Sweethearts was… tough to get through. The premise is perfect for a rom-com: two college friends, still dating their high school sweethearts, realize they’re unhappy and need to break up. It’s the kind of setup that should have been a home run.
So, what went wrong? Chemistry. Great rom-coms succeed because we fall in love with the characters as they fall for each other. Here, that magic is missing. Sure, Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) and Ben (Nico Hiraga) are sweet together, but something just doesn’t quite click.
Another issue is Palmer (Caleb Hearon), the gay best friend of both leads. On paper, he should have added levity and humor, but his character felt flat. By the end, I couldn’t help but wonder if the film would have been better without him.
One bright spot was Claire (Ava DeMary), whose over-the-top obsession with Ben was genuinely funny. Her constant calls and texts had me chuckling, and when she finally appeared on screen, she nailed the part without overpowering the story.
In short, Sweethearts is a swing and a miss. But the premise has potential. With a little more polish and stronger chemistry between the leads, this could be something great in the future.
Leave a Reply