The film is based on a 2010 police shooting in Arkansas.

PublishedJune 26, 2025 4:30 PM EDT•UpdatedJune 26, 2025 4:31 PM EDT

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Nick Offerman's new movie "Sovereign" looks like a dream for people who hate right-wingers.

Basic info:

Plot: Inspired by true 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 John Bouchart (Dennis Quaid), setting off a tragic chain of events that forces a reckoning with power, principle, and the limits of freedom.

Cast: Nick Offerman, Jacob Tremblay, Thomas Mann, Dennis Quaid, Martha Plimpton, and Nancy Travis

Release date: July 11, 2025

Rating: R

"Sovereign" looks like an absurd movie.

The movie with the former "Parks and Rec" star is based on the 2010 West Memphis, Arkansas police shooting that left two officers dead. Suspect Jerry Kane and his son Joseph, 16 at the time of the event, were both killed in a massive gun battle with police who responded.

It was a tragic situation and an act of complete evil. The video is online if you're interested in seeing it, but I won't be sharing it here for obvious reasons.

There's a fascinating story to tell when it comes to the shooting and the life of Jerry Kane - a sovereign citizen.

However, I'm not sure "Sovereign" is going to get the job done, judging from the preview. Give it a watch below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com. 

Am I crazy or does this film look like straight propaganda? We see a "Don't Tread On Me" flag, there are multiple moments with guns and Offerman is talking about how money isn't real and they might have to kill people.

Is there anyone who is going to watch this and not think it's going to make pro-gun people who don't trust the government look crazy as hell?

Now, maybe I'll be wrong. Maybe it will actually be a great film. After all, Nick Offerman is an incredibly talented actor.

He's responsible for the best episode of "The Last of Us" to air through two seasons. However, that doesn't mean that anyone's work is above criticism or skepticism.

The messaging and framing of the trailer certainly gives me a lot of pause.

Nick Offerman stars in the upcoming movie "Sovereign." (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

If the film turns out to be great, you'll see me praising it. If it turns out to be idiotic propaganda, then we'll just have another example of why people hate Hollywood. Pretty simple. You can catch it starting July 11. Hit me with your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.