Sydney Sweeney Pulls a Gas Station Stick-Up on Halsey in Tense First Trailer For ‘Americana’

Halsey is not in the mood for anyone’s b.s. in the first look at director Tony Tost’s heist drama Americana. In a 90-second sneak peek that dropped on Wednesday (March 15), the singer — rocking a 1970s-style choppy shag cut and all-black ensemble — is minding her own business while filling up her orange muscle car when she’s interrupted not once, but twice.

“Beautiful day today,” says Paul Walter Hauser’s (Black Bird) character Lefty to Halsey’s Mandy. “Still, they say it might rain. Any big weekend plans?,” he continues. Mandy is clearly not interested, snapping back, “Hey buddy, today is not the f—ing day.”

The confrontation is interrupted by Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria), whose character Penny Jo sticks a gun into Mandy’s back demanding the mythical Native American artifact that she and Lefty were planning to steal. “Do you have the artifact?” Penny Jo asks as Mandy looks back over her shoulder in annoyance.

“I thought you were sweet,” she says, her face softening in seeming condescension. “Do you have it?” Penny Jo repeats more menacingly as Mandy suggests she might have the object, or maybe not. “Give it to me,” Penny Jo demands. “No,” Mandy says as she finishes pumping, walks away and dares Penny to “shoot me” nonchalantly.

Americana marks Halsey’s big screen debut and according to Deadline, the movie follows waitress Penny Jo and lonesome cowboy Lefty as they plan to swipe the mythical “Lakota Ghost Shirt” from some criminals to fund Penny’s Nashville dreams. “Things get complicated when the lead criminal’s long-suffering girlfriend (Halsey) decides to take the artifact for her own personal reasons,” reads a description.

“It’s one of my favorite scenes because none of these characters are smooth, experienced criminals in the slightest, and I love how Sydney, Paul, and Halsey all play their desperate intentions and discomfort to quietly comedic effect,” Tost told Deadline. The film, Tost’s first major feature, also stars Eric Dane, Simon Rex, Zahn McClarnon and Gavin Maddox Bergman. Americana is slated to make its world premiere at 2:30 ET on Friday (March 17) at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX during SXSW.

Check out the Americana sneak peek below.