that led to such a life. Let’s follow further to under Jason Brown better.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happens In The ‘American Murderer’ Movie?
The movie follows the story of Jason Derek Brown, who is wanted by the FBI for the first-degree murder of a 24-year-old guard on November 24. The story begins at a pawn shop that Derek had visited, intending to sell his father’s watch and his mother’s ring. He informed the owner that he regretted pawning his dead parent’s possessions, but things were challenging, and the money would help him a lot. The owner initially offered 200 dollars, but as Derek decided to walk away with the watches, he scaled it up to $1500. Suddenly, Derek glimpsed a black truck pulling into the driveway, changing his facial expression from despair to dread. Realizing he’s on the clock, Darek sped up the bargain, closed the deal at 2000, and walked out through the backdoor.
The Cat And Mouse Chase
“American Murderer” transverses in a nonlinear fashion, and its events aren’t chronologically aligned. We see Lance, an FBI agent, holding meetings to apprehend Jason Derek Brown, who is on the most wanted list for infringement, credit card fraud, theft, robbery, and murder. Lance’s investigation brought him to Melaine Baker, who revealed that she had leased Darek a house across the street. Lance invited himself in and threw a couple of questions at Melaine. She revealed that Derek was an intelligent young man who knew his way around things. According to Derek, he was in an import-export business with his brother David. Lance asked Ben if Melaine was involved in a romantic or intimate relationship with Derek. Melaine denied having been in one, and the inquiries continued.
From whatever we’ve seen so far, it can be concluded that Derek was a conman who jumped through houses and towns looking for his next target. We also come to know that he owed some people money who threatened to ruin his life if he didn’t pay them back in full. Everything Ben owned—a Cadillac, a yacht, and money—was the byproduct of his scams, frauds, and swindling endeavors.
Jason was a spoiled man, a hardcore party animal who loved to drown himself in women and vodka. He appeared to be very proud of his eerie laugh and believed he could get anything he wanted, whether it be a woman or wealth. He could easily befriend anyone and exploit them when they’re most vulnerable, leaving them to collect their losses. Lance afterward met Derek’s sister Jamie to ask how Derek, who was once a nice and gentle kid, grew up to be the most wanted swindler and murderer. She blamed everything on his alcoholic father, who spoiled Derek with money that he spent on games and possessions. We know that bad habits don’t die easily, and in the process of continuing that lifestyle and earning a quick buck, Derek started conning people out of their money. His bad habits also plunged him into tons of debt with the wrong people, who constantly tracked him down and threatened to kill him. Darek needed money, and he needed it fast! Darek’s desperation for money plunged him down a path from which he could never return.
Desperate Times Desperate Attempts
Jason went to convince her mother to invest in his new business, promising her a 200% return on her $20,000 investment. His mom saw through his lies and chastised him for having the audacity to walk into her house and demand $20,000 of her hard-earned money. His mom knew that her son was a swindler and had borrowed money from his sister Jamie and his brother David. Everything he owned was either a product of swindling, stealing, or scamming people; even the black Cadillac he flashed everywhere proudly. Derek was hopeless and was trying hard to gather cash to pay off the loan sharks. After being turned down by his mother, Darek decided to rob an armored truck and gathered research and a firearm to carry out a crazy plan. He gave his associate Kyle’s address while he was buying a Glock. The FBI tracked Kyle, and he revealed that Derek approached him, asking him to join him in return for a big score. Derek had estimated the prize to be at least $300,000 but was turned down by Kyle, who even threw him out of his flat after he pulled out a gun to threaten him. We see Derek constantly following the armored truck, noting down timings and routes, and practicing target shooting whenever he could find the time. On November 29, Derekcold-bloodedly shot the guard walking out of the bank with a bag full of cash and ran away. Upon counting, Derek found that he had just murdered a man for just $50,000. The FBI began scorching the town looking for the murderer, and Derek decided to jump town, fearing he would get caught. Derek visited his older brother and asked him to retrieve his silver BMW from his storage unit and completely change its appearance, from carpet to seats to paint. Darek’s luck seemed to have run out when his brother, who helped him steal a couple of golf clubs, blamed him for his trouble. But David decided to help his little brother anyhow.
‘American Murderer’ Ending Explained – Was FBI Able To Apprehend Derek Jason Brown?
In the morning, David called Jason and informed him that his face was all over the news. Actually, in a hurry, Derek ditched the bike near a parking lot, which the FBI later recovered. The forensics team found Derek’s prints all over the bike and pulled out his file. They got Jamie’s address from his file and surrounded the house to apprehend Darek, but he was long gone. Jamie saw the news and realized how far his little brother had gone. She dearly adored Derek, and even after all of this, she tried to change his brother’s mind and requested him to surrender, but it was all in vain.
On the other hand, the FBI took David in for questioning when he was booked for driving Derek’s silver BMW. In the interrogation room, Lance offered David a free pass out of jail if he turned in his brother. Jamie visited her mom, who convinced her to tell the authorities about Derek’s whereabouts. Jamie rejected her advice, saying she couldn’t betray Derek, but later called Lance and told him everything. The cops soon found Darek’s black Cadillac outside a motel, but Derek was already at large. Derek Jason Brown earned a spot on the FBI’s most wanted list, and his whereabouts are still unknown today.
Darek Jason Brown was a con man, a thief with an affinity for wealth and women. But he wasn’t born a criminal. According to her sister Jamie, Derek was a loving boy who slowly spoiled his habits. He developed a never-ending greed for money and chose the way of crime to satisfy his greed. Both David and Jamie cared for him, but Derek only visited them when he was in trouble or needed some monetary favors. He met his mother after four years, and the first thing he asked for was money. When she denied it, he left her house in anger, calling her “Bitch” right to her face. Melaine was madly in love with Darek and, even after seeing the news, firmly believed that Derek was innocent and would never kill a person. But Derek always exploited her love whenever he needed money or intimate pleasures.
“American Murderer” is a 2022 action thriller movie directed by Matthew Gentile.
