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Jacob Tremblay as JOE, Nick Offerman as JERRY in SOVEREIGN |
How does an extremist get made? Do such individuals have a propensity or origin story that leads them down an inevitable path? Or is their presence proof of a breakdown in society – one that, if we understood, could be prevented in the future? That's the question director Christian Swegal wrestles with in his impressive feature film debut, SOVEREIGN, a film with a stellar cast, a timely message, and a radical insistence on empathy for its subjects. You can listen to my interview with Christian Swegal about his film here.
Memphis, 2010: After being pulled over for what should have been a routine traffic stop, father and son Jerry and Joe Kane opened fire on two officers, killing them in cold blood.
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A still from SOVEREIGN, with Dennis Quaid as JOHN in center |
SOVEREIGN covers the events that lead up to this true crime that is still studied today. Joe Kane (a now 18-year old Jacob Tremblay) seems like a normal teenage boy. He has a crush on the girl next door and scrolls diligently through her social media multiple times a day. He loves his dog and sometimes procrastinates doing his homework. But Joe's lifestyle diverges greatly from his peers because he's the only child of Jerry Kane (Nick Offerman). The father and son duo are self-proclaimed "Sovereign Citizens," folks who believe themselves to be above the laws of the federal and state governments.
Director and screenwriter Christian Swegal tells their story simply, allowing the performances of the cast to shine as the centerpiece. Nick Offerman plays the role of Jerry Kane with the fervor of a street preacher; he's a man with a mission and a message that he truly feels will benefit the populace. He spends his days giving deb elimination seminars that teach people how to avoid paying mortgage bills or taxes using manufactured strategies and logic. Nick Offerman uses his skill at becoming deadpan, outside-the-box characters like Ron Swanson (PARKS AND RECREATION) and Bill (THE LAST OF US) to embody Jerry Kane. His attention to detail impresses even further when compared to the live footage of Kane available on YouTube.
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Nick Offerman as JERRY in SOVEREIGN |
Jerry's confidence and dedication in his worldview contrasts with Jacob Tremblay's muted portrayal of Joe Kane. Tremblay does as much with his silence as he does with any verbal cues. He perfectly captures the essence of someone who desperately wants to believe his father knows best but whose compliance begins to crumble under the weight of unanswered questions. The doubt he feels shines through his every facial expression and gesture.
The father-son relationship of Jerry and Joe Kane runs parallel with the other father and son in this story – John (Dennis Quaid) and Adam Bouchart (Thomas Mann), both officers in the West Memphis police department, whose lives intersect tragically with the Kanes. Swegal spends as much time showing the unspoken tension between this additional duo, drawing attention to the impact fathers can have on their sons, with the potential to greatly harm or benefit their children. There seems to be a shared universe between SOVEREIGN and THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, another film that compares the fatherhood of a cop and a criminal, with unclear answers as to which father does it better.
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Jacob Tremblay as JOE, Nick Offerman as JERRY in SOVEREIGN |
Swegal builds the tension and lets the drama unfold naturally and with an unhurried pace. His empathy towards his subjects is clear. There's not a hint of caricature or exaggeration in their portrayal. He sees the Kanes as genuine people with legitimate reasons to act as they do. For me, this level of empathy works as a double-edge sword. For while I love Swegal's commitment to understanding the world through the sovereign citizen lens, I found it difficult to swallow that the character of Joe as depicted in this film would have made the decisions the real Joe Kane made in his final moments. As portrayed by Jacob Tremblay, Joe is a teenage boy on the brink of breaking away from his father's control. He is beginning to question his father's beliefs, and while he hasn't spoken any disagreement out loud, he's taking steps to forge a different path. There's a segment of the story during which Joe lives apart from his father, and we have hope that even if dad's going down a path of doom, Joe may survive.
Throughout the story, Swegal has painted a portrait of someone deliberate and slow to act. Yet in his final moments in the film, Joe acts rashly and seemingly without a thought for consequences. Likewise, police chief Bouchart, again as depicted in the film by Dennis Quaid, enters the scene guns blazing, with no attempt to achieve surrender. I couldn't help wondering if, in this desire to create empathy for Joe Kane, Swegal created a version of the character more likeable than authentic. While Swegal certainly laid the groundwork for helping us understand how the chain of events led to the fateful day of May 20, 2010, in the end, there's a disconnect for me in believing Tremblay's gentle Joe Kane became radicalized to this level.
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Dennis Quaid as JOHN in SOVEREIGN |
Still, SOVEREIGN carries a timely and important message for our divided culture. In its current state, the United States of America has never been more antagonistic. People feel helpless and out of control of their lives. Times like these give rise to desperate measures and a search for easy-fix solutions. Only by understanding the root causes that give rise to extremists can we hope to mitigate the damages they cause. Swegal's film encourages conversation and empathy, rather than accusation and judgment.
Release info: Coming to theaters July 11, 2025
Final score: 4 out of 5
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