Robert LaSardo is always a guy I enjoy seeing on screen and over the years I have seen him pop up many times on the big screen and on the small screen.  Robert has one of those faves (and awesome beards) thats instantly recognizable First showing up in Abel Ferrara’s 1987 film China Girl (and working with Abel again in the classic King Of New York) Robert LaSardo’s filmography is super impressive with around 200 appearances so far.  In Plain Sight, CSI Miami, Nip/Tuck ,General Hospital, NYPD Blue, Nash Bridges, Renegade are just a few of the TV shows that hes popped up on. As Id mentioned hes always a guy I enjoy seeing on screen and so it was with interest and curiosity that I went into my viewing of American Trash, a 2024 film that Robert LaSardo has directed and co-wrote  with Adrian Milnes (Bermuda Island, Night Of The Tommyknockers). I knew virtually nothing about American Trash before my viewing, other than Robert starred in it and the title of the film.  I love still being able to do that with indie films. Going into my viewing experience without knowing too much about the plot.

We first meet Milles (played by Robert LaSardo) as he picks up other peoples discarded trash next to a stream in a lovely forest setting in LA. We aren’t sure why hes doing it and don’t know to much about him.  Along comes Melissa, (played by Lorelei Linklater) and strangely the two quickly bond over their fascination with Charles Manson and the Milles and Melissa become a ‘couple’   For the viewer you may think (and I did think) that this is where the film is headed. Following these two souls as they go about their lives but no. That is no the case in American Trash.  When tragedy strikes, we think that the film will be headed into to a more typical movie direction but that too was not the case and American Trash is so much better for not treading down those storytelling routes.

There are so many layers to explore within American Trash and I sense that I will still be thinking about this film in weeks from now.  Its a film about humanity, its a film about how people behave, it’s a film about how we treat other people and its certainly a film about stopping for a moment to think about how other people are feeling or what they might have experienced in their lives. Robert LaSardo has done a fantastic job in his directing debut with American Trash and whilst he is wearing his directors ‘hat’ he is also front and centre onscreen too. His performance as Milles is great and very memorable way after the films end credits have finished rolling, even in the scenes where Milles isn’t speaking, his facial expressions, his body language speaks volumes as to the character we are with. Robert is also surrounded by a great supporting cast that help American Trash hit its mark every time, including the very much missed Tom Sizemore (Natural Born Killers, Black Hawk Down), Costas Mandylor (the Saw franchise) and Elissa Dowling (The Girl On The Third Floor)

There is so much more I can see about how much I enjoyed American Trash even though at times its tragic, at other times its hopeful, It balances that tightrope wonderfully through its running time and after the film has finished, I do sense that people watching it will have different thoughts on how it made them feel.  For me, I do highly recommend American Trash especially if you love films that are a little different (and by that I mean not the typical Hollywood huge budget IP that the multiplexes are filled with) American Trash would love your attention, and in turn it’ll reward you with an excellent patient film that takes its time for you to get to know the characters but will hopefully make you a better person after your viewing of the film. American Trash feels very spiritual without being religious, very poetic without feeling too ‘arty’ Its a great mix that is well worth spending a couple of hours with. A round of applause to Robert LaSardo for American Trash. I cant wait to see what he directs and writes next.