Look at me, watching a movie that’s not animated or about superheroes. Growth and shit!

So, let’s talk about Sovereign, a serious film with a serious subject, but one that still managed to hook me, despite the lack of capes or explosions.

If you’re not familiar with the Sovereign Citizen movement, here’s the short version: it’s an anti-government ideology where followers claim they’re not subject to U.S. laws. They reject things like taxes, licenses, and court rulings, often citing made-up legal loopholes pulled from the depths of the internet. Some of them get violent. The FBI considers parts of the movement a domestic threat.

You might’ve seen SovCits on YouTube trying to argue with judges about maritime law or telling traffic cops they’re “traveling,” not “driving.” It’s like legal cosplay, but with real consequences.

This video from Knowing Better breaks it down better than I can. Highly recommended viewing.

I first encountered the SovCit world way back in the pre-internet ’90s, but my first in-person run-in came at a laundromat in the late 2000s. No A/C, mid-summer in North Carolina, and here’s this guy going on about how mailing a letter with a specific kind of stamp could get you out of a court date. The dude couldn’t have picked a worse time or place to hold court, literally. But hey, I guess that made me the perfect audience for this film.

Sovereign is based on true events (spoilers) and follows Jerry and Joe Kane, a father-son SovCit duo. Nick Offerman plays Jerry, and honestly, it’s brilliant casting. Picture Ron Swanson if he were unemployed, deeply paranoid, and selling fake debt relief seminars. Jacob Tremblay plays his 16-year-old, homeschooled son Joe, who clearly loves his dad but struggles under the weight of his extremist worldview.

The growing tension between them is well done and heartbreaking.

My biggest gripe? The movie doesn’t really explain what the Sovereign Citizen movement is. It tries to show rather than tell, but it doesn’t quite show enough. If you’re not already familiar with SovCits, you might be scratching your head at times.

Also, I wish the film explored why Jerry became a SovCit. There’s a brief mention near the end, but it feels underdeveloped. Understanding what drives people to these ideologies matters, especially when they can turn deadly.

All that said, Sovereign is absolutely worth watching. If you know about the SovCit movement, it’ll hit differently. If you don’t, do yourself a favor and learn about it, then watch this film. It’s not a popcorn flick, but it’s one that sticks with you.