Sweetness, which had its Canadian premiere at Fantasia Festival last night, opens on 16-year-old Rylee (Kate Hallett, Woman Talking), who is sitting on her bed underneath the warm glow of fairy lights. She’s watching a video on how to seduce men and practicing the lines herself. Above her, the walls and ceiling are plastered with posters and clippings of Swedish popstar Payton Adler (Herman Tømmeraas, Skam), of the pop-alternative band Floorplan, in what is essentially a shrine to him. Being obsessed with a celebrity is something that many people can relate to. It’s also a great premise for a film, as demonstrated by the likes of Der Fan, The King of Comedy, and Misery. Sweetness, however, plays out like a dark version of Lindsay Lohan’s Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.
Sweetness is a coming-of-age thriller that explores the parasocial relationship between fans and celebrities. Bullied at school and still grieving the death of her mother, Rylee is depressed and lonely. Her physically and emotionally absent cop father (Justin Chatwin, Another Life) is also deeply affected by his wife’s passing and struggles to communicate with Rylee. To make matters worse, he’s more preoccupied with his girlfriend (Amanda Brugel, The Handmaid’s Tale) who Rylee hates. In addition to her best friend Sid (Aya Furukawa, The Fall of the House of Usher), Payton is the only person who makes Rylee feel understood. Being a fangirl can provide you with something bigger than yourself and be a real source of joy. When Rylee and Sid are pushed up against the barrier at a Floorplan concert, they sing along and watch in awe as Payton performs, deeply moved by his slower and more serious song about addiction.
After Rylee and Sid get separated following the concert, Rylee finds herself in a surreal meet-cute fantasy: she gets hit by a car only to discover that Payton is the driver. He offers to drive her home, but detours to visit his dealer first. High behind the wheel, Payton nearly crashes multiple times. By the time they reach her house, Rylee realises that Payton’s publicly declared sobriety is a big fat lie. Determined to help him detox from drugs, Rylee handcuffs an unconscious Payton to her bed. Sid, who shows up at Rylee’s house explaining that her phone had died, thinks her plan is insane—but reason won’t penetrate Rylee’s heart-eyed delusions. She wants to do something that will “make a difference, to something that actually matters.” She has good intentions, but her methods are deeply misguided. Meanwhile, no one is actually looking for Payton. His bodyguard (Steven Ogg, Dark Match) makes some inquiries into his disappearance and, accepting that he’s probably on one of his benders, his management covers for him.
Sweetness is Higgins’ feature debut, but she comes from a relevant background having previously directed music videos for Ingrid Andress, Mother Mother, and Tegan and Sara. This previous experience lends itself well to the vision of her film. Higgins teamed up with Canadian composers Blitz//Berlin to deliver an effective score, complete with original songs performed by Tømmeraas. Sweetness is well-crafted. Visually, the film’s production design reflects a 90s/2000s grunge aesthetic, which is further complemented by hair, makeup, and wardrobe. From Rylee’s iconic bedroom right down to Payton’s lower back tattoo. The film is also well-lit, even in its darker scenes, thanks to cinematographer Mat Barkley’s fine work.
At 96 minutes, Sweetness is fast paced with a tight script, but it suffers somewhat from underdeveloped characters. We don’t get to know Rylee that well. Despite this, her emotions feel very real which is what saves her character overall. Occasionally bordering on sociopathy, Hallett expertly portrays empathy and vulnerability even as Rylee’s actions become increasingly violent and unhinged. Her strong connection, sense of loyalty, and familiarity to Payton are her lifeforce, despite the fact that Payton possesses none of that for her. She isn’t anyone to him, just one person in an endless sea of faceless fans. Secondary characters, such as the bodyguard and girlfriend, are welcome and talented actors, but they don’t serve much purpose overall. The same goes for brief insights into Rylee’s school life. They are explanations for why no one comes looking for Payton and showcase further character development for Rylee as she turns from meek to firing back at her bullies, but they don’t feel fully grounded in the film’s world.
They say you should never meet your idols, but perhaps you should never meet your fans. Sweetness gets dark quickly as the teenage fantasy turns into a devastating exploration into the teenage psyche high on stan culture. As a girl blinded by her fantastical love for her idol, Rylee’s choices are often bewildering. She’s making it up as she goes, but her decisions make sense for the goal she is tenaciously pursuing. The film will leave people torn as to whether to root for Rylee or for Payton, the latter of whom swings between sympathy and disappointment from the audience. While there’s a degree of predictability to the story, it often leaves you wondering what on earth will happen next. The ending made for quite an interesting surprise, but it couldn’t have gone any other way. Sweetness happily sits alongside the ranks of modern popstar horror such as Trap, Smile 2, and even Lurker, which has its Canadian premiere at Fantasia on August 1st.
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