Sydney Sweeney’s latest film, Americana, has received negative reviews amid the controversy surrounding her latest jeans ad with American Eagle. The film premiered at South by Southwest on March 17, 2023. It is scheduled to drop in theaters across the United States this Friday. Tony Tost helmed this film, in addition to writing its screenplay. The story follows the lives of various people living in South Dakota, who enter a violent conflict after an expensive Lakota ghost shirt appears on the black market.
Americana receives bad reviews amid Sydney Sweeney controversy
The crime thriller Americana has suffered some negative reviews amid the ongoing discussion and controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s latest jeans ad for American Eagle.
The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager, in his review, notes that Tost put “minimal effort” into making the film “amusing” for audiences. Further, he called the film a “sluggish and monotonous country-ified neo-noir that fails to innovate and, worse, to utilize its magnetic leading lady and her capable co-stars.”
Schager added that Americana had “fine actors” who were responsible for “enlivening middling material.” However, he noted that the cast did “enough” to ensure that the comedy crime movie was a “pleasantly unremarkable affair.”
Meanwhile, The New York Post’s Johnny Oleksinski opined that Americana was the “real controversy” surrounding the actress. He added that the film was “a violently annoying and annoyingly violent ensemble piece speckled with ‘look how wacky we are!'”
Moreover, Oleksinski called the film “a copycat Coen Brothers yarn with the depth of a tortilla.” He shared that he was frustrated by Americana within the first 10 minutes. Oleksinski also stated that his frustration remained for the rest of the film’s runtime.
Nevertheless, the film has also garnered some positive reviews. IndieWire’s Rafael Motamayor said the film was “charming, gritty, and all-round entertaining.” He added that it had “gallows humor, compelling performances, and a big heart.”
Furthermore, Deadline’s Valerie Complex said the film had “brilliant writing.” She highlighted Tost’s direction, noting that he avoided “common pitfalls first-time directors encounter by overcomplicating things.” She also praised the film’s cast, emphasizing Halsey and Zahn McClarnon’s performances.
As of writing, Americana has an 83% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.
