Within the first few minutes of National Anthem, there’s a close-up of Dylan’s (Charlie Plummer) face that almost everyone can identify with. He’s been shoveling gravel in the sun for hours and he looks out wearily towards a horizon we can’t see. Working consumes his life and he’s ready to go home. But home isn’t exactly the peaceful respite that it should be. His mother, Fiona (Robyn Lively), has problems staying away from drugs and alcohol and also struggles to pay the rent. Dylan constantly searches for work to help pay the bills and takes care of his little brother, Cassidy (Joey DeLeon). 

 

When Dylan gets a gig doing odd jobs out at a homestead called House of Splendor, his vision for his own life alters. The ranch is a queer haven with a group of friends living together beneath the rainbow flags they proudly display—a bold statement in the wide open spaces of New Mexico. Dylan quickly develops an interest in Sky (Eve Lindley) who seems to sense Dylan’s own identity before he does. What follows is a unique look at identity and what happens when you’re allowed to embrace who you are. 

 

Cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi’s touch turns simple scenes like Plummer and Lindley sitting in a field into beautiful images that have their own heartbeat. She captures the expansive landscape of the countryside with ease and does so without diminishing the power and sheer enormity of the scenic setting. At times the story feels a bit abrupt and rushed, but the compelling performances and the heart of the characters propel the movie onwards through the rocky moments.

 

Director Luke Gilford’s feature length directorial debut will tug at the heartstrings of anyone who is searching for their identity, especially those who haven't found their people yet. Every frame emphasizes Gilford’s vision for what America could be—a welcoming place where everyone is accepted for who they are. To be who you are requires you to climb into the saddle and be ready for the ride, something that Dylan encounters both literally and figuratively throughout the movie. Set among a sharp juxtaposition of rodeo culture and queerness, National Anthem is an earnest and poetic portrait of queer identity and acceptance.