National Anthem

It's a black comedy-drama Western set in modern times in South Dakota and Wyoming. The story unfolds in multiple parts as we meet all the characters. They include young Cal Starr (Gavin Maddox Bergman), his mother, Mandy (Halsey), and her live-in boyfriend, Dillon MacIntosh (Eric Dane). Mandy comes from a very unusual family. There is the "ghost shirt," which has great spiritual significance for the local Lakota People, that is stolen at the direction of antiques dealer Roy Lee Dean (Simon Rex). Ghost Eye (Zahn McClarnon), head of the local Lakota resistance movement, wants its return. Two people insert themselves into the story after overhearing the plot at the local diner. They are waitress Penny Jo Poplin (Sydney Sweeney), an aspiring country singer, and romantically-deprived Lefty Ledbetter (Paul Walter Hauser).

"Americana" could be mistaken for a Coen Brothers film, with off-center characters who get involved in events far beyond their ability to control. The humor is Coen-like. There is a lot of violence, but this is a Western in which the Lakota acquit themselves well. There's also a feminist angle. Halsey, Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, and Eric Dane all perform well. The pace is good and the story engaging despite the multitude of themes.

The Roger Ebert reviewer didn't like "Americana," but I did.

This movie was an unexpected gem. Quirky characters and storylines develop well and intertwine until they all come together in a totally unexpected and dramatic way. When the movie was wrapping up, I didn't want people around me to know I was on the verge of tears. I will be stopping at the store to buy some PBR!

Americana (2025) is a crime thriller movie written and directed by Tony Tost in his directorial debut. This is a movie I chose to watch because of who was in the cast and I can say that the movie was pretty good.

Positives for Americana (2025): I like the story of having a set of eccentric characters going after an item that causes a lot of chaos in South Dakota. The ensemble cast is great and you have Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, Halsey, Simon Rex, Eric Dane and Zahn McClarnon. They play their characters very well and are crazy enough to get me invest in the story. I really enjoyed the relationship between the characters and how they interact with one another. I also like the way how the movie is told in these different chapters. And finally, the third act of this movie is really insane and entertaining.

Negatives for Americana (2025): It definitely feels like Tony Tost was trying to do his version of a Quentin Tarantino movie, but he isn't Tarantino and the movie feels like it has no identity. There are too many characters to follow and they are all kinds of weird with their personalities, despite being acted very well by the cast. I also don't understand why these people are after this one item and it was just really dumb. And finally, the third act feels like Tony Tost had all of these ideas in his head and he shoved them into this one movie and none of them are developed enough for me to care.

Overall, Americana (2025) was a good directorial debut for Tony Tost and I am looking forward to see what he does next.

Sydney Sweeney is a Rising Star indeed as she continues to impress in movies like Reality and TV Series Euphoria. She has wide range of emotioons as she immefrses herself into the character she is playing. Americana is a modern day Wetern drama action kind of movie and the plot revolves around a rare Lakota Ghost Shirt which falls onto the black market in a small South Dakota town which intrertwines the lives of several popel involved violently. This sets in motio a chain of events that affects several people seeking fortune and liberty and some are trying to recover it to its proper tribal home. Plot has good flow and cinematography is decent. It has enough to keep you engaged till the end. Overall a good watch on a weekend.

There are enough likeable characters here with own special quirks - country music and reincarnation obsessions, art theft and cultural appropriation - to make "Americana" a fun late summer journey to the movies. Sydney Sweeney before she was involved in any eugenics controversy, Halsey, and Paul Walter Hauser along with a great Zahn McClarnon all offer something interesting, sort of like "Nashville" and "Thunderheart" thrown in a blender. It along with "Eddington" give hope that a kind of revival of nineties indie cinema might be around the corner, or at least before the next Superman reboot.