Parents and teachers in a small New England town are in a panic over kids playing Sweet Relief, an online murder challenge in which the player must nominate someone they’d like to see die. Three teenagers play the game as a joke, unaware of the dire consequences awaiting them.
Meanwhile, Jess and Nathan are a bored, millennial couple struggling to get by. Nathan is annoyed with his mother, and Jess is annoyed with Nathan. Jess’ curiosity and boredom lead to a dangerous situation of her own, when she meets Gerald, a confidential police informant and perhaps, a sadistic child killer.
What starts out as a slow burn gains momentum as seemingly unrelated characters and storylines begin to interweave until the shocking, explosive climax in this arthouse thriller.
SWEET RELIEF was written and directed by up and coming filmmaker Nick Verdi. The film stars Alisa Leigh, B.R. Yeager, Adam Michael Kozack, Lucie Rosenfeld, Jocelyn Lopez, Catie DuPont and Paul Lazar in a standout performance as Mr. McDaniel. It was executive produced by Elliot Gipson. The film has had a successful festival run and has screened at Chattanooga Film Festival, Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival (PUFF), Another Hole in the Head, and Sale Horror Fest, among others.
SWEET RELIEF has a running time of 87 minutes and will be distributed as the first feature film from new label, Art Brut Films. Tribeca Award-Winning producer Elliot Gipson (Charliebird) launched Art Brut Films in 2023 to develop, produce, distribute and sell truly independent cinema.
SWEET RELIEF will have a one week theatrical one at Laemmle Encino Town Center and will be available on premium VOD exclusively on Eventive, before a wider VOD release later in the year.
