SWEETNESS
Starring: Kate Hallett, Herman Tømmeraas, Aya Furukawa, Justin Chatwin, Amanda Brugel, and Steven Ogg
Director: Emma Higgins
This film has been reviewed by Nick, Quentin, and Bode as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival.
NICK
For a film completely off my radar, Sweetness is easily one the biggest surprises of Fantasia this year. This is a great exploration of the way people connect to artists through trauma and how that connection can turn into obsession. Kate Hallett is great as the often delusional but always tragic Rylee; however, it's the avalanche of the story that really locked me into this one. As things would spiral out of control, I would become further immersed. Other than a slight disconnect regarding the ending which affected my rating, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
BODE
2025 has seen some films try to stake their claim as Misery for a new generation, with Hurry Up Tomorrow recently putting a pop star spin on that formula (particularly in its third act). But while that Weeknd vehicle failed in achieving that goal, Sweetness comes along and manages to do the opposite. Writer-director Emma Higgins gives this tale of obsession a truly sour spin, ratcheting up the intensity and uneasiness at nearly every turn. It’s only made more effective by Kate Hallett’s remarkably grounded performance, bringing layers to an ultimately tragic protagonist. Definitely a highlight at Fantasia.
QUENTIN
Sweetness is essentially a modern update to Stephen King’s Misery, specifically speaking on the current era of squads like Swifties and The BeyHive, where pop stars have reached near God-like status complete with faithful and extremely protective cultish followings. As such, Sweetness naturally has moments of young adult, Gen Z cringe; however, they are offset by a willingness to go much darker than one might initially expect. For the most part, the movie — built on a tight-rope performance from young Kate Hallett — works, aside from the ending, which delivers a message that I don’t ultimately love.