Listen, we all had teenage crushes, our bedroom walls were adorned with posters of the beautiful faces that seemed almost mythical. But that’s usually where the fascination ended. Sweetness offers a heightened glimpse of what could happen if attraction transcends desire and need, and becomes something more than obsession. Indeed, our introduction to Rylee sees her practising seduction techniques on the posters on her wall, learned from an online video, showcasing immediately how deeply her infatuation runs. This genre-blending thriller and coming-of-age film, with a touch of horror, mostly succeeds if you can overlook certain story elements as the plot becomes more tangled. You see, Payton is a drug addict and, following their chance meeting, Rylee sees it as her duty to ensure he gets sober...by any means necessary.

 

Sweetness is a little like Misery with a dash of Trap sprinkled over it, though, whilst it does not stack up the former, it is far more interesting and enjoyable than the latter. It deals with the idea of parasocial relationships and the lengths people will go to get close to their idols, with whom they have created a one-sided emotional bond. The film also shines a light on loneliness, obsessive fandoms and the vulnerability of those in the spotlight, though these ultimately took a backseat to the spiralling main storyline. 

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Kate Hallett, who was excellent in 2022’s Women Talking, delivers a stellar performance as Rylee. She flits seamlessly from dough-eyed fangirl to paranoia and sheer sadness (and more) as she navigates her emotions and her obsessive desire to aid Payton. She isn’t evil; she isn’t willingly trying to upset or derail Payton physically or emotionally; instead, her actions stem from a misguided belief that she is acting in his best interests. However, her actions are driven by a perverse need for control disguised as a desire to heal him. Hallett is great at navigating the complexity of her character, despite Rylee being hard to root for.
 

The direction throughout is slick and confident, and Higgins has an eye for composition, alongside Mat Barkley’s cinematography, that helps to elevate Sweetness visually against an otherwise unremarkable backdrop. 

 

Though it falters narratively after the halfway point of the film, as a debut offering, Sweetness should certainly be applauded, and it showcases Higgins and Hallett as talents to watch.