Sweetheart -

Fans of Eighth Grade , The Edge of Seventeen , and anyone who believes awkward silences are more romantic than grand gestures.

A box of tissues and a willingness to remember how much it hurt to grow up. Sweetheart

Do not let the saccharine title fool you. This is not a glossy rom-com. It is a raw, often painfully awkward character study that dares to make its protagonist genuinely unlikable—and all the more real for it. At the center of the film is AJ (a blistering performance by Nell Barlow ). Clad in oversized hoodies, scowling at her phone, and armed with a tongue as sharp as broken glass, AJ is the family member everyone dreads bringing on holiday. She is sulky, sarcastic, and seemingly determined to ruin every moment for her overbearing mother (Jo Hartley) and her pregnant sister. Fans of Eighth Grade , The Edge of

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Most coming-of-age films soften their leads with a hidden sweetness. Sweetheart refuses that shortcut. AJ is genuinely prickly, and the film’s first act is a masterclass in second-hand embarrassment. You cringe as she mocks a lifeguard, snaps at her little brother, and generally radiates teenage misery. But Morrison’s script is clever: it slowly reveals that AJ’s cruelty is a suit of armor against a world she feels is rejecting her before she’s even entered it. The setting is brilliant. The British seaside in autumn is grey, windy, and slightly depressing. The caravan is claustrophobic—thin walls, plastic cups, and forced family board games. Morrison uses the cramped quarters to amplify every argument, every sigh, every unspoken resentment. You feel trapped alongside AJ, which makes her eventual escape into the nearby town feel like a gasp of fresh air. This is not a glossy rom-com