Parasocial relationships tend to give me the creeps. That feeling stems from how they can morph into something macabre and unhealthy — particularly given our proximity to art and the personalization we put upon it. If you pick a random song, chances are, it will have a different meaning to 20 different people. However, specificity in life may cause stardom and lyricism to form a bond the other person isn’t aware of. ‘Sweetness’ is another entry into the fandom gone wrong pantheon of stories. You can even consider it a new age twist on ‘Misery.’ What stands out in Emma Higgins’s directorial debut is how real the main characters feel as two flawed people on a collision course. The glossy sheen of superstardom and admiration slowly devolves into something sinister.
Rylee Hill (Kate Hallett) has her share of problems as a 16-year-old high school student. She’s constantly bullied by most of the popular kids. Her mom died a few years back due to a drunk driver. Her father, Ron (Justin Chatwin), is consumed by police work and is relatively absent. The new girlfriend (played by Amanda Brugel) is trying to connect with Rylee to no avail. It’s typical teenage angst to the tenth power. But not all is lost; Rylee does have one friend named Sidney (Aya Furukawa), whom she can somewhat confide in within the small suburban town. Otherwise, her time is devoted to the mantle of a band named Floorplan (think The 1975) and, most importantly, lead singer Payton (Herman Tømmeraas). He’s your quintessential attractive and charismatic frontman battling his own set of demons.
Sweetness / Photo Credit: SXSW
Our heroes’ not being a personification of perfection might strengthen our devotion to them. You’re famous, but struggle with the same issues of self-doubt and loathing that a regular person has? Not only does Rylee love the music (crafted for the film’s plot specifically by Blitz//Berlin), but it’s also because Payton doesn’t feel as far as one would think. Chalk it up to delusion. One night after a Floorplan concert, Rylee spots her chance to finally meet Peyton through the happenstance of distracted driving and someone “accidentally” being in the way. No harm, no foul. Rylee’s dream has come true, and Peyton even offers to drive her home. But there happens to be a pit stop on the way, and Peyton’s unfortunate drug usage (which he supposedly has given up) rears its ugly head. It gets to the point where he becomes so sick, that Riley has to take over driving duties.
There’s a version of ‘Sweetness’ where the “there’s a pop star in my house” is played for laughs and comes together in a relatively lighthearted arc. Maybe at first, but we’re dealing with a teenager who does not have the most excellent emotional foundations. Payton wakes up handcuffed to Rylee’s bed and it’s there that Higgins switches the dynamic where Rylee thrusts herself into an imaginary savior role. If anything, Payton should immediately go to the nearest rehab facility if he chooses to do so. But the film gives Riley the runway to venture down a dark sense of what she feels is an altruistic deed. Hallett plays an entertaining dualistic role within Riley. There’s the naivety of a young adolescent who stumbles upon her biggest dreams and makes things up as she goes along. In that undercurrent is the scary feeling of someone acting upon desperation and disordered morality. Tømmeraas acts as a good new-age Paul Sheldon avatar trying to escape.
‘Sweetness’ includes a side story with Peyton’s manager, John (Steven Ogg), who is trying to track his whereabouts. It also hits upon some past themes we have seen in narratives like this — such as the price of fame and instances where fandom can go too far. Riley’s character could easily be one of the many blue-check X accounts with a Payton avatar arguing with any naysayers in a reply section. It just so happens that the object of her unchecked devotion just so happened to be fighting an ailment to which she has a personal attachment. Are we merely looking for a savior because we want to become one ourselves? This question is why films like ‘Sweetness’ are compelling, even as more projects of this ilk search for the answer.
Sweetness premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
