Sovereign

So apt for the world we are living and an important portrayal of an element of society that poses an eternal threat to that society.

Since reading about Timothy McVeigh years ago I've always been somewhat fascinated by the disassociated, those who drift further and further into their very own world of indoctrination and delusion. I know people of that ilk, albeit mild in nature by comparison. I'd imagine everyone knows at least one.

Contrary to other comments, I liked the pacing. The acting was excellent. Offerman totally convincing and memorable. Every conspiracy theorist should be made to watch movies like this to see where delusion can lead to.

A father and son, part of an antigovernment group, engaged in a standoff with a police chief.

That's the last five minutes. The movie is all about the son, a lonely teen homeschooled by his father in the arguments of Posse Comitatus and the like. He yearns for normality, tries to enroll in high school, nurses a crush on a girl, all while his father loses the house to a bank purely because of his fringe theories. This is a well acted (especially by Nick Offernan, who has the most tired eyes in Hollywood), well executed and saddest movie I've seen in years (comparable to Hell or High Water) with a devilish twist.

Tense, emotionally riveting, and uncomfortably close to home, Sovereign is a masterful political thriller from Christian Swegal, who handles a sensitive subject with admirable restraint. Nick Offerman excels in a role that's strikingly different from his usual work, while Jacob Tremblay continues to solidify his status as one of the most talented young actors of his generation. Dennis Quaid, in a brief but impactful appearance, further proves his strength in commanding supporting roles. A thought-provoking and compelling thriller.

Sovereign has a killer concept but stumbles, earning a 6/10 for a bloated setup and a rushed payoff that left me feeling for the boy.

This crime thriller, rooted in the 2010 West Memphis shootings, follows Jerry Kane (Nick Offerman), a sovereign citizen zealot, and his son Joe (Jacob Tremblay), defying government authority. The concept - exploring anti-government extremism - is bold, but Christian Swegal's script drags, spending 75 minutes establishing a 20-minute story.

The slow-burn setup, while atmospheric, feels overstretched, leaning on repetitive rhetoric. The final 20 minutes ignite with tragic intensity, delivering raw emotion, especially for Joe's plight, but it's too late to fully salvage the pace.

Offerman is magnetic, blending charisma and menace, while Tremblay's vulnerable Joe tugs heartstrings, making his arc gut-wrenching. Dennis Quaid's police chief is solid but underused. Swegal's direction crafts a gritty, tense vibe with stark visuals, but uneven pacing and thin supporting characters hold it back.

Sovereign could've been a stunner with tighter storytelling and deeper focus on Joe's tragedy. Still, it's worth a watch for its strong leads and chilling climax.

While it's script could improve regarding it's structure and pacing, it's a slow-burn yet good exploration character study about the individuals who are anti-government "sovereign citizens" filled with a strong emotional and tenseful atmosphere, good direction, and two great performances from Nick Offerman and Jacob Trembaly.

What director Christian Swegal does well is that capturing the essence of what sovereign citizens are like, capturing their selfish and controversial beliefs without feeling forced or messy. The direction on the tone, the writing and what the purposes for the characters and choices were realistic and tense. Including great themes about the poison settings of indoctrination amongst people and how it can cause an affect on society. Alongside with the good camerawork and soundtrack, as mentioned, Offerman and Trembaly provides great performances to their chilling and uneasy characters, allowing them to have some great dialogue moments and tension between the topics of father and son.

Regarding it's faults, the emotional layer on certain elements and some writing moments did feel a bit short. As if there were patterns and decisions that could have been a bit better. But overall, it's strong debut direction and atmosphere showcases the extremist and unfortunate relevance of today's society in the United States.