Film Review: ‘Sovereign’ is a Tragic and Upsetting Drama with Strong Work from Nick Offerman and Jacob Tremblay

Nobody especially “likes” the government. Independent of the politicians in office, government exists to keep society operating, so it’s never meant to be liked. The same goes for the accepted rules of society. There isn’t an enjoyment there. We just participate in it and go about our lives. Well, most of us do. Some take their distaste for it, as well as their frustration at being screwed over, to extreme levels. That’s the focus of Sovereign, a deeply upsetting drama about a family that has bough into the Sovereign Citizen Movement. In doing so, they’ve gone from just struggling to get by to the very fringe, with slow brewing yet inevitably tragic consequences.

Sovereign is at its best when you’re just watching the tragedy of a family at the edge of society. The less that the details of the movement are focused on, the better. For one, it’s crazy talk. Plus, it attracts a certain type of individual that we’ve seen create chaos in real life. Still, the characters here are interesting, the tragic nature of the story keeps your interest, and the central performances are top notch.

Jerry Kane (Nick Offerman) and his teenage son Joe (Jacob Tremblay) identify as Sovereign Citizens. Well, at least Jerry does. Joe more or less goes along with it, though there are cracks in his identity, such as wanting to transition from homeschooling to a public high school. Most would see Jerry as just another one of many anti-government extremists, though he would reject the distinction of being an extremist. Once a roofer, he now makes a meager living giving talks about his worldview and how to avoid the bank foreclosing on your home, even as his is in danger of being taken.

When Jerry takes Joe on one of his work road trips, even more cracks begin to form. For one thing, Jerry’s ideology is becoming increasingly extreme, while his grip on reality is deteriorating. That has Joe questioning his father’s worldview, quietly at first, but slowly more outwardly, causing family friction. There’s also the matter of Jerry getting arrested, which puts both Kane men on the radar of Police Chief Jim Bouchart (Dennis Quaid), eventually setting the three on a violent collision course with each other.

Nick Offerman gives one of his best performances to date, while Jacob Tremblay turns in his most mature work. Offerman shows you just enough of the man Jerry used to be to keep you hooked, never going too far in one direction, at least until the narrative requires him to. Tremblay quietly observes it all in a way that makes him an audience surrogate, which is an effective decision. As for Dennis Quaid, he’s solid in a smaller role, especially during an interview sequence with Tremblay. Supporting players here include Kezia DaCosta, Thomas Mann, Megan Mullally, Martha Plimpton, and more.

Writer/director Christian Swegal makes some choices that don’t work, especially towards the end, but largely has this be a quietly disturbing character study. When the script is focusing on the human beings, as opposed to the worldview, it’s on sturdy ground. While the Sovereign Citizen Movement, which believes that laws are illusions and freedom needs to be seized by force, is ludicrous, the idea of the little guy fighting back against faceless corporate giants does resonate. It’s not flashy work, in terms of the direction, but focusing on Offerman and Tremblay pays dividends for Swegal.

Sovereign is a bit more disturbing than mainstream audiences will go for, but anyone willing to take a flyer here will find a fascinating film. In particular, fans of Offerman and Tremblay will be able to latch onto plenty. The movement may be crazy, to be sure, but watching the men who succumb to it operate does end up being largely compelling.

SCORE: ★★★