THE SWEET EAST is a picaresque journey through the cities and woods of the Eastern seaboard of the United States. Lillian, a high school senior from South Carolina, gets her first glimpse of the wider world on a class trip to Washington, D.C. Separated from her schoolmates, she embarks on a fractured road trip in search of America. Along the way, she falls in with a variety of strange factions, each living out their own alternative realities in our present day.

For in-depth thoughts on The Sweet East, please see my colleague Cameron Ritter’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

The Sweet East makes its Blu-Ray debut with a beautiful 1080p video presentation in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio that captures the dreamy 16mm cinematography perfectly. The natural color palette saturates the screen with deep colors found in the locales experienced by Lillian. Black levels avoid most signs of banding as they primarily maintain their depth. The flesh tones are natural with impeccable detail present in close-ups. The image is textured with prominent grain but largely free of print. The production design and scenic shooting locations provide welcome textural details. The presentation shows off a tremendous amount of depth when out in nature. This Blu-Ray is a grand representation of this movie on physical media.

Audio Quality

Utopia gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that nails all of the distinct flourishes of this soundscape. The film is not action-driven in a traditional sense, but the character comes across unpredictable scenes with elements like gunshots and EDM music adding some nice texture to the proceedings. Dialogue emanates clearly without being overshadowed by any competing elements.

The soundscape is first-rate as it captures the boundless nature of the story. Environmental sounds of nature engage the surround speakers in vital ways. When the characters are moving through the woods, some distinct ambient details flesh out the setting such as insect noises. The soundtrack is an important part of this journey, and it is always capably balanced while maintaining its fidelity. The track provides a rich experience full of nuances that bring this journey to life exactly how it deserves. You could not ask for better from this track. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Sean Price Williams, screenwriter Nick Pinkerton, and editor Stephen Gurewitz provide an informative commentary track in which they discuss the creation of the film, shooting on location, securing and losing different cast members, the creation of original songs, inspirations taken from real life, friends they have lost since the end of production, and more.

Shooting Diary: A 70-minute shooting diary is provided that gives you a fly-on-the-wall look at the production of the film from beginning to end.

New York Film Festival Q&A: A 23-minute Q&A with Sean Price William, Nick Pinkerton, Simon Rex, Jeremy O. Harris, Rish Shah, Earl Cave, and Talia Ryder in which they discuss the development of the script, finding the right performers for the roles, the themes of the feature, the experience of making the film, and more.

Cannes Premiere Photos (1:23)

New York Premiere Photos (3:48)

Theatrical Trailer: The nearly two-minute trailer is provided.

Booklet: A 24-page booklet is provided featuring the essays “Roads To and From The Sweet East” and “An Aside, from The Sweet East’s Wrap Day” which provide a great exploration of the feature.

Final Thoughts

The Sweet East is a journey you quickly learn plans to keep you on your toes as you experience the weird and morally bankrupt corners of society. Talia Ryder is perfect as an audience avatar adapting to each new scenario like a chameleon. The ensemble is replete with talented individuals like Simon Rex and Ayo Edibiri who steal the show. The film feels like a twisted take on Alice in Wonderland that tumbles from one outrageous situation to the next. Bold swings like this are why we love independent filmmaking. Utopia has released a Blu-Ray featuring an excellent A/V presentation and a fine assortment of special features. Recommended

The Sweet East is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Utopia and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.