Sugar Daddy is a visually stunning story about Darren and her pursuit of passion. It flows through the runtime with the slow burn and Kelly McCormack gives out a very innovative performance.
Sugar Daddy Movie Plot
Sugar Daddy is about Darren, a struggling musician, who tries to pursue her passion by earning through a dating site for sugar daddies. It is a story which is depicted and honed through its music and visual metaphors.
Sugar Daddy Movie Cast
- Kelly McCormack as Darren
- Colm Feore as Gordon
- Amanda Brugel as Nancy
- Ishan Davé as Peter
Sugar Daddy Movie Review
Sugar Daddy creates visual immersion like no other movie. Its impressive how well shot and good looking this movie is that it even overshadows the flaws I had with the movie, specifically its climax. Sugar Daddy revolves around an aspiring musician whose success is only limited to lack of funds and the uniqueness of her work. “What type of music do you make?”, this question often leaves her in a glaring confusion, as her music can’t be defined, it can just be felt. Just like the themes of this movie are more about the depth of visual appeal and feeling than they are of an actual struggle.
Darren (played by Kelly McCormack) is a talented musician, who has moved out of her home in order to pursue this passion of hers, but she is caught up in the hard struggles of paying bills and earning. From one job to another, she keeps stumbling, only to devote whatever little time she gets to produce music. However, her life takes a turn as she discovers an online dating service which pairs rich old men with young girls for a casual date. Her interest piques as she learns that this job doesn’t necessarily involve any difficult work and it comes off as easy money to her. So without batting an eye, she signs up for this service and meets Gordon (Played by Colm Feore). Gordon is an extremely rich and suave guy who has his way with words and emanates a rich sophistication which isn’t confined to the classic ego issues. He is free in conversing with Darren, and tries to make her feel good about what she is doing at every point. The story isn’t about their dating primarily as it tries to focus on the music Darren creates and how that music evolves when Darren changes and her relationships with people around her change.
Sugar Daddy Movie: A Stunning piece
The visual appeal of Sugar Daddy is easily the thing which stands out. It is so atmospheric and often monochromatic in describing the moods that the character is going through. The shots feel vivid and mostly claustrophobic. It is pretty evident how the cinematography tells the story in this movie. The camera is hooked on Darren, especially when she is going through some of the lowest points in her life. It makes you feel like you are stuck in this endless loop of struggling with her. The spiral isn’t just financial and focuses deeply on the mental built up of Darren. She has her opinions and the screenplay doesn’t suggest that every decision she takes is right. She is a protagonist, but her youthfulness brings an immaturity in everything she does. Even her music is defined by her circumstances, and by the music, Sugar Daddy tries to tell a thought-provoking story of a unique artist.
Kelly McCormack’s performance felt really profound, and she never tries to go over the top with her role. Even in the outbursts, her performance feels contained and her range of expressions carry a varied depth. There were scenes which carried a projection of how she sees herself in her music. A dark room with dim, warm lights and her body which moves to the rhythms on the glass floor. She is flexible, both literally and figuratively. There are certain conversations in the movie, especially the party conversation where everyone has a heated debate about the righteousness of doing the job Darren does. The dialogue and the screenplay really shined in these scenes and brought out a lot of character from the most inconsequential of characters.
Sugar Daddy Movie: Story Interpreted by Music
The main issue I had with this movie revolved around its climax. The slow burn pacing of the movie becomes even slower as we near the climax. It suddenly becomes about an introspection and we see a brief glimpse into her relationship with her father. I was of mixed opinions about this because her father and her relationship with him is hardly ever brought up in the movie. But at the same time, I feel like it was a conscious decision from the beginning, considering how she went on this platform of older men looking for a good time. In a way Gordon filled the gap of the daughter with Darren and Darren filled the gap of a father with Gordon. But the climax feels muddled and lost in inconclusiveness to form any rigid opinion around it. It felt like the certain amount of clarity that I possessed about the character was snatched from me by the end and hence my opinions fell just limited.
Sugar Daddy is most definitely unique and based around one unique character. It is a plot about struggles, validation and art which is boosted by its gorgeous looks and feel. Kelly McCormack is beautifully vibrant in her role and despite a few pacing issues, I really enjoyed this movie.
Sugar Daddy Movie Critical Reception
Sugar Daddy has a Metascore of 77 with Generally favorable reviews based on 4 Critic Reviews.
The Movie Culture Synopsis
Sugar Daddy is a really innovative story, which is based around music and visuals. It packs a strong performance by McCormack and ends on a peculiar yet thought provoking note.
