Director: Christian Swegal
Writer: Christian Swegal
Stars: Nick Offerman, Jacob Tremblay, Dennis Quaid
Synopsis: A father and son who identify as Sovereign Citizens, a group of anti-government extremists, find themselves in a standoff with a chief of police that sets off a manhunt.
The Sovereign Citizen movement has been slowly rising in certain parts of the United States over the past couple of decades. This group of citizens brings some interesting yet untenable ideas about government that have seldom been explored thoughtfully in film or television. You’ll see some clips of courtroom settings where they try and weasel their way out of the law, but not much else. Writer-director Christian Swegal’s debut feature, Sovereign, shines a light on this cultural movement through the real-life story of Jerry (Nick Offerman) and Joe Kane (Jacob Tremblay), a father and son who identify as Sovereign Citizens. The film follows the pair as they travel the country spreading their wisdom to help free people from “illegal debt” with banks and the government.
Sovereign is incredibly somber and introspective, focusing deeply on Jerry and Joe’s relationship to each other and their relationship to the world around them. From the outset, we see Joe living by himself in a rundown household, dishes in the sink, and scraps of metal in the yard. Jerry returns from a long road trip of evangelizing for the masses to multiple foreclosure notices from the bank, refusing to look at them due to “receiving being a choice,” using this as a loophole to not pay the bank. Jerry makes every moment with Joe count, constantly indoctrinating him with his ideology and hatred of the government.
The counterpoint to the Kanes comes when they are brought in for questioning after a routine traffic stop gone wrong. Police Chief John Bouchart (Dennis Quaid) gets Joe alone and tries to get him to turn his back on his father, but to no avail. After this encounter, the film splits into two running stories, continuing to follow the Kanes and tracing Chief Bouchart and his son Adam (Thomas Mann) as he is finishing his time in the police academy.
Swegal’s script chooses this moment to put these two resolute ideologies against each other: law and order against anti-government sovereignty. In less nuanced hands, this could have turned into a “copaganda” story, with the Kanes being labeled as evil guys who are stopped by the righteous police. Fortunately, Swegal takes a more layered approach that brings empathy to both sides of the coin. In many ways, the American system made these people on both sides who they are, without much room to turn out differently.
The film’s craft is simple yet effective, using dull, dark lighting and color tones to establish the mood. This is not a happy story. James McAlister’s light, guitar-driven score evokes the quiet beats of something like The Last of Us, where existential dread surrounds moments that are meant to be peaceful. Sovereign’s craft makes the narrative that much more harrowing as it unfolds.
This harrowing feeling builds impressively throughout the film. Each time the Kane’s interact with anyone outside of themselves you expect something to go wrong. Jerry’s got a short fuse, something Joe just seems to be used to at this point. There are a few moments where he feels he can push back, but those come in rare instances of courage for him.
It’s safe to say that this is Nick Offerman’s best performance in a film, and essentially explores what would happen if Parks & Rec were rated TV-MA and Ron Swanson leaned into a darker version of his politics. Offerman portrays Jerry’s distrust and anger with such menacing power. At no point do you expect Jerry to do the right thing and know that the jig is up. His disillusionment doesn’t make him one-note, but rather speaks to his desperation. His way of thinking has to work or else they lose their home and life together. It’s a scary performance, one that vastly outshines Tremblay’s more inward-focused turn. Tremblay is excellent, but it’s very hard for him to stand out against a robust performer like Offerman.
All-in-all, Christian Swegal delivers a powerhouse debut in Sovereign, tackling warring schools of thought and the terrifying impacts they can have on how we live our lives. It’s full of suspense, dread, and great performances from its two leads. Sovereign was a stand-out at the 2025 Tribeca Festival and I hope it becomes more than just one of the many hidden gems to be released this year.
