Dangerous Ideas Dressed As Duty

MOVIE REVIEW
The Militia
 -     

Genre: Drama
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 57m
Director(s): Dylan King Welter
Writer(s): Dylan King Welter
Cast: Noah Aronstein, Michael Broderick, Chris Bylsma, Scott Callenberger, Chad Crenshaw, Elliott Daggett, Laurel Feierbach, Solomon Puckett, Luke Stratte-McClure, Naomi Watts, Cyril Welter, Sam Williamson
Where to Watch: shown at Dances With Films 2025

RAVING REVIEW: Sometimes the scariest stories aren’t dystopian futures or imagined horrors—they’re pulled straight from our everyday reality. That’s the unsettling energy this film channels as it builds its world, brick by brick, out of a distinctly American story. It’s a movie that feels like it could have been overheard at a gas station or shared in the depths of an internet forum, yet it never leans too heavily into caricature. It walks a delicate line, dramatizing radicalization without outright condemning or glorifying it—and that’s where it gets its power and its controversy.

The setting, a remote stretch of Middle America, plays a critical role in establishing the emotional geography of the film. Though scenic on the surface, the open fields and rural homes carry an underlying weight. Isolation, generational loyalty, and a strong undercurrent of distrust become not just background details but the fuel driving every decision. For the people who inhabit this world, survival means knowing who you trust, staying armed, and never relying on institutions that seem designed to fail you. These characters aren’t cartoonish extremists; they’re grounded in a culture that equates self-reliance with identity. They’re the base that allowed themselves to be lied to and put a wannabe fascist into power.

Daniel Pierce (Sam Williamson) is at the heart of the story, a teenager caught between admiration for his father and a community that sees skepticism as a virtue. Williamson leads with quiet control, portraying Daniel with a mix of hesitation and intensity. There’s no major transformation sequence, no explosive moment of change. Instead, his radicalization happens in increments—through conversations, moments alone with his closest friends and family,  and the absence of outside perspective. When his father vanishes after a legal standoff, Daniel doesn’t rebel—he assumes control, convinced he’s fulfilling a duty rather than making a choice.

Daniel’s descent isn’t portrayed as chaotic or unhinged. It feels disturbingly logical, based on the world he’s been raised in. The boys around him, forming their militia in response to their elders' rejection, reflect a broader pattern—how quickly loyalty can become weaponized when mixed with a warped sense of justice. A sequence involving makeshift explosives unfolds without theatrics or exaggeration. It’s played with such stillness that it’s easy to forget these are kids.

The film excels when it leans into that stillness. The direction favors long takes and patient framing, letting scenes sit longer than expected. Violence doesn’t arrive with a music cue—it appears unannounced and changes everything. This sense of discomfort, of scenes lingering too long for comfort, creates unease. Nothing is glamorized. Every decision could’ve been avoided, but somehow, it wasn’t.

What complicates the moral weight of the film is that it doesn’t always clarify its stance. While it successfully mirrors real-world concerns—from conspiracy-laced ideology to how kids are often raised to distrust those in power—it occasionally muddles its messaging by leaning too sympathetically into the narrative. The absence of a stronger moral pushback means some scenes might be interpreted in ways that undercut their caution. While this ambiguity might serve as a mirror for audiences to see their bias, it risks softening the film’s critique.

Characters outside of Daniel are more tools in the story than fleshed-out individuals. His friends are believable in their actions, but rarely feel dimensional enough to understand what’s truly driving them. Not everyone joins out of loyalty or fear—some are likely motivated by insecurity, anger, or boredom. We only get hints of this, and that limits the broader commentary on how radicalization spreads.

When the dust finally settles, it’s not the action that lingers—it’s the emptiness. Daniel gets what he wanted, but the cost is a silence that is even louder than a victory. His friends are gone, the cause doesn’t hold weight, and whatever conquest he clings to feels like a void. It’s not a twist—it’s the dead-end of a life built on paranoia and pride. The film doesn’t spell it out. It doesn’t need to.

And that’s the film's real strength—it doesn’t chase easy catharsis. It allows discomfort to linger. It offers no reassurance that Daniel’s story is unique or far-fetched. The questions it raises—about legacy, control, justice, and indoctrination—don’t come with answers. The film suggests that perhaps the problem isn’t just belief itself, but how easily belief becomes doctrine when surrounded by silence.

It’s not a movie trying to offer solutions. It’s a warning. A quiet one, sure, but no less urgent. And if the biggest flaw is that it occasionally walks too close to glorification, that might also be the point: extremism doesn’t always wear a mask or raise a flag. Sometimes it looks like a kid with no one left to stop him.

Please visit https://linktr.ee/overlyhonestr for more reviews.

You can follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. My social media accounts can also be found on most platforms by searching for 'Overly Honest Reviews'.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please don't hesitate to say hello or send me any questions about movies.

[photo courtesy of KING PRODUCTIONS]

DISCLAIMER:
At Overly Honest Movie Reviews, we value honesty and transparency. Occasionally, we receive complimentary items for review, including DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Vinyl Records, Books, and more. We assure you that these arrangements do not influence our reviews, as we are committed to providing unbiased and sincere evaluations. We aim to help you make informed entertainment choices regardless of our relationship with distributors or producers.

Amazon Affiliate Links:
Additionally, this site contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may receive a commission. This affiliate arrangement does not affect our commitment to honest reviews and helps support our site. We appreciate your trust and support in navigating these links.