‘Sugar Babies’ Review: A Louisiana TikToker Hopes to Flirt Her Way Out of Poverty in a Surface-Level Portrait

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The mindset of constantly being online, often to excessive degrees, provides an unstable resolution to the harsh reality of small-town poverty, as depicted in Rachel Fleit’s documentary “Sugar Babies.” Autumn Johnson, a college student from a working-class background with aspirations and bills to pay, describes herself as a “sugar baby without the sugar.” She uses dating sites and social media platforms to find wealthy men interested in virtual flirtation, whom she then solicits for money through messages and photos, all without ever meeting them in person. This lifestyle is her means of survival, or at least it appears to be. Fleit’s film focuses on Autumn and her friendly circle, but fails to delve deeply into the social and financial implications of the titled phenomenon.

The documentary “Sugar Babies” finds itself in a delicate balance between an intimate exploration of one individual’s life (Autumn) and a broader journalistic perspective. Autumn, who is at once amusing, brash, and disarmingly vulnerable, serves as a poignant symbol for her generation, particularly women, struggling in a state with a stagnant economy where the minimum wage of $7.25/hour hasn’t increased since 2008. Although some might consider her methods to tackle the crisis questionable, she certainly doesn’t lack drive. The film, while acknowledging the complexities involved, tends to be gentle with Autumn and her peers, steering clear of challenging or context-setting questions, instead focusing on their perspectives.

The outcome, much like Autumn herself, is unpredictable and inconsistent, sometimes captivating yet frequently wandering off course. This is a letdown from Fleit, whose 2023 documentary “Bama Rush” was a more vibrant mobile image of Gen-Z femininity, and whose 2021 film “Introducing, Selma Blair” managed to steer clear of the monotonous traps of celebrity biographies. Considering the intriguing theme suggested by its title, “Sugar Babies,” though frequently replaced with more general everyday observations, may secure additional documentary festival slots after its competition premiere at Sundance, but appears too slim and meandering for substantial mainstream attention beyond the festival circuit.

At the start of the 2021 film, Autumn expresses her desire to be able to boast about achieving things, as she dreams of a life beyond the limitations of Ruston, Louisiana. Her ordinary hometown, which she describes as “a place where you can’t make money,” appears more rundown than usual amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and has also cost Autumn her job as a waitress. Despite being the first in her family to attend college, a personal slump has caused her to lose her scholarship. With thousands of dollars needed for fees, she’s found she has an aptitude for flirting with men online and convincing them to pay her for maintaining a virtual relationship. To keep multiple of these online sugar daddies satisfied, she also earns money by charging other young women for TikTok lessons on this specific technique of seduction.

Autumn’s best friend Bonnie, who was pregnant at the time, and her younger sister Hailey joined in on what appeared to be a profitable scheme – though Hailey chose to swindle her iPhone dates by asking for money for photos she wouldn’t send, seemingly without facing any repercussions. Hailey explained their actions by saying, “The only way for women to bring about change is to exploit the men who have wealth and gain control over them, to become wealthy ourselves.

The humorous aspect of this movie’s plotline raises questions that it doesn’t fully explore, as the workings of the sugar-baby arrangement grow murky. We don’t have a clear understanding of the financial gains these women are experiencing (yet they often appear short on funds), the expenses in terms of time and emotional energy they incur, or even how their encounters typically unfold. The movie depicts Autumn’s online activities not through screenshots but through dreamy, selfie-style montages instead. Furthermore, a key detail – that Autumn breaks her rule about meeting clients in person – is presented in a somewhat confusing manner: The lead-up to one such encounter is dramatically shown, yet the outcome remains unclear.

The movie’s four-year timeframe seems strangely vague: While it’s filled with plenty of casual, pleasant scenes of Autumn spending time with her family, friends, and partner Mighty, significant shifts in setting and circumstances are sudden and unannounced. Mighty is a kind, frequently insightful character who sheds light on the social conflicts and divisions in Ruston better than any other character in the film. Autumn’s comment about feeling judged by wealthier white students at college for being “ghetto” or “ratchet” is one of several moments where Fleit chooses not to probe further, opting instead for a less detailed exploration.

As a passionate cinephile, I’ve found myself contemplating the intricate balance in “Sugar Babies.” The sociopolitical context, at times, is presented through abrupt, hard-hitting interjections of factual title cards and news clips about Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards’ unsuccessful attempts to increase the minimum wage. A topic that Autumn herself never directly addresses, yet it profoundly shapes her situation. These sudden shifts to a broader perspective might inadvertently drown out the voices of the young women this film seems so eager to empathize with.

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2025-02-02 01:17