This engrossing thriller is set in a present day dystopia where an armed, white militia presides over society and where all “outsiders” — including gays, immigrants, Muslims — are branded with a barcode, hunted down and killed. It’s a disturbing premise bolstered by believable characters and the tension that director William Sullivan, who wrote the script with actor Jarret Kerr, deftly ratchets up.
“American Insurrection” is not to be confused with the recent Frontline documentary of the same title. In Sullivan’s film, the insurrection is ongoing: the armed militants conduct their purges by setting up roadblocks and communicating via radio to assemble hunting parties. Four survivors are holed up in a large farmhouse close to the Canadian border as they await instruction about when it is safe for them to flee. Each character is effectively developed and we learn their stories through flashbacks.There is Zabi (the terrific Nadine Malouf), a Muslim-American who survived the deadly bombing of her mosque and who is the sole branded member of the foursome. Her husband David (Nick Westrate) struggles to hide his fears. Sarah (Sarah Wharton) is the badass leader who with husband Jarret (Kerr) has suffered gutting loss once life as everyone knew it changed. The harmony of this band of outsiders is disrupted by the arrival of the defiant Arjay (Brandon Perea) who is branded because he is gay and on the run from a deadly confrontation with the militia.
Meanwhile, Gabe (Michael Raymond-James), is being held hostage in the barn on his property until the group can make their secret getaway. But as they share a few cans of beer, Zabi begins to talk with Gabe and discovers he is an embittered war veteran with various misguided but vague reasons for joining the militia. Zabi glimpses his humanity and believes Gabe sees hers but the increasingly jumpy David cautions her that Gabe isn’t sincere and will turn them in at the first opportunity. Perhaps it’s idealistic and overly generous, but the pivotal conversation between Zabi and Gabe is an effective and well-acted centerpiece scene that adds depth and compassion to the story.
The film's skilled use of horror tropes heightens the paranoia and tension while keeping the action grounded in a realism. The theme of hiding — literally and metaphorically — renders all the characters complex and sympathetic and makes their desperate attempts to assert their individuality and humanity all the more powerful and satisfying.