Sugar

Directors Alexandra Nedved and Eden Ohayon, along with co-writer and lead Molly Ehrenberg-Peters, deliver a tale that attempts to balance a business relationship and a burgeoning friendship in the short film Sugar. Maeve (Molly Ehrenberg-Peters), struggling to make ends meet, arranges her first-ever “date” as a sugar baby with Frank (Larry Pine), a first-time sugar daddy. They meet for dinner on the Upper West Side, where Maeve’s inner monologue reveals her anxious anticipation and self-justification for going through with the evening. Frank seems kind and gentlemanly, even complimenting her appearance, and the two bond over their mutual lack of religious beliefs. Over drinks and awkward small talk, Maeve tries to stay in control, reminding herself this is a business arrangement.

After dinner, they walk back to Frank’s apartment. Maeve reminds herself—this is supposed to be transactional, but the night veers off-script. Frank is hesitant, not quite ready to engage physically, and suggests they smoke some weed instead. As they settle in, a surprising moment of vulnerability and shared emotion arises, tied to an anniversary Frank hasn’t disclosed until now. In this unexpectedly quiet moment, Maeve opens up about her recent breakup, shifting their interaction from surface-level performance to something more raw and human.

“…Maeve tries to stay in control, reminding herself this is a business arrangement.”

Directors Alexandra Nedved and Eden Ohayon, along with co-writer/lead Molly Ehrenberg-Peters, deliver a tale that attempts to balance a business relationship and a burgeoning friendship. It’s easy to see a ‘sugar’ relationship as purely transactional. Sugar tears that notion down and brings the potential for friendship into the mix.

What sets Sugar apart from most short films is its use of a mostly first-person perspective, though not in the traditional sense. When Ehrenberg-Peters and Pine are talking, we are placed in the POV of the listener. By doing this, we see more emotion in the character’s facial expressions. I was most fascinated by how much our guard went up or down.

Sugar challenges expectations by gradually shifting its focus from a financial arrangement to a fleeting yet genuine emotional connection. Through sharp writing and intimate direction, the film explores the complex ways people seek comfort. With its inventive use of first-person perspective, Sugar invites viewers into a disarmingly personal space where both characters reveal more than they intended.