Sword of Trust

A devilish comedy that takes place in a South immersed in American myth. Mary (Michaela Watkins) accompanies Cynthia (Jillian Bell) on a trip to Birmingham. The latter is hoping to inherit a house from her grandfather. It turns out, however, that the property was seized by the bank, and the only thing Cynthia receives is a mysterious saber. According to a letter from the deceased, the saber is a priceless trophy that proves that the Confederates actually won the Civil War. When the protagonists try to sell the saber at a pawn shop, and the shop’s owner, Mel (Marc Maron), contacts a group of local patriots interested in buying it, things get a little out of hand. Shelton has assembled an excellent cast of actors who move smoothly back and forth between the precisely constructed script and improvisation. In the Sword of Trust, Alabama is a peripheral territory populated by former drug addicts, flat Earth theory believers, and defenders of the dignity of the South who despise the official version of history. This surprisingly topical film analyzes the spread of conspiracy theories and fake news, and it shows us how important a role interpretation of the past—the primary source of pride and sense of identity for many—plays in the United States.