Americana

Lefty (Paul Walter Hauser) and Penny Jo (Sydney Sweeney) bond in Americana (Distributed by Lionsgate)

The word that kept popping into my head as I watched Americana, the type of post-Tarantino crime drama/dark comedy that was popular in the late 90s, is tiresome. What is sort of set-up to be a mild commentary on old west customs vs new west appropriation is mostly just a collection of cliches, stereotypes and annoying quirks, with nothing original or clever thrown in to shake things up. There is a criminal, a crooked businessman, religious fanatics, Native American revolutionaries, good people taking desperate measures and a white child who claims to be the reincarnation of Sitting Bull. That is a lot of wacky content to fit in one movie. Somehow, absolutely none of it is interesting.

This is a paint-by-numbers screenplay with a few promising ideas that don’t develop into anything substantial. The solid cast can’t do much with their unlikable characters (though they do have their moments) and the supposed twistiness of the plot feels routine. This is depressingly predictable. Americana (101 minutes, without the end credits) sat on the shelf for two years before being released. That usually does not bode well for a movie’s quality. It is not a disaster; it is merely instantly forgettable.

Set in small-town South Dakota, the story follows Mandy, an angry woman in an abusive relationship, Penny Jo, a waitress with dreams of country music stardom, Lefty, a lonely man searching for love, and several other people as they all seek to acquire a valuable Lakota artifact.

The screenplay is broken up into five chapters (following a quick flash-forward to give us a peek at one character’s fate), each focusing on a different aspect of the plot. They don’t really overlap, as writer/director Tony Tost will remind us of what happened next, then skip past it so as not to waste time. The style keeps the pace up, but doesn’t add much in the way of depth or context. He overcomplicates something that could have used far less contrivance. A couple of the sections almost work; however, it never builds momentum or intrigue, based in part on how thin the characters are.

Mandy (Halsey) goes on the run

Sydney Sweeney, as Penny Jo, and Paul Walter Hauser, as Lefty, have a sweet chemistry together in the couple of scenes where they are just allowed to talk. Penny Jo is kind, though way too fast to hatch a scheme when she learns about the Lakota Ghost Shirt that a local dealer is willing to pay a few hundred thousand for. She also has a stutter for no reason. Lefty is neither smart nor quick-witted. This is explained by a brain injury he suffered in Kabul. Penny Jo and Lefty are kind of dumb and not particularly sympathetic, yet Sweeney and Hauser are likable enough actors to make their arc decent, at least until the plot kicks in.

The best performance in Americana is from pop singer Halsey as Mandy. While I did not believe Mandy’s backstory, Halsey plays her as if she does. She is a crafty, confident, smartass, hiding pain and trauma behind every quip. There were scenes where she made me forget how silly this is. I also enjoyed Zahn McClarnon as Ghost Eye, a man exasperated by what has happened to his people, who will do anything to preserve their history. He gets the biggest laughs thanks to his resigned approach to the nonsense around him.

Americana very much feels like something that would have come out from a first-time writer/director in 1998. Either that or an early concept that was pulled out of mothballs when the writer made a hit. It is messy and pointless. I would say only check it out if you are a big fan of the stars. Even then, they all have way more worthwhile projects already in their filmographies.

2 out of 5

Cast:

Sydney Sweeney as Penny Jo

Paul Walter Hauser as Lefty Ledbetter

Halsey as Mandy Starr

Gavin Maddox Bergman as Cal Starr

Eric Dane as Dillon MacIntosh

Zahn McClarnon as Ghost Eye

Simon Rex as Roy Lee Dean

Written/Directed by Tony Tost