A humorous and mesmerizing film full of sharp satire and cinephilic references.
High school student Lillian, played by Talia Ryder (Never Rarely Sometimes Always), is an angelic but passive schoolgirl who is bored during her school trip to Washington D.C. When she becomes separated from her group, she explores on her own and begins a road trip through the cities and forests of the east coast of the United States. Separated from her classmates, she tumbles like an "Alice in Wonderland" into an absurdist lair, where she meets people from different subcultures: neo-Nazis, Qanon supporters and hipster filmmakers. But uninhibited and fearless as she is, Lilian always manages to get herself out of oppressive situations.
The Sweet East, the directorial debut of Sean Price Williams who is well known as a cinematographer (Good Time, Marjorie Prime), is an absurd and humorous road movie with enchanting characters, an eclectic soundtrack and bizarre plot twists. The filmmaker creates a world full of cinephilic references and sharp satire, highlighting the absurdities of contemporary America.
In addition to Talia Ryder - who also sang the opening number - the cast includes a host of talented actors including Earl Cave (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear, TV) Jacob Elordi (Priscilla) and Simon Rex (Red Rocket). The film had its world premiere at last year's Cannes Film Festival and subsequently won numerous awards at various international festivals.
