I sat back, snuggled up with my dog, Honey, to watch the 2025 film Sovereign, a movie based on the true story of a man and his son, both deeply involved in the Sovereign movement. At the time, I didn’t know much about the subject, but when I found out that film stars Nick Offerman, Jack Trembly, and Dennis Quaid were involved, I was in.
The film centers on a father and his teenage son, Jerry (Nick Offerman) and Joseph Kane (Jacob Tremblay). The two adhere to the Sovereign Citizen belief system. The Sovereign Citizen movement is a fiercely anti-establishment worldview rooted in a profound distrust of government authority.
Jerry and Joseph travel across the country. They deliver legal seminars and challenging systems that they believe have failed them. However, their journey inevitably brings them into direct conflict with Police Chief Jim Bouchart (Dennis Quaid). This clash sets off a tragic chain of events. It forces all involved to reckon with power, principle, and the very limits of freedom.
After I finished the film, I sought out its writer/director, Christian Swegal, because I wanted to learn more about his directorial debut. Luckily, he was willing to let me pick his brain. We shared a fascinating and in-depth conversation, which you can watch below. Swegal and I discuss everything from the actual crime that inspired the film to his approach to telling that story, and what motivated him to make the film.
Watch my interview with Christian Swegal, and be sure to watch Sovereign when it opens in theaters on July 11.
