--- title: "Americana" year: 2025 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/americana" fi1m_id: "americana" imdb_id: "tt17676734" tmdb_id: 934456 wikidata_id: "Q117049250" fi1m_score: 64 critics_score: 64 critics_reviews: 10 published: "2026-09-24T09:53:03.312393+00:00" updated: "2026-09-24T09:53:03.804160+00:00" region: "AT" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Americana (2025) Directed by Tony Tost · 1h 47m · Crime, Western, Comedy ## Identity Americana - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/americana - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** americana - **IMDb ID:** tt17676734 - **TMDB ID:** 934456 - **Wikidata ID:** Q117049250 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17676734/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/934456, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q117049250 **Fi1m score: 64** · Critics 64 from 10 reviews *In a sentence:* A quiet Sydney Sweeney surrounded by people who sound as though they have rehearsed being eccentric > *Americana* is a watchable crime western whose actors do more convincing work than its writing. The humour and sympathy survive, but awkward dialogue and uncertain handling of violence make it a qualified recommendation for genre enthusiasts. ## Synopsis Penny Jo Poplin (Sydney Sweeney) hopes to improve her life in contemporary South Dakota, but she is accustomed to going unnoticed. Around her are Lefty Ledbetter (Paul Walter Hauser), Mandy Starr (Halsey) and Ghost Eye (Zahn McClarnon), part of an ensemble of people trying to change their circumstances. Roy Lee Dean (Simon Rex) and Dillon Macintosh (Eric Dane) also figure in their world. As personal hopes become entangled with crime and violence, the quieter Penny Jo Poplin shares the story with more conspicuous personalities. Humour accompanies their efforts to get ahead, though their dealings offer no simple way forward. ## Review Tony Tost’s *Americana* wants to make a crime western funny without treating everyone in it as a fool. It is decent, uneven work, worth considering for the cast if this is already a genre we enjoy. The trouble comes when the writing insists on everyone’s eccentricity through their dialogue, or uses violence in ways that weaken its sympathy for them. There is enough here for 107 minutes, but some of it needs firmer handling. Sydney Sweeney plays Penny Jo Poplin as someone accustomed to being overlooked, resisting the temptation to turn reserve into an elaborate performance of shyness. We felt protective of her, because being overlooked seems like something she has learnt to live with. Halsey, as Mandy Starr, is the stronger presence, giving the film a directness that some of its more contrived characters lack. Neither performance needs the writing to keep reminding us that these people deserve our attention. Zahn McClarnon supplies welcome dry humour as Ghost Eye, without labouring to make sure we notice the joke. It is the kind of performance that makes a busy ensemble easier to spend time with. Elsewhere, some figures are thinly written enough that even a willing cast cannot make them feel necessary to the story. The company includes Paul Walter Hauser as Lefty Ledbetter, Simon Rex as Roy Lee Dean and Eric Dane as Dillon Macintosh. Nigel Bluck’s cinematography makes the South Dakota setting feel expansive, and the film benefits from having so much room around its crowded cast. Russell Barnes’s production design contributes to the assured, eccentric look. The settings are more convincing than some of the conversations taking place in them. A comic western can get away with a great deal of artificial dialogue, but here we too often hear the effort that has gone into it. Peter McNulty’s editing has to accommodate both the crime story and the passages in which the writer-director pauses over his ideas. Those pauses sometimes cost more momentum than the ideas repay. David Fleming’s music helps the separate moods coexist, without quite making their transitions feel natural. The film can be funny and considerate within a scene, then seem unsure how long to stay there or how sharply to move on. The more serious problem is the violence. The film asks us to care about people trying to improve their lives, then handles their danger with a casualness that weakens that care. Its treatment of Native American stories also needs more attention than the competing interests allow. A crime comedy can accommodate cruelty, but it needs to be clear when it finds that cruelty funny and when it expects us to feel the consequences. Against the standards of the comic western, *Americana* has the faces, the setting and enough affection for its characters to be worth considering. What it lacks is the ease that would make its mixture of crime, jokes and hopes for a better life feel natural. See it for Sydney Sweeney, Halsey and Zahn McClarnon, and allow for stretches when the writing gives them more work than it should. *Fi1m score 64, published 24 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews lean towards qualified approval of Americana, with praise clustering around its ensemble and its mixture of crime thriller, western and humour. Halsey and Zahn McClarnon receive particular notice, while Sydney Sweeney’s understated performance also earns praise. The warmer assessments find sincerity and sympathy beneath the eccentricity, with Deadline especially enthusiastic about how the film both entertains within the western genre and questions its conventions. The spread is wide, however, and the dialogue and characterisation divide critics: some find the writing lively, others strained and the supporting figures thin. Variety sees a belated Tarantino imitation despite admiring the setting and visual craft, while The AV Club finds neither the satire nor the earnest crime drama convincing. Even favourable reviews flag problems with momentum, an anticlimactic showdown or violence that muddles the film’s message; Collider also questions its handling of Native American stories. ## Straight answers **Is Americana worth watching?** *Americana* is worth considering for crime-western enthusiasts drawn to its cast, rather than a broad recommendation; we score it 64 out of 100. Sydney Sweeney, Halsey and Zahn McClarnon give us reasons to care, but forced eccentric dialogue, uneven pacing and casually handled violence keep the humour and sympathy from working consistently. **How long is Americana, and what is it rated?** *Americana* runs 1h 47m. It is a crime and western film. **Where can I watch Americana in Austria?** *Americana* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in Austria, and it is also available to buy from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from €9.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Americana, and is it suitable for children?** *Americana* carries a UK 15 certificate and contains violence, making it unsuitable for children under 15. Our concern is how casually it handles danger to characters it asks us to care about; the comic tone should not be taken as a promise of gentle viewing. **How does Americana compare to The Guard?** *Americana* is the less assured choice beside [*The Guard*](https://film.one/film/the-guard), whose sharper exchanges make it our stronger recommendation for a dry crime comedy. We find more to enjoy in *Americana*’s performances and expansive western setting than its strained dialogue, while *The Guard* benefits from Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle despite an investigation that needs more urgency. ### Reviews we read (10) - **The Guardian**, Leslie Felperin (70/100, inferred): Felperin finds the film eminently watchable, though its ambitions do not fully come off and its showdown is anticlimactic. She particularly praises Zahn McClarnon’s wry performance and the colorful ensemble. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/18/americana-review-sydney-sweeney-heads-cast-in-eminently-watchable-drama) - **Vulture**, Alison Willmore (70/100, inferred): Willmore finds the film thoughtful and humorous, though its ideas sometimes slow its momentum. She especially praises Sydney Sweeney’s convincing, understated performance as a girl who fades into the background. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/sydney-sweeneys-new-movie-is-the-anti-good-jeans-ad.html) - **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (64/100, inferred): The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It offers no specific praise or complaint beyond the film’s premise. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/americana-review-sydney-sweeney-and-paul-walter-hauser-conspire-in-western-crime-saga/5207672.article) - **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The review text is inaccessible, so its verdict cannot be established. No praise or criticism can be reliably identified from the available page. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/movies/americana-review.html) - **The AV Club**, Brianna Zigler (D+): Zigler finds the film a dull, unconvincing imitation that fails as both satire and earnest crime drama. She singles out its weak dialogue and superficial characterization, while noting Halsey outacts Sydney Sweeney. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/americana-review) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (35/100, inferred): Debruge finds the film polished and entertaining in moments, but ultimately a belated Tarantino imitation. He praises its expansive South Dakota setting and eccentric visual craft while faulting the contrived characterization and unnatural dialogue. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/americana-review-1236489992/) - **Deadline**, Valerie Complex (85/100, inferred): The review praises the film as an intricate, entertaining western dramedy that both serves and deconstructs the genre. It singles out Halsey and Zahn McClarnon as standout performers. [Read](https://deadline.com/2023/03/americana-review-sydney-sweeney-paul-walter-hauser-halsey-tony-tost-1235301698/) - **The Playlist** (85/100, inferred): The review presents the film as a first-rate crime thriller with a strong ensemble. It praises the cast’s performance, while the page’s blocked content prevents confirming further details. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/americana-review-a-first-rate-crime-thriller-infused-with-altman-tarantino-coen-brothers-boasting-an-ensemble-cast-at-the-top-of-their-game-20230318/) - **Collider**, Ross Bonaime (7/10): Bonaime finds the film an imperfect but worthwhile modern Western, praising its empathy for characters striving to improve their lives. He singles out Halsey’s performance as the standout, while criticizing how the violence muddles the film’s message and its treatment of Native American stories. [Read](https://collider.com/americana-review-sydney-sweeney-halsey-paul-walter-hauser/) - **Paste**, Jesse Hassenger (6.7/10): Hassenger finds Americana an entertaining, sincere hybrid that avoids becoming too pleased with its own cleverness. He praises the cast and its above-average dialogue, while noting that some characters feel like disposable cardboard figures. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/tony-tost/americana-movie-sydney-sweeney-paul-walter-hauser-halsey-western) ## Details - **Director:** Tony Tost - **Director:** Tony Tost - **Writer:** Tony Tost - **Cinematography:** Nigel Bluck - **Editor:** Peter McNulty - **Music:** David Fleming - **Production design:** Russell Barnes - **Costume design:** Jillian Bundrick - **Producer:** Alex Saks, Aaron L. Gilbert - **Cast:** Sydney Sweeney as Penny Jo Poplin; Paul Walter Hauser as Lefty Ledbetter; Halsey as Mandy Starr; Simon Rex as Roy Lee Dean; Eric Dane as Dillon Macintosh; Zahn McClarnon as Ghost Eye; Derek Hinkey as Hank Spears; Toby Huss as Pendleton Duvall - **Runtime:** 1h 47m - **First release (the US):** 17 March 2023 - **Genres:** Crime, Western, Comedy - **Budget:** $9 million - **Box office:** $500,000 - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulZoLec80fs ## Where to watch in Austria - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy €9.99, sd - Apple TV: buy €9.99, sd *Checked 2026-09-24.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IN, IT, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Blood Simple* (1984): A smaller crime story with firmer control of suspicion, violence and bitter humour. - *The Guard* (2011), Fi1m 78: Dry humour and an awkward partnership give this crime comedy its particular bite. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-guard.md) - *Mystery Road* (2013): A patient contemporary western that gives its landscape and Indigenous characters proper weight. - *The Ladykillers* (1955): An eccentric criminal ensemble whose comedy depends on precisely judged performances and timing. - *The Good, the Bad, the Weird* (2008): For another unruly western mixture, with considerably more confidence in its action. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/americana