Opiniones de usuarios

I have seen a few contemporary westerns recently being "Eddington", "Honey Don't" and now "Americana".

I felt the movie started well. The story and elements that came together were interesting and engaging. It felt very Coen-esc in the sense that it's a situation that goes wrong and escalates out of proportion.

The scenery, soundtrack and performances were impressive. However when Act 3 begun it was the moment where "Americana" lost steam.

The subtly and patience that was executed in the first 2 acts evaporated when the film transitioned into an overly dramatic thriller.

I would have preferred are more grounded finale that focused on the well crafted themes in the beginning on the film.

Director Tony Tost writes and directs a highly entertaining neo-western that reaches its peak in the final stretch. With a first-rate cast, Helsey stands out in particular with a dazzling performance that steals the show.

A film that develops gradually.

Tost's approach gains momentum as we understand where the paths of this neo-Western lead us. The director pays homage to the Western in a modern way, highlighting its characters, their struggles, and their true motivations. He features a committed cast that makes everything shine even more, while the director develops a script that knows exactly what it wants to tell, drawing us into a story that captivates thanks to the charisma of its characters.

A touch of femininity in an intense western.

The director spares no expense in highlighting the strength of his female characters. A solid Sydney Sweeney, more serene than usual, embodies a captivating character with a touch of innocence that makes her charming in every scene. Helsey, on the other hand, steals the show with an impressive performance. The singer displays all her talent in taking on a character filled with wounds and suffering, but also with absolute kindness. Her depth and powerful performance make the film her own from the start. Paul Walter Hauser also stands out, showcasing his full essence as an actor whose talent continues to grow. The cast is rounded out by Eric Dane, Zahn McClamon, and Simon Rex.

An incredible soundtrack.

Although the film isn't completely perfect and struggles in certain aspects, its country-tinged soundtrack manages to elevate the low moments with charming songs and banjo chords that complement the deep drama of this neo-western. Between the performances and the music, Tony Tost manages to pull off a script that loses some threads, but that doesn't affect the outcome of a fulfilling film.

Conclusion .

An interesting offering that recaptures the spirit of the Western in certain aspects, addressing the neo-Western appropriately and delivering a film that, with subtle humor, intense drama, and a truly powerful message between the lines, manages to convey a pleasant feeling throughout. Although it could have been more well-rounded, Americana is undoubtedly worth seeing.

"Americana" is the story of a small town somewhere in South Dakota. We meet a large group of eccentric characters -- among them thug Dillon, his girlfriend Mandy and her little brother Cal (who claims he is the reincarnation of Sitting Bull), stuttering waitress Penny Jo, and goofy but kind-hearted vet Lefty. A very valuable Native American artifact goes onto the black market and the chase for it becomes wild and violent involving the folk I just mentioned and many others...

"Americana" is clearly an attempt to emulate Tarantino. And for a while, it does a really good job. The stories and timelines all intertwine nicely. The characters are engaging and the performances are solid (especially Paul Walter Hauser and Sydney Sweeney, who make Lefty and Penny Jo a charming and quirky pairing). However, about 2/3 of the way through, writer/director Tony Tost seems to run out of idea so it's just "everybody shoots." It sort of peters out at the end, which is a shame, since a killer ending would have really elevated this flick.

Overall though, in a world of IP and huge budget messes, "Americana" is a breath of fresh air. Not perfect by any length, but still pretty entertaining and definitely worth checking out and supporting.

AMERICANA is not a disaster. In fact, it's maybe 3/4ths of a very good movie. This neo-Western crime caper has a lot to say both about America's violent past and its fractious, identity politics poisoned present, but it should have taken the time to develop those ideas more fully.

Don't be fooled by Sydney Sweeney's top billing-she's probably the third or even fourth lead. She's fine enough, though her character is underwritten and stuck with a character trait that probably seemed better on the page than how it plays on screen. Halsey is fierce and along with Zahn Mcclarnon probably gives the movie's best performance.

AMERICANA looks and feels like an early Coen Brothers film or something Tarantino might have tried before Pulp Fiction, but it lacks the style, pace and wit that either of those filmmakers would bring to the material. But you could do worse movie-wise these days and if you go in open minded, you might just come away liking this one.

I have no problem with Sydney's political stance (I love Mel Gibson's films and even laughed at several of Rob Schneider's), but it's just another run-of-the-mill film by the actress who doesn't stand out in any way. Whoever wants to see it, let them.

Too forgettable and not memorable. 2 of 10 my review.

I'm surprised by how enjoyable this movie was.

Screenwriter and director Tony Tost (also a poet) did a fantastic job crafting a story that does feel like poetry in motion.

But to label this movie a neo-western crime drama is, I think, mis-categorizing it and selling it short. It's not a western, despite being set in South Dakota and many characters do wear cowboy hats. And it's not really a crime drama though there is several crimes committed.

I would say "Americana" is more like a day dream of one of the characters - perhaps Sidney Sweeny's Penny Jo or maybe Halsey's Mandy Starr. Or maybe even the little kid. Who knows.

All the actors in this production were good. Sidney Sweeny definitely was very good in a low-key away, and not being exploited sexually for her body.

All in all, if you enjoy good story-telling, give this movie a chance.

I'm a fan of many of the actors in this movie and liked the idea of a small town heist, especially since I've never been a big city person myself. So, I decided to see this at the theater. But this movie, especially in the second half, doesn't come together. This is a feature debut, though by an older director (Tony Tost), and it feels out of touch. I read an interview with Tost where he discusses wanting to reconnect with a primal version of himself, after being distracted by being in an MFA and PhD program. Unfortunately, this feels like the product of someone who spent too long in academia and was able to 1) watch Coen brothers, Tarantino, and Western movies and 2) map out the elements of neo-noir and heist flicks, but just couldn't put them together in the way that the best artists can. There isn't nearly enough primal or talent on display here.

In the end, this one feels derivative, too generic, and quickly forgettable. Even though I saw it, I can see why it was a massive box office bomb (Wikipedia says this was a 9 million dollar budget, sold to Lionsgate for 3 million, and made 500k at the box office to date: even with eventual streaming that is a huge failure). I don't think that collapse had much to do with the Sydney Sweeney "controversy" which has actually helped her popularity with many audiences. This is just a pretty weak (and poorly marketed) movie. Only worth seeing if you need a Sydney Sweeney, Paul Hauser, or Zahn McClarnon fix but there are better ways to get those.

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.

Despite having seen thousands of films over the decades the machinations of the industry often elude my comprehension. It is perplexing that Tony Tost's Americana landed at my local cinema on August 15, 2025, a full two years after doing the festival circuit. Even more confounding is why I chose to see the film or better yet am taking the time to review it.

In the interest of full disclosure, two of the reasons I went to see Americana are Sydney Sweeney's largest assets: her intelligence and her skills as an actress. Unfortunately, neither of these is on display. In fact, her character (Penny Jo) is saddled with an inexplicably hilarious speech impediment that gives every scene Sweeney is in the whiff of satire. It isn't the only part of Tost's film that made me wonder if I was being punked.

Some online trolls are claiming Americana tanked due to Sweeney's recent jeans/genes controversy. Conversely, other online trolls are defending the anemic box office, citing the film's niche appeal/limited release, etc. Americana tanked for the following highly scientific reason, it is objectively horrendous.

A film titled Americana, made by an American Liberal and released in the 2020s is going to hate America. This much can be taken for granted. Tost is to be saluted for how quickly he announces his self-loathing. It takes two seconds. Literally two seconds. By the time the subplot involving Mandy's (Halsey) father takes shape, I was left shaking my head. It is impossible to question the film's commitment to its political tribe.

By now everyone understands how the west was really won. Hollywood's celebration of Marx (not Groucho), the burning of cars and the cancelation of historical figures isn't going to alter the past. It hasn't done much for the present either. Years ago many talented people abandoned real storytelling in favour of propaganda. Americana is the sickly downstream effect that type of thinking produces.

There is no character development in this film. None. Everyone is given a single note to play and by God they play it. The women are all victims and the (white) men are all monsters. Stemming from this use of stereotypes is the film's total lack of suspense. Normally, such non-linear narratives build intrigue. In Americana nothing can offer the film any gravitas as it nears its predictable conclusion.

Mickey 17 owns the 1 Star rating in 2025. I'm really hopeful I won't be forced to use it again this annum. Americana gets a second star thanks to Paul Walter Hauser and Toby Huss. In addition, the plot does precisely one interesting thing, two and a half jokes actually land and I'm a sucker for Streets of Laredo.

To quote Hauser's Lefty, the world is so full of bad things - such as this film. Americana should have long since been shunted off to whichever streamer is considered the furthest to the left. Apple, I'm guessing. We are in one of the worst calendar dead zones as far as film releases. If Americana is any indication, I wish we could fast forward to October.

Do not listen to bad reviews, this film is so good. If you liked Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill style film then this is for you (just not as gory). As described has some black comedy added, action and drama, great back story and some relevance to how the world is today from all perspectives. Highly recommend.

For a heist movie, this seems to move real slow. Character development are important but film maker seem to not care about run time. If you like Halsey, she makes an appearance early for a short time then disappears until much later then you get a lot of. This film conceptually sound good but it is only (small) part heist. Not even half way through I've already lost interest. I stuck it out and luckily the kid and ghost face aka Henry scene kept me a little invested how the movie progresses. In my opinion the character Henry Alvin made this film tolerable. Halsey did good (I think this is her film debut) acting out her parts. The film is mostly drama and I realized this after much given thought. The end is perfect as it didn't fall into the trappings of a feel good film - the reincarnation nonsense was resoundingly rejected by the true adult in this film. The ending makes perfect sense also because Halsey's character finally realizes true wealth. What would make this film score higher than my six out of ten rating is if they had less of that excruciatingly slow scenes (yes, multiple) with hefty lefty cowboy and Sydney's character.

I want good things for Halsey. I want her jump to acting to work out for her. She was good in MaxXxine but yikes this movie didn't deserve her.

And honestly people need to stop hiring Sweeney. She's nothing special and her acting is as abysmal as Gal Gadot. Like Gal, she's just a kinda pretty face to look at with no depth. Every line is flat. Every moment we should feel something for her character, we don't.

Ngl, I was rooting for the bad guys the whole time.

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.

As far as liking a certain genre of film I from time to time like to watch a good western, and with this entry "Americana" it was a modern day raw and gritty journey as I as the viewer felt the cowboys vs. Indians and cops and Robbers style. Set in South Dakota it involves a criminal scheme and a young man(Paul Walter Hauser) looking for love. Add in outsiders and outcast it's as if no one seems to be who they are, things connect up between the central characters as all are involved someway or the other. Look for Zahn McClarnon("Dark Winds") in a supporting turn and Sydney Sweeney as wild card character waitress Penny Jo(who becomes a damsel in distress by being tied up and gagged). The film has plenty of twist and excitement as it's a fun journey thru the old west that movie lovers should enjoy.

I went into Americana hoping for gritty drama and compelling performances, but what I got was a sluggish, self-indulgent slog through the desert with no payoff.

The pacing is glacial, the characters are paper-thin, and the cinematography can't distract from the fact that nothing of substance ever happens. It's like the film is trying so hard to be "deep" that it forgot to be watchable.

By the time the credits rolled, I felt more confused than moved. If this is supposed to be a portrait of modern Americana, then I guess it's fitting: it's bleak, empty, and leaves you wondering what the point was.

Character-driven small-town crime is the king of cinematic genres, with "Americana" a fine & worthy addition to it. When stuttering Dakota diner waitress Sydney Sweeney stumbles on Simon Rex & Eric Dane's plan to steal a valuable artefact she asks new pal Paul Walter Hauser to help her steal it from THEM... but plans go awry, pulling in Halsey, young Gavin Maddox Bergman, the local Native American tribe (inc Zahn McClarnon), and a misogynistic gun-toting cult. Performances are terrific (esp Sweeney, Hauser, Dane, Halsey, & McClarnon) helped by Tony Tost's writer / director debut being so bang on (he is clearly one to watch going forward). It is a terrific movie.

In the dusty backroads of South Dakota, Americana unleashes a Tarantino-lite frenzy where a stolen Lakota Ghost shirt ignites a powder keg of greed, ghosts, and grudges.

Sydney Sweeney shines as Penny Jo, the stammering diner dreamer with a voice like cracked vinyl and a backbone forged in desperation... her country croon amid chaos steals every scene. Paul Walter Hauser's hapless vet Lefty adds goofy heart, while Halsey's shadowy fugitive and Zahn McClarnon's steely tribal leader layer cultural bite into the bloodshed.

Director Tony Tost's modern Western zips with dark humor and heist hijinks, but leans too hard on familiar tropes: the sleazy dealer (Simon Rex), brutal enforcer (Eric Dane), and eccentric kid prophet (reincarnated Sitting Bull? Gold).

Pacing stutters like Penny's lines, and the satire on America's underbelly feels half-baked. Still, it's a rollicking ride through cultural theft and shattered reveries: raw, ragged, and riveting enough to root for.

Solid neo-noir fun, if not revolutionary.

Better in theory than in execution, Americana gathers a capable cast who ultimately flounder in a slow, joyless western crime drama. Tony Tost's split-narrative structure only really works in the Eric Dane-led thread-the rest feels forgettable and aimless. Sydney Sweeney proves the weak link here, despite her current It-Girl status.

A jarring struggles to settle on a tone between ironic quirkiness, character study and generic thriller action. Terrible structural and climax resolutions. Nothing memorable.

All in all it was subpar, lacking in coherence and character consistency, even when compared with the classic and or older movies of similar philosophical underpinnings.

It's a 3-ish-star movie that I wouldn't place in any "top" lists. There are elements worth appreciation (the unexpected dark humour, the Hauser-Sydney romance, bullets meeting arrows, and a solid Halsey performance), but the overall picture is largely hit and miss. Americana follows a non-linear narrative with various characters (and plotlines) converging at a single point towards the conclusion. It actually took me a while to buy into the borderline silliness of the plot, and dividing scenes in PARTS hardly served its purpose, except to loudly exclaim that these are all characters whose fates are intertwined with each other's.

But around 25 minutes in, I started to enjoy it a lot more. Hauser and Sweeney's flirtatious vibe was pieced together nicely, Mandy (Halsey) slowly turned into the emotional centerpiece, the kid (kinda annoying) and the Native Americans' had their own thing going on, while the core crime bit made me want to know what the finale was gonna look like. It took things one step further in the second act with Mandy returning to her conservative dad's home in Wyoming, naturally setting up a bloody showdown between all parties involved.

The ending is fairly well-cooked from a cinematic standpoint (.. in a style reminiscent of the Coens), though the "how" behind certain bits don't get answered. I wouldn't want to elaborate, because even though the film is TECHNICALLY a few years old, it's still unwatched by a large majority of moviegoers. I still liked how writer-director Tony Tost (debut flick at the age of 50) managed to bring something new to the crime-western table with these characters even when the plot wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders.

Americana follows a well worn path of those it follows. Thinking Fargo, A Simple Plan, One False Move etc. It certainly does not rank highest amongst its ilk, but all the ingredients are there and mixed in just the right amounts. You have two or three quirky misfits, who are worth rooting for, supported by enough morally dubious types for them to play against.

A well thought out plot, with a half way time twist that introduces a couple more elements, supplying fresh and interesting characters and nicely intertwined story lines, culminating in a satisfyingly bitter sweet ending.

Given a bigger budget and a more Tarantinoesque direction, perhaps the pace could have been driven harder with more amusing punchy dialogue and tense action scenes to make this a solid 8. But, its entertaining and involving, and worth a 6.5 in my book.

This is a forgettable film that won't age well. Too often, the dialogue feels stilted and written, failing to translate from the page to the screen. By itself, that doesn't need to be a criticism. It could be a style choice except that Americana's style feels like it's trying so hard to imitate the writer-director's own favorite films. The result is a kind of heartless mess or pastiche.

The biggest problem is that the writing stinks of someone who is trolling for kisses, wanting so badly to be liked that he aims for poignant or clever moments but never come close to them (except maybe for friends and multitasking viewers). The greatest filmmakers are able to bring just about anyone into their voice, their cinematography, their world without you feeling that you're being beaten over the head with those elements. Sadly, there's a self satisfaction to this film that feels like it's coming from insecurity about a lack of talent, not real imagination or art or even the kind of thoughtful entertainment that doesn't try to be art but can't help but reach masterpiece status.

Though the cast is interesting (I give the film a star precisely for the fun casting right down to the talented Zahn McClarnon). Even that doesn't work though. The cast doesn't deliver their best work here. I'm a Sydney Sweeney fan but she isn't well directed in Americana. The performance feels half-hearted and wooden at turns. Too often, I see Sweeney acting like Penny Jo, and not giving us a real glimpse of Penny Jo. Paul Walter Hauser, who has also had some excellent roles lately, isn't at his best here either. Halsey is fine but it's hard to see her having a notable acting career.

In sum, the film feels like a copy of a copy of a copy of a.... It fails as a sincere piece but also as a satire. It wants it both ways, which is possible, but it can't pull it off. The narrative development is more chaotic than clever, say in the way you'd see narrative threads intersecting in Coen Bros. Films or even Noah Hawley's serial anthology tribute to Fargo. It's clear to me this one crashed and burned (and it bombed unusually hard) at the box office not because of some silly controversy but because there's no there there. I wouldn't even recommend this as in-flight viewing for your next transcontinental flight. There are piles of independent-ish films out there that will give you a better version of the neo-noir thrills this one is trying so desperately but unsuccessfully to achieve.