Sovereign (2025)
1h 40m | PG-13
Struggling single father Jerry indoctrinates his son Joe into the sovereign citizen movement, teaching him that laws are mere illusions and freedom is something you take. But, as Jerry’s ideology consumes them, they are set on a collision course with a police chief who has spent his life upholding the rules that Jerry has spent his tearing down.
Director: Christian Swegal
Studio: All Night Diner
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Video: 720p
Cast
Nick Offerman
as Jerry Kane
Jacob Tremblay
as Joe Kane
Dennis Quaid
as John Bouchart
Kezia Dacosta
as Candace
Terry J. Nelson
as Deputy Sheriff
Bobby Gilchrist
as Mr. Friedman
Reviews
I gave it an 8/10, and I do think it's a compelling and interesting film. I'd go so far as to say it's one of the best indie films of 2025 so far. But holy moly is it hard to watch. Watching the treatment of the teenage character by his father should give anyone with a pulse a strong sense of discomfort, and it's not out of line to say that much of what we see her is abusive, even as the teenager takes clandestine steps to disentangle himself from his father's web and pursue a more normal adolescence. This isn't something you want to watch on a beautiful, sunny day as it might just ruin your day, but it's worth your time.
I think everything about this is good. I didn't really like it, though. Performances were great. Some good yelling. A little too much yelling. I feel like this is an Oscar attempt. Or a lot of wreathed indie festival badges. Poor kid. Interesting things happen. The ending is unnecessary. Who is this about? I don't care about that man at all. Beautiful minivan. Bit of a shame they blow their load on the cover. Sovereign 2 will feature the baby. Baby has grown up and is mostly focusing on boss level scammer sovereigns and the corrupt preachers they have joined forces with. They operate under the dominion of god. Ze operates under the dominion of revenge.