[2][3] The film stars Kerry Washington, Steven Pasquale, Jeremy Jordan and Eugene Lee.

[4] On a stormy night in a Miami police station, Kendra Ellis-Connor is waiting for a report on the whereabouts of her son Jamal, who has suddenly disappeared.

Due to both protocol and a lack of knowledge of the incident, he tells her that he has to wait for Lieutenant John Stokes, the AM shift liaison officer.

This revelation develops into a long argument between Kendra and Scott, where they confront their tumultuous marriage and their experiences raising a biracial son in a privileged community.

After Scott is released after being given a "promise to appear" court order, Kendra reveals that Jamal left the house after an argument with her.

The film received negative reviews, citing its social commentary on the subject of race as being of a "heavy handed" nature.

The site's critical consensus reads, "Kerry Washington capably anchors American Son with her nervy turn as a concerned mother, but the staginess of the production ill-serves its heavy-handed social commentary.