Sweetie

"There will not be a more extraordinary film than “Sweetie” in a long long time!"

1989 1h 40m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🔥

90%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

6.7

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 121🍅90%Rotten Tomatoes●81Metacritic★6.7IMDB · 5,506

DramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The buttoned-down, superstitious Kay is attempting to lead a normal existence with her new boyfriend Louis. That’s until Sweetie, her rampaging, devil-may-care sister, returns home after an absence, exposing the rotten roots of their family and placing a strain on Kay and Louis’ relationship.

“There will not be a more extraordinary film than “Sweetie” in a long long time!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Geneviève Lemon
Dawn 'Sweetie'
Karen Colston
Kay
Tom Lycos
Louis
Jon Darling
Gordon
Dorothy Barry
Flo
Andre Pataczek
Clayton
Michael Lake
Bob
Jean Hadgraft
Mrs. Schneller

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jane Campion
Writers: Jane Campion, Jane Campion, Gerard Lee
Languages: English
Countries: Australia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jane Campion, shot by Sally Bongers. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Martin Armiger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Veronika Jenet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Geneviève Lemon and Karen Colston and Tom Lycos carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "There will not be a more extraordinary film than “Sweetie” in a long long time!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0098725 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jane Campion directs. Sally Bongers behind the camera. Martin Armiger scores. Veronika Jenet cuts. Produced in Australia. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Jane Campion, shot by Sally Bongers. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Martin Armiger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Veronika Jenet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Geneviève Lemon and Karen Colston and Tom Lycos carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "There will not be a more extraordinary film than “Sweetie” in a long long time!".
7IMDB entry: tt0098725 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Sally Bongers
Original score: Martin Armiger
Editing: Veronika Jenet
Costume design: Amanda Lovejoy
Makeup / hair: Wendy Freeman
Runtime: 100 min · 1h 40m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Sweetie (1989)
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 81/100
IMDB rating: 6.7/10 · 5,506 votes
MPAA: R
US box office: $938,065

Awards

3 wins & 8 nominations

AACTA Award for Best Original Screenplay
Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Jane Campion

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CRCulver2018-09-01
★ 6/10
When it starts off with the eccentric and shy Kay (Karen Colston) falling in love with the handsome Louis (Tom Lycos), Jane Campion's 1988 film SWEETIE promises a romantic comedy. When Kay's mentally ill sister Dawn (Genevieve Lemon) drops in, the film develops in a very different direction. Some element of comedy, very black humour, remains but overall the film is a family tragedy. The tragedy is that this disturbed young woman nicknamed "Sweetie" is simultaneously a victim of her own illness and an unwilling aggressor against her family, who feign love and acceptance but clearly would like to do without her. The strongest aspect of the film is Lemon's performance, one of the best screen portrayals of mental illness since Bergman's IN A GLASS DARKLY. Something I appreciate more on repeat viewing is that the background to this family drama is left ambiguous. That said, I would not list "Sweetie" among my favourite films: it is overall well-made and memorable but not quite at the level of effusive praise.
missmiserys2020-03-02
★ 1/10
I dislike this film so much. Mental illness is portrayed absolutely horribly in it. None of the characters are likeable whatsoever. A waste of time that I would recommend to no one unless you want to be very annoyed.