The Wasteland Reviewer

Americana (2025) Written Review

How many Coen Brothers neo-western crime-thrillers are out there? The Coens are quite influential as they rose through the independent film movement and made some of the most impactful films of the 90s into the 00s. With films like Fargo and No Country for Old Men, the Coens have left an impact on so many ensemble crime films with a tinge of dark comedy and quirky characters. There have been great films recently drawing upon this blueprint like The Last Stop in Yuma County. But filmmaker Tony Tost (a writer on Poker Face and Longmire) finds a compelling MacGuffin (a rare indigenous shirt) and a whole crew of unique complex characters who all want a piece of it. 

Does Tost deliver enough personality into this crime thriller to make it compelling and entertaining? Tost does a fine job of mixing tones and delivers a film that has good bits of humor, plenty of tension, and thrilling elements. There are plenty of moving pieces in this web of a narrative (more on that later) but Tost balances a dark sense of humor with the darker elements of the film as well. There is a solid look to the film with its modern yet classic look making it feel like it could have been shot on film. There are some moments that feel inspired from a filmmaking standpoint with its camera movements and framing. This channels a lot of “Coen” energy but it never quite reaches their level of cinematic expression. The overall effort from a music, cinematography, and pacing perspective delivers an entertaining and occasionally moving film. There are a few moments in the film that scratch below the surface and explore the deeper emotional resonance for some of these characters. 

Where does the film find its heart? Tost crafts a few key players in the story to anchor the audience down in an emotional experience. Sydney Sweeney’s Penny Jo is a hesitant young woman who finds her way into this criminal tale to get the money to chase her dream of becoming a singer. Her connection with Paul Walter Hauser’s Lefty (a kind and charming yet unassuming man) brings plenty of empathy to the table especially as these are two “good” people who get caught up in this situation out of desperation and love. Halsey’s Mandy Starr is the real heart and soul of the film though. She has her son (whose belief of being a reincarnated indigenous chief makes for one of the wildest running gags of the film), is with a scumming criminal, and has plenty of trauma from being one of the daughters of a religious cultist out in the woods (which becomes a huge part of the film’s climax). Tost does struggle to balance all the moving pieces in this neo-western mosaic. There are too many threads and elements to give them all the energy needed, but Tost does deliver a wild climax that does its best to thread all the story elements together (in a most satisfying way). The central characters have a good number of layers thanks to the script that Tost put forward. The overall story and thematic structure are quite familiar in this neo-western genre but there are two thematic threads that add layers, the sexism and trauma present in religious fundamentalism as well as the respect for indigenous lives and culture. 

What are the elements of Americana that truly come to life? The actors are an interesting mix of talents, but they all come together to bring the most out of what Tost puts on the page. Sweeney is convincing as the stammering and nervous Penny Jo who is charming enough to woo Hauser and the audience. She delivers some big emotional moments later in the film and delivers a beautiful musical performance at a key point in the film. Hauser is warm and charming in a way that gives the film plenty of heart. Halsey is the real star of the film though. The tough and sharp personality she has as Mandy is striking. She sells the love of her child. She makes for a believable badass who is going to take the fight to whom she has too. She delivers a presence that is so authentic and believable. Halsey has transcended just being a musician who acts. The acting chops she shows in Americana will surely convince many that she is up for the challenges of acting. Eric Dane is a fun thug who is quite intimidating as well. Zahn McClarnon is hilarious as the leader of an indigenous group who demands the film’s MacGuffin back where it belongs. His presence is so welcome here (as it always is on every project he takes on). Even Simon Rex pops up as a flashy cowboy type who is easy to hate for the audience (and most of the characters in the film). 

Does Tost’s new neo-western dark comedy deliver an entertaining and engaging experience? This is not the freshest film out there and you can tell that Tost wears his influences clearly, but Americana still makes such a thrilling ride. The web of narrative threads and characters is not always the most defined, but it certainly keeps you on your toes. The humor and emotional beats deliver well which gives the film some heft. Americana is a film destined to fly under the radar, but it really deserves that space to soar.