Sweetheart (3/5) – Netflix Review

SWEETHEART is a new horror sci-fi thriller movie on Netflix. It’s a Blumhouse production with a cool female protagonist. Basically, this is a cool little movie with a tight and entertaining story. Read more in our full Sweetheart review here!

Sweetheart is a new genre movie on Netflix. This Blumhouse production covers every single one of our genres here at Heaven of Horror. This is a very entertaining horror sci-fi thriller movie on Netflix, so if you’re looking for that little movie that will deliver entertainment, then check this out.

Also, the lead protagonist is a young black woman, which is all kinds of awesome. As someone who loves watching the docu-reality series Naked and Afraid on the Discovery Channel, I really enjoyed this.

Continue reading our full Sweetheart review below or check out the trailer on Netflix now.

Kiersey Clemons is a strong lead

The absolute star of this horror sci-fi movie on Netflix is Kiersey Clemons. And yes, she is a damn strong lead in Sweetheart. Of course, she also has the title role, which becomes obvious in the last part of the movie.

For the record, I absolutely adored Kiersey Clemons’ reaction face when she first sees the monster. In fact, it’s instantly become one of my favorite reaction faces ever. Overall, I really enjoyed watching the character Jenn as portrayed by Kiersey Clemons. We see a person just trying to survive on a small deserted island and she manages pretty damn well.

If you’re not familiar with Kiersey Clemons, I can tell you that she previously co-starred in the horror movie remake Flatliners (2017). And no, that was not a particularly good movie, but this had nothing to do with the cast. Also, she was in several episodes of the Netflix series Easy and the sci-fi series Extant with Halle Berry.

Also, next year, we can look forward to seeing her in the horror thriller Antebellum (2020). Now, this is a movie we’re already pretty excited about! You can read more about the movie Antebellum here >

The Shape of Water as a dark horror movie

It’s almost impossible not to think of Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water during Sweetheart. Not that the two stories are similar at all. However, the creature from del Toro’s movie and the monster from Sweetheart seem like they could be related.

For this reason alone, it seems like the Sweetheart story could be viewed as a dark version of The Shape of Water. 

Of course, this movie doesn’t just star Kiersey Clemons and a monster – even though she is on her own for most of the movie. We do also get a few scenes with four other actors.

Most important for the story is the character of Lucas who is portrayed by Emory Cohen. You may have seen Emory Cohen in Lords of Chaos or The Wolf Hour. Also, he’s been in several series such as The OA and Smash. You can read our review of Lords of Chaos, which Emory Cohen starred in, here >

Watch Sweetheart on Netflix now!

The horror sci-fi movie was directed by J.D. Dillard who also co-wrote the screenplay. J.D. Dillard previously directed the feature film Sleight in 2016. Also, he directed two episodes of the horror anthology Two Sentence Horror Stories which was a pretty entertaining watch overall. It’s also on Netflix!

You might like: Our review of the horror anthology series Two Sentence Horror Stories here >

It’s no secret that we really enjoy when we get to see female protagonists in genre movies. When that woman is a black woman, it’s even better. I want that diversity and it makes perfect sense in a movie like this. Why shouldn’t the lead protagonist be a young black woman? Especially when she is as badass as Kiersey Clemons is in Sweetheart.

I enjoyed this little movie as solid entertainment with some awesome moments. Will I watch it again? No. Did I enjoy watching it this first time around? Absolutely! In other words, give this movie a shot on Netflix. Its runtime is just 1 hour and 22 minutes, so it’s a short and tight story.

Sweetheart is out on Netflix in the US and the UK from December 25, 2019.

Details

Director: J.D. Dillard
Writers: J.D. Dillard, Alex Hyner, Alex Theurer
Stars: Kiersey Clemons, Emory Cohen, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Andrew Crawford, Benedict Samuel

Plot

Jenn has washed ashore a small tropical island and it doesn’t take her long to realize she’s completely alone. She must spend her days not only surviving the elements, but must also fend off the malevolent force that comes out each night.