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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
As we start to end the year, it’s only fitting we begin to reflect on the year and what changes we can make… and Sweethearts is all about making big changes. The film follows best friends Ben (Nico Hiraga) and Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) who have just started college. They decide to end their relationships with their respective high school sweethearts, Claire (Ava DeMary) and Simon (Charlie Hall), feeling that those relationships are holding them back. The plan is simple: go home for Thanksgiving break and break up with them before the holiday ends. Simple, right? Well, unsurprisingly things very quickly go wrong. Jordan Weiss, the creator of Dollface, directs Sweethearts in her directorial debut; and co-wrote the script with Dan Brier.
Low Energy
Sweethearts moves along pretty slowly. Despite what should be a hectic and brisk situation, the movie takes its time to get there, which is appreciated to a degree. It’s nice to spend time with these characters. Yet, the sense of urgency constantly communicated by the characters is never felt while watching. A few factors contribute to this—mainly, Weiss’s direction and Kayle Emter’s editing. Everything is visually flat and there is nothing kinetic or energetic in the framing or the editing. It’s all very still, and not to be overly mean…but it looks like a car commercial for a lot of the time. There are fun sequences, but many times they feel like lesser versions of better movies. Or one can imagine how to improve these sequences with some more kinetic directing or framing.
Weiss and Brier’s screenplay suffers similar issues. It’s funny, but never laugh-out-loud funny. It’s more of the sensible chuckle variety. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and of course, comedy is subjective, so your mileage may vary. The film also plays quite a bit with rom-com tropes and setups. Instead of high school or the workforce, the narrative is set in college. This is fairly unusual for films and television in general. (Another huge subversion that occurs, but that would be delving into spoilers.)
Thankfully, the cast makes up for a lot of Sweethearts‘s weaknesses.
A Charming Cast Led By Kiernan Shipka & Nico Hiraga
Thanks to casting director Maribeth Fox (Bottoms, Smile 2), the cast is easily the best part of Sweethearts. Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga as Jamie and Ben, respectively, are a lot of fun to watch together. They make for very believable best friends and it feels like they have been friends for years. However, they are less believable as potential romantic partners as the movie desperately wants you to believe. With that said, it works well enough that the movie still functions and makes for a fun watch.
Individually, they are good characters and feel relatively real. Jamie’s arc of learning to be less closed off and willing to see the good in other people is a nice one. Her side of the story feels well-developed and fits well into the overall narrative. Ben’s journey of trying to stand up for himself is more of an afterthought. It’s brought up several times but the change that should happen never really occurs. He grows in other ways that are satisfying, but that core arc remains incomplete. Of the two, Shipka is the stronger actor and character.
Supporting Figures
Additionally, the cast features Caleb Hearon (I Used to Be Funny) as Palmer, the protagonists’ gay best friend who returns home to have a coming-out celebration. Palmer gets a pretty meaty subplot with Coach Reese (Tramell Tillmann). This subplot can often be more interesting and fun to watch than the A plot, even if it can be a tad preachy and on the nose at times.
Rounding out the cast is Ave DeMary as Claire, Ben’s high school sweetheart; and Charlie Hall as Simon, Jamie’s boyfriend. Of the two here, DeMary is the standout actor, bringing some much-needed energy to the film when she is on screen. Hall is fine, but his character is rather unremarkable. However, he has a decent himbo energy. And a shoutout to Christine Taylor (Hey Dude, The Wedding Singer, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story) as Diane, Ben’s mom, who is only in the film briefly but her scenes are hilarious and, again, another welcomed burst of energy.
The Verdict on Sweethearts
Sweethearts lacks the energy to make it compelling, and while it subverts tropes, it’s not fully earned. The film is never laugh-out funny but there are plenty of entertaining gags and jokes. It’s a good attempt but one that doesn’t fully realize the potential of its premise. Overall, the movie is charming enough thanks to its cast that it makes for a fun watch this Thanksgiving season.
Score: 2.5/5
Sweethearts streams via Max starting November 28th!
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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.