Sweet Girl | Film Review

 

This film came out on Netflix a few weeks ago. It looked like a typical action/revenge thriller, which I don't usually love, but I'm a big fan of Jason Momoa, and am becoming a huge fan of Isabela Merced, so I thought I'd give it a try.

A man (Jason Momoa) tries to exact revenge on the people responsible for his wife's (Adria Arjona) death, while protecting his daughter (Isabela Merced) from those against them.

This is an alright movie. I liked it, but it wasn't anything special.

From the start of the movie (actually about 3 minutes in), I felt like I really knew who these characters were, and could empathise with what they were going through.

There was great chemistry between Jason Momoa and Isabela Merced. They worked really well together, and they were really believable as father and daughter. Their relationship elevated the film.

The concept of the film was interesting, and somewhat unique. Of course, the basic premise of a revenge thriller isn't anything new, but there are many aspects of the film that put a new spin on the usual genre. 

I started to tune out of the film when it stopped being a revenge thriller, and became a 'Jason Momoa beats people up' action movie. The outcome of pretty much every fight was really similar, and I was much more interested in what was going on between the fight scenes.

The dialogue in the film also isn't great. At times it is not believable, and at other times it is a bit cringe-worthy, which definitely took away from the depths that the film was supposed to have.

There is a twist in the film that not only elevates the film in its entirety, but it also makes a lot of the senseless action scenes make a bit more sense. It was revealed well and was very unexpected - even if it wouldn't make any practical sense in real life.

However, after the twist, the film kind of just goes back to what it was before, including being a bit boring. Which is a shame, because the twist could have made it go in a completely new direction, but the filmmakers decided to just let it go. 

The acting is great. We have seen Jason Momoa in these roles before, but Isabela Merced completely steals the show. She is a phenomenal actress and every time I see her, she gets better and better. I am loving the direction that her career is taking.

I liked the ending. It was somewhat predictable, but it was actually what I wanted to see.

Overall, this was a standard movie with a few good moments, and some really great acting.  Even though I didn't love the film, I liked it enough to recommend it.

6/10