Homegrown | 2024 Venice Film Festival Review

Been Caught Stealing: Premo Watches the Pendulum Swing Right

Utilizing the January 6 United States Capitol attack as the docu’s rousing finale, Homegrown delves deep into the heart of right-wing activism, capturing the real-time intensity (and hostility) of three separate fanatics who participate (and tailgate) in saving quote unquote democracy. While examining the broader implications of political polarization and on a lesser frequency the fragility of democracy, journo-director Michael Premo’s debut often captures crucial moments of civil unrest with a well-placed camera. With the choice sampling being in the right place at the right time, prime choice footage might be a causal and confusing street conversation over when the hornet’s nest is disturbed for what will inherently be a shocking and unsettling montage of violent sequences. At times, it’s a film that feels slightly opportunistic—especially as it reveals individuals spewing garbage and incriminating themselves through their actions and words, but despite this, Homegrown remains a fascinating artifact of willing participants embracing delusions, pushing them to a fevered reenactment of their own imagined battle of Iwo Jima.

It’s the summer of 2020 – do you know where your man-children are? Drinking the Kool-Aid in real-time, if they weren’t dressed in Proud Boys garb or military fatigues, with the kind of behaviour on display here – you’d think the subjects of Homegrown were rabid pro sports team supporters cheering for the home team. Mildly entertaining for the numerous mind-blogging assertions – it’s hard to empathize with the staple figure of this film in a guy named Chris – a husband and future father who is building his unborn first-child a decked-out nest when those same creativity skills go towards design hacks a la Mad Max motor vehicle. How does one put more time in an inventory count of his assault rifle collection over the number of years he’ll likely serve in prison for his buffoonery? He is paired with parallel tales of an Air Force vet rallying conservatives in New York City (wrong place and space), and a charismatic activist from Texas.

On the flip of a dime, this is the kind of docu where you’ll either find yourself watching a portrait of mostly white cis men with too much time on their hands or a glimpse into the lives of the disenfranchised, who have lost their way after taking one too many wrong turns — it depends on one’s level of empathy. Premo’s sampling of players (following their redemptions) of the 1488 people who were arrested and or charged following the Pied Piper’s dog whistle proves to be solid subject choices — but this nonetheless becomes a chore of a watch at times as the film does not delve into the depth of hatred or the nature of indoctrination, as the subjects themselves are as incoherent in their thinking as their leader, Donald Trump. Not a textbook example of domestic terrorism with political and racial motivations (it’s intriguing to watch Black Lives Matter supporters getting mixed up with the disenfranchised by aligning with supporters of a bigoted former president), Homegrown reminds us that sometimes its better digress at home, as an arm-chair general and listen to their wives instead.

Reviewed on August 30th at the 2024 Venice Film Festival (81st edition) – International Critics’ Week section. 109 Minutes.

★★★/☆☆☆☆☆