Sweet Girl Parent Guide

Family means everything to Ray Cooper (Jason Momoa), so when his wife (Adria Arjona) is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, he all but moves into the hospital to ensure she receives top quality care. Her best chance is an expensive treatment manufactured by BioPrime, but the Coopers can’t afford it. A cheaper alternative is about to hit the market, and Ray is determined to get some as soon as possible – until BioPrime pays the manufacturer to hold the drug indefinitely. When his wife dies, Ray swears vengeance against BioPrime CEO Simon Keeley (Justin Bartha) and anyone else he considers to be responsible for the death of his wife. But Ray isn’t in this alone, and he’ll have to look after his daughter, Rachel (Isabela Merced), while plotting his revenge.

I understand that Jason Momoa is a man with no small amount of sex appeal – how else could Aquaman have made any money? If you’re here because you like watching Jason Momoa, then nothing I’m about to say will matter. Just go get your fill of man-bunned eye candy. Have fun.

For the rest of you who have questions about the quality of the movie and not the luxuriant locks of the leading man, I have bad news. Sweet Girl falls somewhere between a dumpster fire and a train wreck. The writing is, as per usual, out of a can. Writing an original story would be difficult and require effort, so instead the screenwriters have taken a dozen different clichés and created a thoroughly terrible mosaic. As this cinematic Frankenstein lurches through its bloated runtime, you may notice a few things. Like, for instance, the fact that the movie can’t decide if it wants to be an action revenge flick, a psychological thriller, or a serious critique of the American medical system.

Parents undeterred by the R rating may find this a poor choice for their offspring, primarily due to the graphic violence which occupies much of the film. There’s also a healthy helping of profanity, so unless you’re trying to teach your youngsters some fun new words, you’d probably be better served watching something else.

And frankly, even adults with a tolerance for violence will likely find themselves wishing they’d picked a more polished production. I spent most of the movie playing solitaire on my phone while keeping one eye on the screen, and it’s a bad sign when solitaire is more exciting than an action movie. While I’m all for some well-earned criticism of the medical-industrial complex and American healthcare, I also have a strong preference for films which manage to be coherent.