A young woman is shipwrecked on a desert island
that's home to a monstrous creature that hunts at night. HORROR
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Sweetheart (2019)Directed by J.D. Dillard
Written by J.D. Dillard, Alex Hyner, Alex Theurer Starring Kiersey Clemons, Emory Cohen, Hanna Mangen Lawrence, Andrew Crawford, Benedict Samuel |
There is so much substance in the brief hour and 22 minutes that is Sweetheart. It's a monster movie, it's a gaslight movie, it's an abusive relationship movie, it hints at addiction and destructive behavior, and top of everything, it's a survival movie. I read that the script came in at around 68 pages, due to no need for dialogue until well into the movie. It's almost entirely show, not tell. It's also insanely creepy and really smart. This is a gem hiding on Netflix for anyone to stumble across.
After a storm capsizes their boat, a group of friends are lost at sea. Jenn (Clemons) appears to be the sole survivor as she washes up on a desert island. She takes it pretty well, until she realizes she isn't alone. There's a monster that emerges from the water at night, and the film never really tells you what it is. All we know is that it's a humanoid that lives in a deep, dark, underwater hole. Usually, I like some answers, but the way this film plays out is just too good. Once Jenna's boyfriend (Cohen) washes up, you realize that Jenna is also trapped in an abusive relationship. The whole film becomes a cathartic escape for her. It's a very smart script. Sweetheart is one of the creepiest creature features I've seen in a long time. The mystery of the monster, the strength of the heroine, and the isolation of the island all work in tandem to deliver a great watch that I know will only get better. |