With the way everything’s been over the last 18 months, chances are you might recently have found yourself venturing on an awkward British holiday instead of jetting abroad. And there’s no more awkward time for an awkward British holiday when you’re an awkward teenager – as depicted in Sweetheart, the debut feature from writer-director Marley Morrison. Not to be confused with the Blumhouse creature-feature of the same name, Sweetheart centres on Nell Barlow’s AJ – a teenager in the midst of finding herself, going for one last family holiday in Dorset. But while she’s not looking forward to her week away, that all changes when she connects with Ella-Rae Smith’s lifeguard Isla. Watch the trailer exclusively here:
Sweetheart has already been a festival hit, earning great reviews out of Glasgow, Toronto and BFI Flare – and among its cast you’ll find Sylvie herself, Loki’s Sophia Di Martino as AJ’s older sister Lucy. Check out the poster:
And here’s the official synopsis: “No 17-year-old dreams of spending a week with their family in a British Seaside Holiday Park. For socially conscious AJ (Nell Barlow) planning a gap year trip to knit jumpers for elephants is much more appealing. Yet, she finds herself on a four-hour car journey to the Dorset coast with her mum Tina (Jo Hartley, This Is England) and little sister Dayna. Her mum determined to spend quality time with her little sweetheart before she flies the nest. Joined by pregnant sister Lucy (Sophia Di Martino, Loki) & her boyfriend Steve (Samuel Anderson, The History Boys, Doctor Who), AJ expects this to be ‘a week of hell’. That is, until she lays her eyes on the resident lifeguard Isla (Ella-Rae Smith) who might just be the girl of her dreams.”
Sweetheart comes to UK cinemas from 24 September.