Sovereign stars Nick Offerman and Jacob Tremblay as the father-son duo Jerry and Joe Kane. Jerry identifies as a sovereign citizen and takes a firm anti-government stance in his daily life. A widower and single father, Jerry brings his teenage son into his reality, which becomes increasingly extremist in beliefs and practice alike.
Jerry Kane is a preacher of sorts, spreading his message across the United States through speeches and online. He seizes upon the desperation and frustration felt by other Americans, ultimately encouraging them to push back against “the system.” The Kanes come face-to-face with Detective John Bourchart (Dennis Quaid) and his son, Adam (Thomas Mann), the father-son juxtaposition of them and what they stand for. By the end of the movie, Jerry and Joe engage in a standoff with Bourchart, one with tragic consequences.
Offerman, Trembley, and Quaid accompany Nancy Travis, Martha Plimpton, and others who appear in Sovereign to offer a look at the story of Americans living outside the legal and political boundaries of society. The plot of Sovereign may sound familiar to many Americans for good reason. Sovereign is based on real people and real events that took place in Arkansas in 2010.
Jerry Kane Was a Self-Identified “Sovereign Citizen” Who Was Adamant in His Anti-Government Beliefs
Ohio-native Jerry Kane was a widower who surrounded himself and his son, Joe, with like-minded individuals who did not believe laws applied to them. As so-called “sovereign citizens,” the Kanes spread their beliefs and, in doing so, often came to the attention of local law enforcement.
On one occasion, Jerry was arrested for driving without a license in New Mexico. Jerry later talked about what happened during an online radio show. In his words,
“I ran into a Nazi checkpoint in the middle of New Mexico where they were demanding papers or jail. That was the option. Either produce your papers or go to jail. So I entered into commerce with them under threat, duress and coercion, and spent 47 hours in there.”
Jerry also said he was going to file kidnapping charges against the police.
Related
Tribeca Review: Nick Offerman Chills as a Far-Right Extremist in the Unsettling ‘Sovereign’
Nick Offerman gives a disquieting performance as a sovereign citizen in Christian Swegal’s crime thriller, debuting at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.
When Jerry gave seminars in various parts of the United States, he told listeners how to “never have to repay their mortgage or credit card debt”, according to JJ McNab. McNabb, an expert in taxation and insurance, had been keeping tabs on Jerry for years by 2010.
This wasn’t why Jerry aroused the suspicion of police officers Bill Evans and Brandon Paudert when he was driving through West Memphis, Arkansas, on May 20, 2010. It was his white minivan and the possibility that he could be trafficking drugs that set the stage for the deadly events that followed.
When Jerry and Joe Kane Were Pulled Over, the Traffic Stop Escalated Into a Shootout
Officer Bill Evans got out of his car and approached the white minivan with Ohio license plates on May 20, 2010, while fellow officer Brandon Paudert remained in their police SUV. The traffic stop in West Memphis, Arkansas, was confrontational from the outset. Jerry Kane was driving the minivan and argued with Evans. Paudert approached to see what was going on after the scuffle between Jerry and Evans broke out.
The confrontation between the Kanes, Evans, and Paudert escalated. Joe Kane was in the passenger seat and, when he emerged, shot Evans with an AK-47 the duo had purchased days earlier in Nevada. He then shot Paudert before he and his father fled the scene.
A nearby driver called 911 as Evans and Paudert lay on the highway. Chief Robert Paudert, father to Brandon, recalled what it was like to arrive at the scene:
“As I ended up on the interstate, I saw an officer up there lying on his back and it was Brandon. It was obvious, he’d been in a gunfight. The whole back of his head was shot off and it was absolutely the worst day of my life, ever.”
Both Officers Brandon Paudert and Bill Evans died of their wounds.
The Manhunt For the Kanes Lasted Just 90 Minutes
The Kanes drove away from Evans and Paudert as law enforcement initiated a search for them. They were spotted by Crittenden County Sheriff Dick Busby and Deputy W.A. Wren in a Walmart parking lot about 90 minutes later.
Related
The All-Time Best Shootouts in Movies
From iconic Western face-offs to cops & robbers battles, and even vigilante justice, some of cinema’s best pictures feature thrilling epic shootouts.
As law enforcement officers from around the area swarmed to the scene, Arkansas wildlife officer Michael K. Neal arrived. He saw Busby and Wren in a shootout with the Kanes and knew they were outgunned. At that point, Neal drove his truck into the minivan, hoping to render it unable to flee and stop the firefight. Neal was successful and drew fire from the Kanes, likely saving Busby and Wren’s lives in the process.
Neal began firing back at the Kanes with an AR-15, possibly hitting both Jerry and Joe in the process. More gunfire was levied at the minivan, ultimately killing both of the Kanes. Busby and Wren had been injured in their exchange with the Kanes, but Neal was uninjured.
Jerry Kane’s motive, according to his common-law wife, Donna Lee Wray, had to do with the death of his infant daughter years earlier. Jerry had not wanted an autopsy, but he was not given a choice. As a result, he began to adopt his anti-government stance.
Sovereign is now in theaters.
Sovereign
- Release Date
-
July 11, 2025
- Runtime
-
100 Minutes
- Director
-
Christian Swegal
- Writers
-
Christian Swegal
- Producers
-
Nick Moceri
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
