Kiernan Shipka & Nico Hiraga Carry A Subversive Rom-Com With Fun Writing But Low Energy

Sweethearts
is 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.

Sweetheart’s Fun Concept Is Undermined By Slow Pacing & Minimal Energy

Sweethearts is not a home run, but Jordan Weiss’ feature debut has kernels of fun. The film reminded me of Booksmart with 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 from Booksmart.

One of Sweethearts‘ 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. Sweethearts would 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.

It’s made even worse by the side characters not being nearly as interesting as the script expects them to be. Think back to Booksmart and 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. Sweethearts is 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.

Sweethearts dabbles in the whole best friends-to-lovers trope as 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 scream When 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”.

Sweethearts has 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.

Sweethearts is 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.

Director

Jordan Weiss

Release Date

November 28, 2024

Writers

Jordan Weiss
, Dan Brier

Cast

Kiernan Shipka
, Nico Hiraga
, Caleb Hearon
, Tramell Tillman
, Christine Taylor
, Zach Zucker
, Subho Basu
, Aja Hinds
, Charlie Hall
, Jake Bongiovi
, Sophie Zucker

Pros

• The script shines when it’s focused on dialogue and the main duo
• The film subverts expectations of the characters

Cons

• The pacing is slow and the C-plot is disjointed
• The best friends-to-lovers trope isn’t committed to