A coming of age tale featuring an indigenous teenager being sent on a photography-based therapeutic bus tour of remote Wester Australia, “Sweet As” has plenty to recommend itself. The cast is solid, with special mention needed of Shantae Cowan-Brown in the lead role and Carlos Sanson, Jr. as the photographer-leader. The story solidly tackles the film’s core themes of indigenous cyclic family toxicity, the traditional rite of passage,, and the healing power of creativity. The scenery intoxicates. But highlights are few. The plot is predictable, none of the actors shines out with intensity, and the cinematography, while neanced, sometimes fails to show the land’s true grandeur. This is a time for watching indigenous Australian films, and Sweet As can be recommended as a solid piece of entertainment, but one can’t help but wish for more.
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