‘Americana’ Director Reacts to Weak Debut, Says Sydney Sweeney Movie “Got Gobbled Up by the Zeitgeist”

‘Americana’ Director Reacts to Weak Debut, Says Sydney Sweeney Movie “Got Gobbled Up by the Zeitgeist”

Tony Tost, the Poker Face showrunner who made his feature directorial debut with Americana, is looking forward to a time when his movie can be appreciated outside of this current cultural moment.

Tost took to X late Thursday to offer his thoughts on the film that hit theaters last weekend from Lionsgate and stars Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser and Halsey. Centering on an array of people tracking down a rare Native American artifact, the project was the subject of social media debate after collecting a mere $500,000 from its launch in more than 1,100 theaters.

“One of the great things about movies is that they outlive the zeitgeist into which they were released,” Tost posted. “As someone whose first film sorta got gobbled up by the zeitgeist, I’ll be curious to see how it’ll stand up after this moment is over. Hopefully fairly well!”

The Damnation creator also shared a screenshot of his Letterboxd post from the post-production process back in 2022, where he noted his hope that the movie would feel like something viewers could discover. “Even back then, I knew I was creating a ‘hidden gem’ type movie (as opposed to a blockbuster, or auteur masterpiece),” Tost continued. He explained that he had previously envisioned a career of small gems and cited the work of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas: “To just try to make a bunch of Sugarland Express and American Graffiti type films without worrying about making a Jaws or Star Wars.”

However, he went on to add that he’s now reevaluating that plan. “One picture in — I don’t know if a minor gem career is feasible these days,” Tost wrote. “I think I’ve got to swing either bigger or smaller. Excited for people to find Americana in the days/weeks/months/years to come. But also trying to internalize the many lessons learned from swing #1.”

Although the filmmaker did not specify what he saw as detrimental about the current zeitgeist, the project — which premiered at the 2023 South by Southwest festival — was released less than a month after the launch of Sweeney’s American Eagle ad campaign entitled “Sydney Has Great Jeans” that was the subject of social media criticism.

Hauser shared his thoughts on the film during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that published earlier this week. The actor, whose credits include I, Tonya, BlacKkKlansman and the forthcoming Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, revealed that Americana is his favorite movie from his catalog.

“I don’t know when a good time is to drop a movie like this,” Hauser said. “I just know — no matter whether it blows up, and it’s the next Everything Everywhere All at Once, or if it comes and goes and makes $800K in theaters — it’s still going to be one of these movies that will have long-term success. I know people are going to stumble upon it, and it’ll become some 13-year-old’s favorite movie in three years, and it’ll be like what Reservoir Dogs was for me at their age.”

In his review of Americana for The Hollywood Reporter, critic Justin Lowe wrote that “Tost’s portrayal of characters driven by unfettered greed or justifiable need gives voice to often-ignored segments of society as they strive for agency and respect — an admirable quality in any narrative genre.”