Movie Review: ‘Sweet Water’ (2021)

 
 
From director Justin McMillan comes Sweet River, out in theaters and on VOD on April 23, 2021, from Gravitas Ventures.
 
The film centers on Hanna (Lisa Kay), a grieving mother whose son was killed by a serial killer, however, the boy’s body was never found, and she never found acceptance. At the beginning of the film, Hanna rents the cottage on the property where the serial killer lived in hopes that she might find her son’s body in the nearby field, not knowing that the land holds many dark secrets.
 
A bit of slow-burn, Sweet River is a thriller at heart, exploring death, grief, acceptance, regret, and how far a parent would go for their child. While there are paranormal aspects of the film, the death of the child takes more of the focus in the story.
 
Lisa Kay did great with the role she was given, which was an emotional one. She was believable, which is always great. Eddie Baroo, Chris Haywood, Martin Sacks, and Charlotte Stent also did nicely in their supporting roles.
 
Written by Eddie Baroo and Marc Furmie, Sweet River has an interesting concept and plenty of drama, but the ending left me unsatisfied and I found myself saying, ‘Is that it?’ out loud. While Hanna’s grief and desperation drive her, I find her actions in the final scenes incredibly selfish, which ruined the movie a little for me. When the event the entire movie has built up to finally happens, it lasts only a moment and feels a bit shallow. I expected more of an impact.
 
I will say this, the effects looked great. They’re the right balance of creepy and disturbing but still stays somewhat realistic in the grounded parts of the story, which I appreciate.
 
In conclusion, Sweet River has an interesting story, but it has its flaws. However, it’s still worth a watch and you can watch it for yourself come April 23, 2021.