Americana (2025) is written & directed by Tony Tost. It stars Halsey, Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, Eric Dane, Gavin Maddox Bergman, Zahn McClarnon, Simon Rex, Derek Hinkey, Joe Adler, Christopher Kriesa, Jasper Keen, and Toby Huss. Soon after a violent criminal (Dane) comes into possession of a rare Native American artifact, it’s stolen by his girlfriend, Mandy (Halsey), and her oddball little brother, Cal (Bergman). This quickly sets off a chain of events that sees the two pursued by various groups who all want the artifact for themselves. These include a stuttering waitress (Sweeney) and her new boyfriend (Hauser), a Native American rights activist (McClarnon), a slimy antiques dealer (Rex), and the fundamentalist Christian owner of a secluded compound. (Kriesa). 

Tost’s script is best described as yet another ultraviolet, Tarantino-esque crime comedy featuring a larger-than-life cast of characters and a non-linear story structure. At least one film like this is released each year, and most of them are forgettable or, at best, playfully distracting. Americana has its fair share of issues, but I was surprised to find that it’s actually one of the more inspired and engaging recent films in its subgenre. Along with all the Tarantino influences, the film also draws inspiration from classic redneck cinema, such as Smokey & the Bandit (1977). This combination results in a strange, goofball vibe that juxtaposes the unforgiving, sometimes shocking violence. This balance isn’t quite perfect, but the sharp script is consistently entertaining despite its sometimes jarring tonal shifts. 

The oddball cast of characters is engaging and fun, but they never feel particularly real. This wouldn’t be a problem if not for the fact that the ending is designed to evoke a strong emotional response from the viewer. A majority of character development before this moment is laced with far too much humor. For example, it’s tough to have a genuine emotional connection to a Caucasian 12-year-old boy who spends the entire film convinced he’s the reincarnation of a legendary Native American leader. He’s undoubtedly funny to watch in an “I can’t believe this idiot” kind of way, but he’s more like a cartoon character than a child. Even Sydney Sweeney, as a shy, stuttering waitress with dreams of becoming a Nashville star, is difficult to care about. The character feels like more of a fairy tale princess than anything else. Thankfully, Sweeney’s surprisingly strong chemistry with Hauser saves the otherwise forced emotional ending from being a total dud.

The script is often strange, but it avoids being needlessly juvenile like so many of its peers, instead opting for a quirky, oddly wholesome sense of humor. There’s a charming sense of nostalgia about small-town America, specifically Texas. It gives everything a sort of twisted storybook quality that makes this experience memorable. 

The satire of American culture isn’t quite as creative as I would’ve liked, but it’s mainly just used as a delivery mechanism for the story’s many twists and turns. Unfortunately, the climax is disappointingly safe compared to all the risky creative flourishes featured throughout every other portion of the film. It’s a certified crowd-pleaser, but predictably so. Instead of leaving off on a memorable note, the writers opt for a safe, familiar ending that causes the film to stumble just before the finish line.

Overall, this is a flawed but unique blend of bloody violence and quirky humor. It’s a strange, surprisingly sentimental piece of storytelling that’s best consumed as a surface-level, shut-your-brain piece of movie junk food. If this is your kind of thing, you’ll most likely have a fun two hours. Everyone else will just roll their eyes at all of its off-kilter creative flourishes. B-