Sovereign

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Sovereign

R

Released Jul 11

1h 40m

Action

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

71 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Inspired by real events, SOVEREIGN is a tense and provocative true crime thriller about a father and his teenage son -- Jerry and Joseph Kane (Nick Offerman and Jacob Tremblay) -- who follow the Sovereign Citizen belief system, a deeply anti-establishment worldview rooted in distrust of government authority. As the pair travel across the country delivering self-taught legal seminars and pushing back against systems they believe have failed them, their journey brings them into conflict with Police Chief Jim Bouchart (Dennis Quaid), setting off a tragic chain of events that forces a reckoning with power, principle, and the limits of freedom.

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Critics Consensus

A nerve-jangling thriller that exposes how reactionary extremism can lead to a road of destruction, Sovereign is ruled by Nick Offerman's unforgettably unhinged performance.

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Audience Says

Searingly brought to life by Nick Offerman and Jacob Tremblay, Sovereign reigns as a gut-wrenching true-crime drama that cuts deep into the heart of justice.

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Cath Clarke

Guardian

This is muscular stuff, with a firm grip on your attention.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 11, 2025

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William Bibbiani

TheWrap

Some of [Nick] Offerman’s most complex and disturbing work.

Jul 13, 2025

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Owen Gleiberman

Variety

The movie is a real-world thriller that’s also a riveting character study that’s also a portrait of the place where the reactionary politics of today curdles into obsession.

Jul 11, 2025

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Akos Peterbencze

The Screen

Sovereign’s goal is to painstakingly portray the mind-washing and show how it culminates and leads to a sad yet totally preventable tragedy. Of which the endpoint is the complete destruction of common sense, healthy values, and hope...

Aug 30, 2025

Full Review

Daniel Gorman

In Review Online

Swegal has made a gripping “where we are now” document, mostly free of easy political handwaving and too-topical cable news rhetoric.

Aug 12, 2025

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Jackie K. Cooper

jackiekcooper.com

Offerman and Tremblay give powerhouse performances.

Rated: 7/10

Aug 3, 2025

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D G

Powerful. The whole cast was brilliant. Well written. Beautiful cinematography. An underrated classic. I hope it gets some kind of acknowledgement during awards season.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/15/25

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Jonathan D

Great film, slow burn development. Brilliant acting. heartbreaking story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/15/25

Full Review

Ghederick Eshmont

Compelling, but the totality is below the sum of the quality actors

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/12/25

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Audience Member

A really beautiful and thought-provoking film about the meaning of family, despair in middle america, and the human psyche

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/15/25

Full Review

Brad C

Nick Offerman is outstanding, as he usually is, but I feel that this is a poor reflection of the sovereign movement. Nick's character Jerry clearly is just using their tenets to try to game the system. I've known some of those characters before, and they genuinely believe these things, but they wouldn't use that stuff to try to skip out on their mortgage payments. A very shallow and misleading characterization of some fascinating fringe characters in American society. Just remembered, Dennis Quaid is also *excellent* in his role but thoroughly underutilized.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/24/25

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Pete W

Sad... but mostly horrifying. Too many people in this country think exactly like the Nick Offferman character.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/21/25

Full Review

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Christian Swegal

Director

Dennis Quaid

John Bouchart

Jacob Tremblay

Joe Kane

Nick Offerman

Jerry Kane

Martha Plimpton

Lesley Ann

Nancy Travis

Patty Bouchart

Sovereign: Movie Clip - Traffic Stop

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Sovereign: Movie Clip - The Duel

0:45

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Sovereign: Teaser - Listen to Your Dad

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Sovereign: Teaser - America

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Sovereign: Trailer 1

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Sovereign: Teaser

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Synopsis

Inspired by real events, SOVEREIGN is a tense and provocative true crime thriller about a father and his teenage son -- Jerry and Joseph Kane (Nick Offerman and Jacob Tremblay) -- who follow the Sovereign Citizen belief system, a deeply anti-establishment worldview rooted in distrust of government authority. As the pair travel across the country delivering self-taught legal seminars and pushing back against systems they believe have failed them, their journey brings them into conflict with Police Chief Jim Bouchart (Dennis Quaid), setting off a tragic chain of events that forces a reckoning with power, principle, and the limits of freedom.

Director: Christian Swegal
Producer: Nick Moceri
Screenwriter: Christian Swegal
Distributor: Briarcliff Entertainment
Production Co: All Night Diner
Rating: R (Violence and Language)
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 11, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 11, 2025
Runtime: 1h 40m

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