Sovereign

Well done Swanson, well done.

**This is America.** Sad story of radicalism in American culture. Offerman was fantastic as a misguided, extremist dad. Poor kid just wanted a girlfriend and to go to school. Great movie, frustrating to watch unfold. _Worth watching._

Based on a true story, Sovereign dives into the world of the "Sovereign Citizen Movement." It’s a gripping and sometimes intense look at how certain people interpret the idea of personal freedom and government authority.

That said, I think it’s important to point out that this movement isn’t the same thing as simply believing in individual sovereignty or personal freedom. While those are valid and even foundational ideas in many societies, the Sovereign Citizen Movement takes things in a very different—and often extreme—direction.

The film does a good job showing how these beliefs can lead people down a dangerous path when they start rejecting laws, court systems, and even basic civil responsibilities. It’s a thought-provoking watch, especially if you’re interested in how ideology can be twisted or misunderstood.

Sovereign plays like a slow burning civil war between two men who could have been brothers if fate had not put them on opposite sides of the badge. At its core, it is not about good versus evil but belief versus belief, and what happens when neither side will bend.

Nick Offerman’s Jerry is a man fuelled by paranoia disguised as principle. His world is built on YouTube rhetoric: money is not real, the court has no power, sovereignty overrides state. It is the kind of fringe talk that has moved frighteningly close to the mainstream. His rejection of authority is not just personal, it is a performance, one that escalates every encounter until tragedy is inevitable. Offerman gives Jerry quiet charisma and unshakeable conviction, even as he drags his confused teenage son down with him.

On the flip side is Dennis Quaid’s John, a true believer in the rule of law, not the idealised version but the hard and uncompromising one. He is as much a zealot as Jerry, devoted to order at any cost. The final moments of his arc are genuinely moving, showing the toll of living life as a hammer that sees only nails.

The brilliance of Sovereign lies in how it refuses to caricature either man. Both are misguided. Both are trying to protect what they love. And both, ultimately, are victims of a system that breeds extremism. It is like watching Ron Swanson snap, shave the moustache, and go full militant.

This is not just a story about American paranoia. It is a sharp critique of how fear turns men into martyrs for causes they barely understand. The musket era logic of constitutional rights does not translate to a world of AR-15s and trigger happy checkpoints. When you treat every rule as oppression, you start manifesting your own worst fears.

Sovereign is bleak, thoughtful, and disturbingly plausible. A powerful film about a uniquely American disease that the rest of the developed world watches like a car crash, too surreal to look away.

If you liked… Leave No Trace, Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter.

I will watch anything Nick Offerman is in. And I can honestly say this is one of his best performances in a movie (not including the TV Show Devs). Movie aside, Nick Offerman is a very well-informed intelligent man who knows his shit about the same real world problems that are explored in this film which makes this film even more impactful. "Maybe aim more for the head. They wear bulletproof vests." I highly suggest everyone reads Offerman's latest reddit AMA.


After [spoiler]Jerry gets arrested and Joe goes to the "detention center" (I think that's what it is) we watch his attitude change [/spoiler] This movie takes a dark turn after these events. Jerry's speeches became more unstable as he talks about [spoiler] killing a man's sheep, babies and wives. To "conquer" not "wage war"[/spoiler] This film is more educational than entertaining, even though it is entertaining (in a dialogue heavy way).

This is an excellent film that explores the sovereign citizen movement which has not been put on the TV screen very much. Based on the real events of the 2010 Arkansas shootings. I highly recommend this film as an educational look into Sovereign Citizens. It's not a easy film to watch as we watch the son come to grips with his delusional father and just how far he will take his "conquering".

One hell of a find on a ‘What should I watch this afternoon?’ 😮‍💨 I’d much rather be no father than one like Mr. Kane. There was only one ‘positive’ outcome for this film. A grim grim but well-crafted watch

this is real? people like these exist that much in the US ?.... What makes them like that? seems a lot like a mental disorder.

I truly understand the core concepts of the sovereign citizen, hell I even share some of the core beliefs, you know freedom of the person over the corporation... But after that, it is too extreme for me... I liked the movie, they did a good job with it, I have met some people who follow these ideals, and it's not that far off from some of their comments.

Less entertaining, more educational. At the centre of this film is a reality that many of us would rather ignore than confront, out of fear or helplessness. The older I get, the more I realise how relevant the subject matter really is. We follow two fathers on opposite ends of the same spectrum (Quaid and Offerman), fighting for different ideologies: 'Government vs. The People.' The director wants us to question the rights and wrongs of both sides, and witnessing it firsthand, the corruption is very subtle yet extremely unnerving. The runtime was a little long, but the emotional punch was loaded, like watching a Venn diagram seamlessly collide into one.

An old-time, after school TV special about untreated mental illness, but with no advice on how to stay on the stratight and narrow. Offerman's over the top nonsense will resonate with some. Sadly, it is a mental health issue, not a political one. The court room scene is hilarious, but it gives away the fact that very little if any of the dialogue is based on what was actually said.