Sweetness (film)
| Sweetness | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Emma Higgins |
| Written by | Emma Higgins |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Mat Barkley |
| Edited by | Kat Webber |
| Music by | Blitz//Berlin |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Elevation Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes[1] |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Sweetness is a 2025 Canadian thriller film written and directed by Emma Higgins.[2] The film stars Kate Hallett as Rylee Hill, a teenager who meets rock star Payton Adler (Herman Tømmeraas), and becomes obsessed with saving him from his demons when she realizes that he's a dysfunctional drug addict rather than a role model.[3]
The cast also includes Justin Chatwin, Steven Ogg, Amanda Brugel, Erika Swayze, Aya Furukawa, Julius Cho, Kelly Reich, Kelsey Ruhl, Maureen Cassidy, Jude Zappala, Andrea Senior, Carter Belanger, Matt Lishman, Joan Bartley and Josh Reich in sipporting roles.
It premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival on March 7.[1] Saban Films acquired United States rights to the film with plans to release February 13, 2026. [4]
Production
In March 2024, it was announced that Canadian–American production company Fela stepped in to finance the project written and directed by Emma Higgins in her feature directorial debut.[3] The film also received an additional $500,000 funding from the Ontario government through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.[5]
The film was shot on location in North Bay, Ontario, from April 15 to May 8, 2024.[6][2]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 35 critics' reviews are positive.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Sweetness". 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
- ^ a b Jamie Casemore, "Emma Higgins’ Sweetness to debut at SXSW". Playback, February 7, 2025.
- ^ a b Etan Vlessing, "‘Women Talking’ Star Kate Hallett, Herman Tommeraas Join ‘Sweetness’ Teen Thriller". The Hollywood Reporter, March 21, 2024.
- ^ Saban Films (2026-01-13). Sweetness Official Trailer (2026). Retrieved 2026-01-18 – via YouTube.
- ^ "$3.5 million to build a stronger film and television industry from province". North Bay Nugget. May 31, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
- ^ Taimur Sikander Mirza (March 22, 2024). "Emma Higgins preps debut feature Sweetness in North Bay". Playback. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
- ^ "Sweetness". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 6, 2026.