Sovereign, directed by Christian Swegal, is an unsettling yet thought-provoking film that is extremely relevant in today’s political climate.
Jerry Kane (Nick Offerman) is a disenfranchised man heavily involved in the sovereign citizen movement. Jerry, strongly anti-government and anti-establishment, believes that he is not subject to the laws of the government.
In fact, he believes it so strongly that his son, 16 year-old Joe (Jacob Tremblay), is homeschooled (read: indoctrinated) by him in the same ideology. His dad “encourages” him to be an independent-thinker, but only as long as his thinking aligns with Jerry’s.
Jerry only surrounds himself and Joe with like-minded people seemingly full of “American rage”. They are desperate, entitled individuals with an unshakeable belief that they are being taken advantage of . This mindset only reinforces their extremist ideology.
In fact, Jerry Kane is regarded as somewhat of a hero in these circles. He guests in a radio show where he coaches people on the ways of evading the law. He quotes impressive-sounding facts and figures on why toeing the line really adds up to one getting fleeced.
Eventually we realise that by sticking to his convictions, things take a more sinister, violent turn – as Jerry says, “ I don’t wanna kill anybody. But if they keep messin’ with me, then it’s what it’s gonna come down to.” At the gun range, in a bleak foreshadowing of what is to come, he even instructs his son on where best to shoot: “Next time, aim more for the head. They wear bulletproof vests.”
We already know how the story ends. Sovereign is based on true events where police officers were shot dead in broad daylight in Arkansas in 2010. There are no happy endings here.
Unfortunately, the story hits close to home. On Australian shores in Porepunkah, just mere months ago, 2 Victorian policemen were shot dead and 1 gravely injured by a man allegedly claiming to be a sovereign citizen. The perpetrator still remains at large, thought to be in hiding at a Victorian National Park.
A gritty, bleak view on the right-wing, Christian fundamentalist mindset that seems to be gaining popularity amongst a certain demographic, the film will not only resonate with Americans but with anyone who has witnessed rationality edge away from society. A must-watch especially in this messy political climate.