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 …
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Sovereign
Overview
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.
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Release date
11/07/2025
Votes
130
Popularity
3.1
Nick Offerman
Jerry Kane
Jacob Tremblay
Joe Kane
Dennis Quaid
John Bouchart
Kezia Dacosta
Candace
Terry J. Nelson
Deputy Sheriff
Bobby Gilchrist
Mr. Friedman
Megan Mullally
Beverly
Ruby Wolf
Jess Bouchart
Buddy Campbell
Bob
Tommy Kramer
Tommy Paulson
Jared Carter
Jared
Jennifer Nesbitt-Eck
Jennifer
Mike L. Thomas
Mike
Cheryl Vanwinkle
Cheryl
Jason Cochrane
Gun Salesman
Chris Greene
Officer Wray
Jade Fernandez
Brenda Reese
William Sherman
William
Astrid Allen
Astrid
Alonso Rappa
Teen #3
Martha Plimpton
Lesley Anne
Jason Scott Morgan
Ponytail
Thomas Mann
Adam Bouchart
John Trejo
Rodney
Brandon Stewart
Rob Everson
Barry Clifton
Judge Tate
Andrew Ortenberg
Courtroom Clerk
Nancy Travis
Patty Bouchart
Krishna Sistla Ward
Clerk
Julia Watts
School Registrar
Chris Pierce
Sheriff's Deputy
Tommy Dion Burns
Night Clerk
Patchez Black
Meeting Hall #4 Attendee (uncredited)
Julia D. Borkowski
Graduation Guest (uncredited)
Kyleigh Box
Grocery Store Shopper (uncredited)
Brandon Devine
Police Recruit (uncredited)
Leslie Dianne
Courtroom Gallery Audience Member
Phoenix Ghost
Motel 6 Manager
Mike Gross
Graduation Guest (uncredited)
Vu Ha
Deputy Sheriff (uncredited)
Bradley Hall
Detective background (uncredited)
Kevin Hill
Meeting All #4 Attendee (uncredited)
Tara Hollums
Funeral attendant (uncredited)
Mark Alan Jaeger
Meeting Hall Attendee (uncredited)
Jobie James
Casino Guest
Matthew Jaycox
State Trooper
Nathan Kirby
Feautered Background (uncredited)
Marilyn Knapp
Neighbor (uncredited)
Anna Knight
Grocery Store Shopper (uncredited)
Ed LaCerra
Background / Extra (uncredited)
Faron Ledbetter
State Trooper (uncredited)
Ben Matias
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Eric Parkinson
Father Michael (uncredited)
John Potthast
Detective
Paul Rolfes
Casino Guest (uncredited)
Brittany Seals
Mourner (uncredited)
Rick W. Stiles
Mourner / Friend (uncredited)
Laura Welkey
School Staff (uncredited)
Gabe Williams
Police Recruit (uncredited)
Original Soundtrack
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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 und…
Read full review →In a time when it has become increasingly more prevalent to mistrust what those in officialdom have to say, it’s understandable how hardened resistance would arise in response, especially in light of recent events. But does this give individuals the right to willfully disregard widely accepted, reasonable social and legal standards in favor of their own questionable interpretations of these matters in the name of personal freedom? It’s a divisive issue, to be sure, one where opposing forms of extremism come into heated conflict with one another, often with disastrous consequences. That’s the i…
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More unsettling than what is depicted on screen in writer and director Christian Swegel's debut **SOVEREIGN**, is the horror of realizing that I personally know people who embrace the nationalist, sovereign ethos. A long and ignominious line of homegrown American malcontents from Timothy McVeigh to Ted Kaczynski remains a worrying trend on our society -- and we would be wise to pay closer attention. In Swegel's film, we are given, frustratingly, very little knowledge of why the film's protagonist Jerry Kane (played brilliantly by Nick Offerman) would gravitate towards an anti-tax movemen…
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