Full Breakdown
Sweetie: Indie Psychological Horror Film Concludes Los Angeles Shoot
4/29/2026, 11:08:07 PM
Sweetie Completes Los Angeles Production
Writer-director Robert Lang’s second feature, the psychological horror *Sweetie*, wrapped principal photography in Los Angeles in early April 2026. The film stars Melissa Bergland as Sweetie, with Westly Heart Monroe, Corin Liall Douieb, Milanka Brooks, Frankie J. Mitchell and Aggy K. Adams. Production was handled by Monkeys Wedding Productions in partnership with Marshall Arts Media.
Creative Background: Robert Lang’s Emerging Filmography
Lang’s debut, the 2024 mockumentary *Mind, Body and Soul*, earned a limited theatrical run, VOD release, and an endorsement from the Satanic Temple before Indican Pictures secured North American rights. *Sweetie* continues his focus on genre-blending stories that probe identity and performance.
Timeline of Development
- 2024 – Lang’s debut feature *Mind, Body and Soul* premieres with a limited theatrical run, later moves to VOD and receives a Satanic Temple endorsement.
- Early April 2026 – Principal photography for *Sweetie* concludes in Los Angeles.
Cast and Crew Profile
Melissa Bergland leads as Sweetie, with Westly Heart Monroe as drag queen Choker Darling. The supporting cast includes Corin Liall Douieb, Milanka Brooks, Frankie J. Mitchell and Aggy K. Adams, while the ensemble features Conr Kinman and David Todman among others.
Plot Premise and Thematic Focus
*Sweetie* follows a young woman who moves to Hollywood seeking fame. Amid a citywide serial-killer alert, her experience becomes a shifting dreamscape where performance and identity blur, ending with fame presented as an all-consuming, irreversible transformation.
Industry Context
The film is set in Los Angeles and explores themes of fame and identity. Its inclusion of a drag-queen character adds representation within the horror genre. Production has now concluded.
Official Statements & Responses
Robert Lang, also Deadline’s photo editor and Arts & Culture writer, confirmed *Sweetie* was produced by Monkeys Wedding Productions with Marshall Arts Media. The partnership follows Indican Pictures’ acquisition of his prior film, indicating a distribution pathway.
Verbatim Quotes
- “New Year, New You” — Dread Central tagline
- “ As an LA resident for the last fifteen years, sign me up for anything that explores the dark heart of a city that can be simultaneously magical and seedy as hell.” — Dread Central contributor
- “The film “follows a young woman named Sweetie (Bergland) on a disorienting descent into the heart of Hollywood’s dark promise, driven by a yearning for fame and meaning.” — Dread Central article
- “In the end, fame is offered to her not as a reward but as a total, consuming and irreversible transformation.” — Deadline report
What’s Next
The film has completed principal photography. No public statements have been made regarding distribution or release plans.
