Nearly everyone who grew up in a small town imagined what it would be like to run off to the big city, or just leave their mediocre life for a different experience. Many never realize these dreams or only make it to the end of the neighborhood with a poorly packed suitcase before returning home. Sean Price Williams’ directorial debut, The Sweet East, offers a story that portrays these grand adventures we think are the promise of following through on our escapism. The film tracks Lillian (Talia Ryder), a rural South Carolina high schooler, as she gets separated from her classmates on a school field trip to Washington, D.C., and winds up traveling with a host of strangers across various parts of the East Coast.
Williams’ film boasts a wonderful cast, rooted in a breakout performance from Talia Ryder. She’s in nearly every shot of the movie and brings a grounding presence as she encounters some of the more eccentric people modern America has to offer. The rest of the cast has pretty limited screen time, but each takes advantage of their moment to shine. The Sweet East includes performances from recent rising stars like Simon Rex (Red Rocket), Ayo Edebiri (Bottoms), and Jacob Elordi (Saltburn) sprinkled in with strong showings from lesser-known actors like Earl Cave and Jeremy O. Harris, and each of them continues to elevate the absurdity brought about by the last. Ryder plays against these oddballs with extremely quick wits that help weasel her way into the next chapter of her months-long journey.
Another bright spot of the movie is the cinematography, helmed by Sean Price Williams himself. The cinematographer of over 100 films, Williams is more than capable of taking this on without the need to delegate. It’s clear throughout the film that he knows the exact shots that he wants. The style of The Sweet East is remarkably similar to that of another film shot by Williams, the Safdie Brothers’ Good Time (2017). Much of the film is shot with a handheld camera, featuring quick pans and zooms that almost feel like a home video. Indeed, the opening moments of the movie are broken up with student-made clips documenting the D.C. field trip. While this style is utilized to perpetuate the manic, paranoid state of Connie in Good Time, it’s used here to capture the realistic slowness of everyday life. Lillian is moving between different cities and people rather frequently, but each stint is filled with mundane, intimate moments. Whether it’s reading and watching TV on the couch with Rex’s Lawrence, or stopping to watch someone set up a tent on a film set, these moments are captured in a way that makes them feel unbelievably real and lived in.
Something The Sweet East illustrates well is life in the American South, particularly in rural parts of the Southeast. The majority of the story takes place outside of these regions, but the brief glimpse we see of it is illuminating. People get stuck in their hometowns due to a lack of resources, lack of upward mobility, and lack of motivation to get out in the first place. Of course, not everyone wants to skip town. These communities are tight-knit, and there’s something magical about living in a town where you and your family are known by everyone around you. For those that dream of far-off lands and cities, however, it can feel like a nightmare.
It’s easy to see how someone like Lillian would get enamored with the first sight of an urban hub like D.C., so much so that even when she finds herself far from any major cities she still would rather be anywhere but home. The pieces we see of her life in a little South Carolina community don’t exactly bring up feelings of hope and inspiration. Yet Lillian got to experience what life outside of all she knows can be like. For the viewers who never got that experience, they can live vicariously through her character and feel even some small inkling of catharsis watching her adventures throughout the Eastern Seaboard while being reminded that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
The Sweet East is a powerful debut from Sean Price Williams that depicts both the wonder of adolescence and exploration as well as the absurdity of people and situations we might find ourselves in if we stray too far from home. Both Williams and Talia Ryder announce themselves as emerging stars in their respective fields. The film takes a story that should feel crazed with change in location and a revolving door of companions and approaches it with a staggeringly meditative pace that is truly a delight to see unfold.
The Sweet East is currently playing in select theaters courtesy of Utopia as it continues to expand nationally.
The Sweet East is a powerful debut from Sean Price Williams that depicts both the wonder of adolescence and exploration as well as the absurdity of people and situations we might find ourselves in if we stray too far from home.
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GVN Rating 7.5
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Proud owner of two movie passes. Met Harrison Ford at a local diner once. Based in Raleigh, NC.