Sweetheartsis an anti-rom-com that follows two best friends who decide their high school relationships are holding them back as college students. Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) is lethargic and emotionally closed off from befriending others while maintaining a lackluster long-distance relationship with her jock boyfriend. Meanwhile, Ben (Nico Hiraga) is smothered by his vain and obsessive girlfriend, preventing him from committing to his studies. They realize they’re in a slump and, no longer emotionally invested in their partners, they make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts before Thanksgiving.
Sweethearts
Cast
Sweethearts is a comedy directed by Jordan Weiss, centering on two college freshmen who face the challenge of ending their high school relationships during a chaotic Thanksgiving Eve. The film explores themes of friendship and growing up as the characters navigate the pressure of breakups and newfound independence.
Sweetheart’s Fun Concept Is Undermined By Slow Pacing & Minimal Energy
Sweetheartsis not a home run, but Jordan Weiss' feature debut has kernels of fun. The film reminded me ofBooksmartwith its best friends locked in a tight friendship that shuns everyone else. They realize they aren’t particularly cool and haven’t done anything fun, and decide to try at least the typical young adult experience of attending a rager. One of the best friends holds onto the secret of going abroad soon, leaving the other potentially friendless as they continue their college studies stateside. The comparisons stop there, but Weiss could have learned a thing or two fromBooksmart.
One ofSweethearts' biggest obstacles is overcoming the dull pacing and inadequate use of its supporting cast. The film is funny and has some genuinely good lines, but when we factor in the supporting characters, the film falls apart a bit. Furthermore, it has this unwavering slowness despite the seemingly hectic situation Jamie and Ben find themselves in.Sweetheartswould benefit greatly from chaotic, kinetic energy to give a sense of urgency to the leads' self-made crisis. The raunchy atmosphere of the college setting is presented so matter-of-factly that the film’s comedy is wholly drained from those rare moments.
The film is funny and has some genuinely good lines, but when we factor in the supporting characters, the film falls apart a bit.
It’s made even worse by the side characters not being nearly as interesting as the script expects them to be. Think back toBooksmartand the characters surrounding the lead duo. You wouldn’t say that any of them took over the film for long, but their brief presence was memorable due to identifiable idiosyncrasies in their mannerisms, dialogue and actions. The writing and casting carved space for each supporting character to show off their quirks without distracting from the main pair’s dynamic.Sweetheartsis missing that key element in the writing and casting, though the writing is the main offense.
Shipka & Hiraga Shine As Platonic Besties
Though They Don’t Have A Strong Supporting Ensemble
Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga are charismatic and carry the film easily as subversive young adult leads, which is the film’s main high point. It is gratifying to watch a film pull a very subtle subversion of gender norms with these characters. It’s not too showy and that’s a credit to Weiss' clever and grounded writing.
The script shines the most when it is primarily focused on the dialogue and scenes that center the duo, though Palmer (Caleb Hearon), the third wheel in this friendship, has his fair share of memorable lines. However, the outside factors are not seamlessly blended and Palmer is stuck in a plotline that completely leaves him stranded on an island as Jamie and Ben sail past.
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Sweetheartsdabbles in the wholebest friends-to-lovers tropeas well, but it doesn’t commit in the way we would assume. By observing this friendship from the beginning, the signs aren’t there, but the film falls into the trap nonetheless without making it feel earned. Hiraga and Shipka have great chemistry, but their chemistry doesn’t screamWhen Harry Met Sally, and probably shouldn’t have been entertained. It ruins the momentum, which the film already struggles with.
The pacing doesn’t allow for much deviation from the main plot and the break-up with the high school sweethearts plot, which is tampered with by the secondary plot with Palmer, is extremely undercooked and disjointed from the main story. The best friends-to-lovers idea is a C-plot at best, but C is for “can-do-without”.
One of the biggest obstacles forSweetheartsis overcoming the dull pacing and inadequate use of its supporting cast.
Sweetheartshas all the pieces to make it a memorable college anti-rom-com, featuring platonic best friends that are actually engaging to watch. The writing is often entertaining, funny, and considerate of how modern-day college students speak. The disjointed plot lines don’t entirely derail the film, but the unevenness does sour the fun. Despite subverting expectations and being edgy in its approach, the lack of energy and fearlessness keeps this story from reaching its full potential. Weiss’s directorial debut is not a dud, but charm can only get you so far.
Sweetheartsis available to stream on Max on Thursday, November 28. The film is rated R for sexual content, language throughout, teen partying and brief graphic nudity.
