Sweat (2020)
85%RT Audience Score: 72%
Awards & Nominations: 13 wins & 18 nominations
Well-acted and appropriately beautiful, Sweat takes a thoughtful, empathetic look at social media fame.
If you’re looking for a movie that will make you feel better about your own social media habits, Sweat is the one for you. This film takes a deep dive into the life of a fitness influencer and the toll that constant online attention can take on a person. Magdalena Kolesnik gives a standout performance as Sylwia, and director Magnus von Horn does a great job of balancing empathy with a critical eye. Plus, the neon visuals and propulsive pacing make for a really engaging watch. Just don’t be surprised if you feel the urge to delete all your apps afterwards.
Production Company(ies)
Kudos Film and Television, BBC Films, Serendipity Point Films,
Distributor
MUBI
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
Year of Release
2021
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 47m
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Language(s):Polish, English
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Country of origin:Poland, Sweden
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 18, 2021 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 23, 2021
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Magdalena Koleśnik, Julian Swiezewski, Aleksandra Konieczna, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Tomasz Orpinski, Lech Lotocki, directed by Magnus von Horn, written by Magnus von Horn, drama, social media, fitness influencer, pressure, insecurities, lifestyle, MUBI, Polish, Mariusz Włodarski, $7.3K, critic reviews, Shubhra Gupta, Mark Kermode, Kevin Maher, Robert Abele, Simran Hans, Amy Nicholson, Filipe Freitas, Dennis Schwartz, Shikhar Verma, Dennis Harvey, Robin Clifford, Tomatometer, audience score, box office, streaming, limited release, 1h 47m, producer Mariusz Włodarski, MPAA rating, Sylwia Zajac, Klaudiusz, Basia, Fryderyk, Rysiek, Andrzej, aspect ratio, Swedish-Polish film, character portrait, social media users, addiction, fame, endorsements, photo spreads, magazines, empathetic, well-acted, beautiful
Worldwide gross: $11,546
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $12,558
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,137
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,369
US/Canada gross: $11,546
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $12,558
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,815
US/Canada opening weekend: $966
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $1,051
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,858
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Julian Swiezewski – Klaudiusz
Aleksandra Konieczna – Basia
Zbigniew Zamachowski – Fryderyk
Tomasz Orpinski – Rysiek
Lech Lotocki – Andrzej
Director(s)
Magnus von Horn
Writer(s)
Magnus von Horn
Producer(s)
Mariusz Wlodarski
Film Festivals
Cannes
Awards & Nominations
13 wins & 18 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (49) | Rotten (1)
Magnus von Horn directs his Swedish-Polish film with empathy, never letting us judge Sylwia (played with ferocious acuity by Magdalena Kolesnik) and her burning desire for the spotlight.
August 20, 2021
Shubhra Gupta
The Indian Express
TOP CRITIC
Really well-done, a propulsive and neon feeling to it, well worth checking out and I’d love to see it in cinemas.
June 30, 2021
Mark Kermode
Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
TOP CRITIC
The gap between difficult reality and filtered social media fantasy is ruthlessly exposed in this ingenious character portrait from Swedish film-maker Magnus von Horn.
June 28, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Sweat” can at times feel like one of those star-sanctioned documentaries that unwittingly capture more than the subject may have intended to reveal.
June 28, 2021
Robert Abele
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
The film is not a straightforward send-up; it shows compassion for Sylwia and her search for self-definition – for her loneliness and her labour, its drudgery and its physical strain.
June 28, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Simran Hans
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
It’s really great portrait that adds a bit of empathy to social media users.
June 25, 2021
Amy Nicholson
FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
TOP CRITIC
Sweat survives its glossy production varnish due to the emotional stakes of the plot and a confident performance by Kolenik.
March 25, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Filipe Freitas
Always Good Movies
Gives us an intense look at a popular fitness guru without trying to falsely glamorize her.
January 3, 2022 | Rating: B-
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
While von Horn’s film is a wee bit thin and unfocused in what it really wants to convey, this is definitely a deeply unsettling and realistic portrayal of a life that is completely inhibited by being online.
August 1, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Shikhar Verma
High on Films
It’s got its finger firmly on the pulse of something that few other fictive films to date have captured quite so well.
July 23, 2021
Dennis Harvey
48 Hills
The story shows how the dangerous addiction to the social platform can have on those who crave its attention and the fame it can give
July 22, 2021 | Rating: B+
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
Kolesnik never displays an ounce of self-consciousness or shows us the strings. Her performance is perfect.
July 21, 2021
David Bax
Battleship Pretension…
Plot
Without a doubt, young, fresh, and effortlessly sexy Sylwia, a famous social media influencer and motivational fitness guru, is on top of her game. Oozing with energy and optimism, the athletic, obsessively self-promoting blonde messiah of fitness leads entire workout classes to ecstasy and self-acceptance, having managed to amass an army of die-hard followers. However, who can believe that deep-seated sadness resides in Sylwia’s soul? For instance, who knows what Sylwia is doing between her posts, apart from posing for glamorous magazines and promoting her sponsors’ products? And, what happens if one of Sylwia’s fans is interested in much more than learning how to burn stubborn fat?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The lead actress, Magdalena Koleśnik, delivers a “confident performance” in Sweat, according to one critic.
Magnus-von-Horn.jpg
