Tribeca Film Festival 2018: Sweetbitter

The hit novel, Sweetbitter, makes its way to the small screen, premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. Writer Stephanie Danler is a writer and producer on the new Starz series so the feel of the novel translates well.

It’s 2006, and Tess (Ella Purnell) arrives in New York City in her beat-up car with no ambition and nothing but a few trash bags to her name. The only ambition she had was the drive to leave her Midwest home behind for something better.

Needing a way to pay rent, she starts looking for a waiter job and hits the pavement, turning in resumes. When she finally lands one, at a popular upscale restaurant in Manhattan, Tess is thrown into a high-demanding, fast-paced, unrelenting life of serving and partying. Along the way, the people at the restaurant that she meets, learns from, and grows because of range from know-it-all mentor Simone (Caitlin FitzGerald) to bad-boy bartender Jake (Tom Sturridge) to maître d’ Howard (Paul Sparks).

Ella Purnell as Tess

The characters, so far, come to life in Sweetbitter—all except Jake. The mysterious bartender at the heart of Tess’s lusty dreams lacks any sort of chemistry with anyone. He mopes around and hardly shows any emotion. The Jake in the novel was a character that you knew you shouldn’t like, but couldn’t help but gravitate toward. Hopefully, as the remaining episodes air, Tom Sturridge will make Jake a bit livelier. On the other hand, Caitlin FitzGerald perfectly encapsulates aloof Simone and gives her a slight maternal quality (even if it’s wrapped up in a haughty demeanor); Daniyar as Russian immigrant and lively partier Sasha sizzles with energy. Ella Purnell channels Tess incredibly well. She nails her wide-eyed naivete and feelings of loneliness. She, actually, makes me like Tess more than I did in the novel.

Sweetbitter is not just a peek behind the curtain of the restaurant industry or one young woman’s coming-of-age story, it’s also a love letter to New York City. The street scenes and the struggles to survive in the fast-paced city and rewards of surviving have translated from page to screen. The first season is a short six episodes long with each episode clocking in at just under thirty minutes; the first season is only the first two weeks of Tess’s time at the restaurant so we’re eager to see how the rest of the season unfolds.

Tip: Be sure to watch Sweetbitter with some snacks on hand as the meticulously presented and filmed kitchen and restaurant is sure to make your mouth water.

Photo Credit: Starz