Movie Review: ‘American Trash’ – A Bleak but Honest Search for Redemption.

The drama ‘American Trash‘ offers a meditation on trauma, love, and the hollow modern world that surrounds us. The film is directed by Robert LaSardo, who shares writing credits with Adrian Milnes.

It tells a story that explores a broken man’s attempt to find meaning and human connection in the grimiest corners of a Western city, specifically the decaying backstreets and beaches of Venice, California. Milles (played by Robert LaSardo himself), a war veteran battling PTSD, loneliness, and an overwhelming sense of disconnection. While his pain is rooted in his past experiences on the battlefield, his current torment is deeply tied to a society that seems to have no time or place for the kind of connection he craves. He is haunted by what he saw and did during his time at war, and that shows in how he moves through life with some kind of wounded intensity that is difficult to ignore.

In the opening scenes of the film, while cleaning up trash by a secluded cove, Milles is quietly approached by Melissa (played by Lorelei Linklater), a mysterious, free-spirited environmentalist. Without saying a word, she just hits play on a handheld recorder, and it is a voice Milles recognises and acknowledges. It is the voice of Charles Manson from his Feb. 25, 1985, Berkeley Interview and the shared acknowledgement of this infamous worldview draws them closer.

From that point on, the two form an unlikely yet oddly natural bond. As they share their philosophies, wounds, and small moments of escape, the narrative gently unfolds to showcase love’s power to heal, even if it’s momentarily. We see the otherwise stoic Milles showing genuine moments of warmth as he rediscovers his joy. He even openly expresses his gratitude to God for Melissa‘s presence in his life. But that newfound joy, peace and gratitude is short-lived when Melissa gets kidnapped and killed.

The choice to anchor the narrative with these two correctors and their connection, whilst allowing their inner worlds to clash and merge, is one of American Trash’s strengths. Robert LaSardo, a veteran himself, brings a gritty authenticity to the role, both physically, with his heavily tattooed frame and emotionally with his very careful poise and demeanour. You get the sense that this is more than a performance for him. It’s a personal statement about pain, healing, and how love can briefly light up even the darkest paths. Acting quality-wise, he seems like the focus of the film, and his delivery lands well not just for the character he is playing, but the entire tone of the film. Milles is not looking for revenge, but peace and redemption.

That said, the narrative doesn’t sail through entirely smoothly. Much of the dialogue feels almost overly philosophical, often veering into territory that feels more like spoken word poetry than natural conversation. The intent I believe, was to have every line mean something to give audiences little “nuggets” of emotional truth. But after a while, it starts to feel heavy-handed and repetitive. There is even a character that only appears and speaks words of enlightenment to Milles and I am not sure exactly how different the narrative would have felt for me without that character.

The film’s tone is supported by a very emotionally intense score that starts early and lingers throughout. It’s not intrusive, but it contributes to the film’s overwhelming sense of melancholy and dread. The aesthetic borders on psychological drama, though the lack of narrative tension keeps it grounded more in mood than in story-driven suspense. I believe this contributed a lot to making the nearly 1 hour 50 minutes runtime seem a bit too long. The pacing is slow, deliberately so, but it sometimes feels as though the story is unsure of how or when to wrap things up. This lack of urgency might work for viewers in the right mood, but others may find their attention waning before the final act.

If you’re expecting a tight, fast-paced crime thriller or a narrative with an arc that steadily picks up tempo, ‘American Trash‘ is not the film for you. But if you’re open to something slower, heavier, and introspective, then you might appreciate this more. It leans more on its emotional weight rather than presenting a forced action or plot twists. It is rather something that leaves you with enough to unpack and digest emotions about trauma and redemption through love.

But this all means that this would not come as an easy watch for everyone. It requires some patience, empathy, and a willingness to sit in discomfort.

I will score this film 5/10. As a directorial debut for Robert LaSardo it is an impressive first outing nonetheless. His personal touch and commitment to the material make it a film worth acknowledging, even if not fully embracing.