The Sweet East

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The Sweet East

Released Dec 1, 2023

1h 44m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

82%

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71 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

The Sweet East is a picaresque journey through the cities and woods of the Eastern seaboard of the United States undertaken by Lillian, a high school senior from South Carolina who 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 fairy tale travelogue into America, where she is granted access to a variety of the strange factions that proliferate the present-day unreality of contemporary life.

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Critics Consensus

A consistently amusing satire of modern American life, The Sweet East is so engaging from moment to moment that it's easy to forgive its somewhat hazy thesis.

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Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

It may not always hang together into a perfectly cogent social or political message, but it does feel like a fascinating series of vignettes about just how far we’ve all fallen.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 17, 2024

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Catherine Wheatley

Sight & Sound

The Sweet East reveals itself as an undeniably exhilarating ride, surreal and satirical, and not quite of this world.

Apr 2, 2024

Full Review

Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Saltburn’s Jacob Elordi and The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri are the big draws in this ramshackle American satire that’s equal parts punk swagger and lazy repetition.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 1, 2024

Full Review

Cameron Ritter

Geek Vibes Nation

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.

Rated: 7.5/10

Jul 19, 2025

Full Review

Anna Hoang

Boston Hassle

Don’t feel pressured to keep at the same pace as the film on your first watch. THE SWEET EAST can be like a cold shower — something that invokes initial resistance, until you find that this is more soothing for your well-being.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 14, 2025

Full Review

William Stottor

Flickering Myth

There are a few stumbles along the way—mainly in The Sweet East’s messy and unsubtle navigation of modern America—but it is impossible not to be seduced by the film’s blend of gritty realism and trippy surrealism.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 3, 2024

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Ghederick Eshmont

The film is very fun & compelling in the first 45mins…but the final hour is a bit of a slog.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/24

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Josef G

One of the most pretentious and boring movies I have ever seen, I could not wait for it to end. Felt like an obnoxious film bro was trying to ape a bad A24 movie; it’s the worst kind of “indie” or “art house” experience you can have. Awful, smug and an absolute chore to sit through

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/15/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, a história é fraca, os personagens sao fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes para fazer o filme ser bom.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/29/25

Full Review

Valentina V

Just loved Lillian and her ability to navigate every situation unscathed, especially when men of all kinds try to ‘trap’ her in some way. Absolutely a cult.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

Full Review

Henry S

i expected more but got less

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/27/24

Full Review

Bruce W

Talia Ryder is incredible. I’m usually not a huge fan of weird indies, but this is an exception

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/30/24

Full Review

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Sean Price Williams

Director

Talia Ryder

Lillian

Earl Cave

Caleb

Simon Rex

Lawrence

Jacob Elordi

Ian

Jeremy O. Harris

Matthew

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The Sweet East: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The Sweet East is a picaresque journey through the cities and woods of the Eastern seaboard of the United States undertaken by Lillian, a high school senior from South Carolina who 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 fairy tale travelogue into America, where she is granted access to a variety of the strange factions that proliferate the present-day unreality of contemporary life.

Director: Sean Price Williams
Producer: Craig Butta, Alex Coco, Alex Ross Perry
Screenwriter: Nick Pinkerton
Distributor: Utopia
Production Co: Base 12 Productions, Marathon Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 1, 2023, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $331.9K
Runtime: 1h 44m

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