Most people have never even seen or touched hallucinogenic drugs in person, let alone used them. Once they see the upcoming exclusive for Shudder, Spoonful of Sugar, they probably won’t want to try any of them. Spoonful of Sugar is an experimental Shudder film that will come out later this year and is sure to scare fans of the popular horror platform. It will be the next feature film from director Mercedes Bryce Morgan. It was first shown at Fantastic Fest and Cucalorus Film Festival.
Morgan has already directed the thriller Fixation, which comes out in 2022, and a few music videos for the popular EDM artist Marshmello. Since hallucinogens and electronic music go back a long way, it’s hard to imagine a better director for this kind of movie. Since Spoonful of Sugar is coming out in March, along with other big horror movies, there’s no better time to talk about everything we know about it.
Spoonful of Sugar: The Plot
Here’s what the official plot summary from Shudder says.
“Millicent is writing her thesis about children with severe allergies. She is hired to take care of Johnny, a sick, mute child who has allergies to everything. As she learns more about Johnny’s dark family secrets, things start to fall apart.”
If you thought this would be a version of Mary Poppins with a scary theme, you’d be wrong. Even though you can look forward to a violent Winnie-the-Pooh parody that will mock your desire for Disney-themed horror, this story is about something else. In particular, the hallucinogenic drug LSD will be a big part of both scaring people and moving the story along. It is the main focus of the movie’s poster, and the trailer starts with Millicent taking the illegal drug. Throughout the film, visual distortions caused by the drug are often shown. Drugs and scary movies are always a fun mix, and the trailer’s frequent references to lies and things not being what they seem make sense for the story.
Millicent isn’t always telling the whole truth about what she wants to do. She seems nice when she first comes into the house, but her strange attachment to and involvement with the family soon go beyond what a babysitter would do. Johnny’s parents don’t know that she takes the drug, but she still wants to share it with Johnny. She has a sexual relationship with Johnny’s father and seems to take advantage of Johnny’s mother’s absence to join the family as if she belonged there. With drug-induced hallucinations, it looks like this will be one of Shudder’s most interesting thrillers.
Spoonful of Sugar: The Cast
Morgan Saylor will play Millicent, the main character in Spoonful of Sugar. She got her start on stage, but her roles in Homeland on Showtime and Blow the Man Down, an Amazon Original, brought her a lot of attention quickly. It’s also interesting that this isn’t the first time she’s played a role that involved casual drug use. Saylor played Leah, a coke addict who falls in love with one of her dealers, in the 2016 movie White Girl. Yes, cocaine is not the same kind of drug as other drugs. But, like all drugs, how and when they are used changes the way people feel about them. We’ll have to wait and see if her experience as Leah helps her give a good horror performance.
Danilo Crovetti, a child actor on the rise who got his start when the global Coronavirus pandemic started, will play Johnny. So far, his only big roles have been in the Prime Video series Hunters and the movie Spoonful of Sugar. However, the fact that he doesn’t have much experience may be just what’s needed to give a great performance. Crovetti can’t talk, so he will have to use his facial expressions and body language to show how his character feels.
Myko Olivier will play Jacob, Johnny’s father. He was born in California and has had small roles in several TV shows, such as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Castle, Glee, and Miss 2059. Spoonful of Sugar looks like a strange take on the romantic roles he’s played in the past, especially in movies like Finding Love in Mountain View and Love to Paradise.
Kat Foster will play Rebecca, Johnny’s mother. She is another well-known actor who has been in many different roles since 2001. She is best known for her roles in ‘Til Death and Jean-Claude Van Johnson, but she has also been in Weeds, The Unusuals, and she has made a few short appearances on Law & Order.
Release Date
Starting March 2, Spoonful of Sugar will only be available to watch on Shudder.
Everything Else We Know
Vanishing Angle, the company that made Spoonful of Sugar, has worked on a lot of different projects. In the past, they have made a number of horror movies as well as films with a lot of strange visuals. Over the past 10 years, they made the dramas and comedies Werewolves Within, The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Greener Grass, and The Park, which will air in 2023.
