Sovereign is a new film released by Briarcliff Entertainment in theaters and on VOD this weekend. Written & directed by Christian Swegal, the film stars Nick Offerman, Jacob Tremblay, Thomas Mann, Nancy Travis, Martha Plimpton, and Dennis Quaid. 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.

I knew very little about this film beforehand other than rumblings of what it was about and seeing the key image from the poster, which I felt like was a brilliant way to capture anyone’s attention. Nick Offerman manages to be in so many movies lately, and they rarely miss. If Offerman is in the movie though, I will watch it. While Offerman has given us plenty of memorable performances, this one may not only be one of his best, but one of the best performances of the year in one of the most important movies of the year.

Between the cast & the reviews, I didn’t quite understand why this was quietly being dumped on VOD. The internet says Briarcliff theatrically released it, but I don’t see it being released in theaters anywhere. After watching the film, I can now understand why the film’s distribution is being treated this way. Under the right perspective, I think people will view this to be one of the most important movies of the year, but under the wrong perspective, I can see people taking the wrong message out of this and condemning it.

The film is a necessary and tough watch. If I had to compare it to two other films, it’s The Place Beyond the Pines & The Order (2024). The latter was also quietly released, and I do believe both that film and this film are being released like this due to the current political landscape. The truth is that all film is political, whether anyone likes it or not. I am not here to talk about politics though. I would actually say no matter where you stand politically, you should watch this. There is a lot of thematic messages throughout that will make you ponder on how we treat others today.

As mentioned before, Offerman gives one of the best performances of the year here. You can see where some of his work has lead him to this point. The film makes it first look like we are meant to sympathize him and his son, played by Jacob Tremblay, which is the furthest from the truth. The film instead leans into us understanding how their relationship as father and son works and how ideology can be passed down from generation to generation. The same could be said about the father and son relationship between Dennis Quaid & Thomas Mann.

Whenever I think about Jacob Tremblay, I tend to think of the more tender performances he has given as a child actor. There’s a reason why he has become such a household name today. At 18 years old, you can see where he is quickly leaning into more darker roles with this being his darkest one to date. The way he makes us care about him is commendable, especially with what happens in the third act. What happens in the third act had my jaw on the floor. I didn’t sympathize with the characters as much as I did with the fact that radical ideology will only continue. It’s films like these that can bring it to life to show how it’s still an ongoing issue.

The way the film plays out may not be for everyone, but the work the film puts on display shouldn’t go unnoticed. To make the audience feel as uncomfortable as we do goes to show how much authenticity filmmaker Christian Swegal brings to life. It certainly made me feel uncomfortable to begin with, but as the film progresses you can see how Swegal never once sways from making it as real as possible.

If I had to be super nitpicky about one thing, it would be that the third act does feel rushed and certain scenes almost look like they weren’t shot together. Just as things hit the fan, I would say there’s about twenty minutes left of the movie. The showdown is electrifying and the lead up to it from the beginning is nail-biting. I probably haven’t felt that level of anxiety since 2024’s Civil War. It’s just when all of it is over, it sort of wraps up quickly from there when I would have liked to have seen more. There showdown also includes Nick Offerman & Dennis Quaid, but it literally looks like they weren’t able to shoot the scene on the same day. It is sort of noticable.

Overall, Sovereign is uncomfortable, realistic, and timely, making it one of the most important, and best, movies of the year. Nick Offerman gives one of the best performances of the year, while Jacob Tremblay gives his darkest performance yet. The film’s themes will stay with you long after the credits roll. I personally can’t wait to see what Christian Swegal does next.

VERDICT: 4.5/5 (Amazing)