Title – Sovereign (2025)

Director – Christian Swegal (feature debut)

Cast – Nick Offerman, Jacob Tremblay, Dennis Quaid, Martha Plimpton, Thomas Mann

Plot – Self-assigned sovereign citizens Jerry Kane (Offerman) and his teenage son Joe (Tremblay) flirt an increasingly dangerous line as they road trip around America speaking to fellow members of the sovereign movement.  

“All you have to do is show up”

Review by Eddie on 11/11/2025

Based on true events that occurred in West Memphis back in 2010, Christian Swegal’s feature debut that tackles the complicated and confronting world of self-imposed “sovereign citizens” is a well acted and put together piece that doesn’t shy away from the horrors of the incident it leads up too and the dangers of the movement it explores.

An uncompromisingly bleak affair, rightfully so when you consider the subject and true events that form the basis of the entire film, Sovereign creates an ever present atmosphere of slow dread and unease all built off its two leads Nick Offerman and Jacob Tremblay (almost unrecognisable now from his Room and Wonder days) who play father and son duo Jerry and Joe Kane.

Living a life of impending bank foreclosures on their property, road tripping around small towns spreading the sovereign message and general disdain for the way in which modern society functions and interacts, the Kane’s lifestyle is one built around hatred and misguided senses of importance and the way in which Swegal and his two lead performers capture the Kane’s world plays a huge part in why Sovereign becomes the impactful viewing experience it does.

Morphing more and more away from his Parks and Recreation persona that made him a household name around the world, Offerman in particular delivers an arguably career best turn here as the fiercely determined and unflappable Jerry who has shaped and moulded his only child to be a believer of his ideologies and belief systems as he traverses his way around a way of life that he will hold onto no matter the cost.

Bringing the perfect mix of quiet power and determination as well as genuine moments of outbursts and anger, Offerman looms large over the film and Tremblay’s understated but perfectly evaluated performance is an impressive one from the child turned adult actor who clearly has what it takes to become one of the rare success stories of staying power in the industry after bursting onto the scene as an 8 year old in Room.

Sovereign may not do anything outstanding or noteworthy from a production standpoint and there are segments throughout the film that don’t add great depth or meaning to the overall aim but by tackling a subject that’s rarely been looked into on the big screen and by allowing its performers to ply their trade with emotional intelligence and ability, Sovereign is one of the years more memorable indies and a fine starting point for director Christian Swegal.

Final Say –

Culminating in an impactful and shocking final act, Sovereign is an expertly acted character driven drama that shines a light on a worrying movement that has managed to grow in stature in the years following the events depicted in Christian Swegal’s feature.

3 1/2 white suits out of 5