A perhaps necessary reminder in the wake of “The Shape of Water” that sea creatures, as a rule, should probably not be looked at as romantic partners, “Sweetheart” complicates — and elevates — a survival story by pitting a desperate young woman against a primordial beast determined to make her its dinner.
Director and co-writer J.D. Dillard (“Sleight”) delivers a smart, streamlined thriller that skillfully integrates a careful whisper of social commentary into a story that also unfolds masterfully as a straightforward genre workout.
Kiersey Clemons (“Hearts Beat Loud”) plays Jenn, a young coed who washes up on the beach of a tiny, idyllic island alongside another ailing passenger from the boat she, her boyfriend Lucas (Emory Cohen), and a group of college kids took out for vacation.