Sydney Sweeney is Penny Jo, a waitress with dreams of becoming a singing sensation in Nashville.
Paul Walter Hauser is Left Ledbetter, a big-hearted loner who’s proposed to four women in the last year, one on their fourth date.
Together, they become embroiled in a quest for a Native American ghost shirt worth a small fortune.
Roy Neal Dean cooked up the plan to steal the shirt from a millionaire’s home and sell it to the highest bidder.
He hires Dillon MacIntosh to pull off the job. But Dillon decides to keep the ghost shirt for itself when he realizes its true value.
Problem is, he’s the abusive boyfriend of a young woman named Mandy Starr, who takes a hammer to his head.
Next thing you know, she’s fleeing from the law, not knowing there’s a ghost shirt in the trunk of her car and not knowing where her son Cal has gone.
Cal swears he’s Sitting Bull reincarnated and wanders off to find his tribe. He winds up in the hands of the Red Thunder Society.
Oh, yeah, they want the ghost shirt too.
Sydney Sweeney as Penny Jo, a waitress listening to Left Ledbetter rehearse his marriage proposal in Americana (2023)
Paul Walter Hauser as Lefty Ledbetter, practicing his marriage proposal in Americana (2023)
Review:
Well-done, well-scripted, well-acted directorial debut for Tony Tost.
Without showing as much as a hint of cleavage, Sydney Sweeney is endearing as Penny Jo, an awkward stammering young woman who dreams of something bigger.
Combined with Paul Walter Hauser as the right-handed man named Lefty, they give the viewers characters to care about.
And Halsey is fierce as Mandy Starr, though the truth about her tortured past doesn’t become evident until late in the film.
Throw in an ample supply of quirky characters, some dark humor and plenty of action, and you have a highly entertaining neo Western.
Halsey as Mandy Starr, feeling from one abusive man to another with a fortune in her car trunk in Americana (2023)
Simon Rex as Roy Lee Dean, arriving at the Starr family compound to deal for the ghost shirt in Americana (2023)
Directed by:
Tony Tost
Cast:
Sydney Sweeney … Penny Jo
Paul Walter Hauser … Lefty Ledbetter
Halsey … Mandy Starr
Eric Dane … Dillon MacIntosh
Gavin Maddox Bergman … Cal Starr
Joe Adler … Fun Dave
Zahn McClarnon … Ghost Eye
Derek Hinkey … Hank Spears
Simon Rex … Roy Lee Dean
Jasper Keen … Reggie Dale
Christopher Kriesa … Hiram Starr
Augusta Allen-Jones … Grace Starr
Rhiannon Frazier … Abigail Starr
Kenzie Shea Ross … Florence Starr
Emily Perry … Calliope Starr
Nancy L. Gray … Donna
Brady Box … Spence
Kevin Wiggins … Elry
Alex Knight … Isaac
Brannon Cross … Jeremiah
Toby Huss … Pendleton Duvall
Runtime: 107 min.
Gavin Maddox Bergman as Cal Starr, the young boy who claims he’s Sitting Bull reincarnated in Americana (2023)
Zahn McClarnon as Ghost Eye, on a quest to secure the ghost shirt for his tribe in Americana (2023)
Memorable lines:
Dillon McIntosh: “Why are you wearing a ceremonial headband?”
Cal Starr: “I’m the reincarnation of Sitting Bull, the great Lakota war chief. I’ve returned to your world to lead my band of warriors into battle once again.”
McIntosh: “Cut that shit out. It’s offensive.”
Lefty: “The world is so full of bad things. It’s frightening, especially if you’re alone. No one should be alone.”
Penny Jo to Lefty: “Deep thinking’s overrated. I think deep shit all the time. Look where it’s gotten me.”
Roy Neal Dean to Dillon McIntosh: “Look, if you want to turn this into some kinda Pat Garrett, Billy the Kid type situation, please do so. Because I’ve been wantin’ to do that pretty much my whole fuckin’ life.”
Halsey as Mandy Starr, refusing to turn over the ghost shirt, even at gunpoint in Americana (2023)
Sydney Sweeney as Penny Jo, treated roughly by members of the Red Thunder Society in Americana (2023)
Penny Jo, of her singing talent: “I’m a hidden gem.”
Ghost Eye: “Hey, you pull this red-faced minstrel shit on the wrong guy out here, you’re going to wind up with a tactical tomahawk in the middle of your forehead.”
Cal: “So be it. this vessel can be discarded for another.”
Mandy Starr to Ghost Eye: “My name is Amanda Bethany Starr. But I answer to Mandy. And right now, I’m apparently in the middle of a god-damned murder spree. So I’m not to be fucked with either.”
Roy Neal Dean: “What’s with these poor dead hombres on your front porch?”
Mandy Starr: “Little bit of family drama.”
Eric Dane as Dillon MacIntosh, the man Roy Lee Dean hires to steal the ghost shirt in Americana (2023)
Joe Adler as Fun Dave, arranging a meeting to discuss the theft of the ghost shirt in Americana (2023)
Christopher Kriesa as Hiram Starr, the father in charge of the Starr family compound, where a woman’s place is to serve mankind in Americana (2023)
Rhiannon Frazier as Abigail Starr, wondering if Mandy is going to help her sisters escape their abusive father in Americana (2023)
Paul Walter Hauser as Lefty Ledbetter, setting out to complete the quest for Penny Jo’s benefit in Americana (2023)
Sydney Sweeney as Penny Jo, talking Lefty Ledbetter into a bold get-rich-quick scheme in Americana (2023)
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