Spoonful of Sugar Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Spoonful of Sugar Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 22, 2025

Director Mercedes Bryce Morgan is primarily known for her work in music videos and short films, with “Spoonful of Sugar” her feature-length helming debut, tasked with putting together a psychological scramble of domestic issues and drug experimentation. Her limited experience with the demands of drama is noticeable in the picture, challenged to make sense of a screenplay by Leah Saint Marie, which visits the outer rings of reality via the unreal rules of LSD. Marie digs up something of a “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle” remake with “Spoonful of Sugar,” only here there’s very little participatory room for the audience, who are basically asked to watch Morgan assemble glossy images while Marie arranges a vague sense of concern for the characters. It doesn’t add up to much in the end, often registering as nothing more than bits of ugliness in search of a story.

Rebecca (Kat Foster) and Jacob (Myko Olivier) are parents to young Johnny (Danilo Crovetti), a nonverbal boy struggling with various allergies, preferring to remain in a spacesuit while his mom and dad worry about his health. Into the household comes Millicent (Morgan Saylor), a new nanny eager to interact with the reserved child, but also someone Rebecca has trouble trusting, working through her own insecurities around parenthood, which have poisoned her mind. Millicent is also unwell, growing addicted to LSD doses prescribed by her therapist, helping her to take on the world and remain positive when her reality is filled with darkness. Connecting to Johnny, Millicent begins to realize her ambition of becoming the perfect parent, and she also makes moves on Jacob, working to push Rebecca out of the picture as the unstable mother loses control of her household, with the nanny able to reach her husband and son in ways she can’t.

“Spoonful of Sugar” doesn’t hide Millicent’s instability, establishing her distorted reality in opening scenes, where she views the world with heightened senses, observing riders on public transit. She’s on her way to an interview with Rebecca, who’s introduced as a colder woman of control, defining Johnny’s prison of allergies, maintaining constant view of his activities, but remains unable to reach him in a meaningful way. Millicent is ready for the job, with Rebecca soon off to sell her latest book, leaving the nanny with Johnny and Jacob, who’s introduced as an unsatisfied man with a drinking problem, having trouble remaining in his domestic situation. It’s a viper’s nest of intimacy issues for the couple, with Millicent plopped into the middle of a troubled household, and “Spoonful of Sugar” details such disease, emphasizing sexuality with all characters, though Rebecca remains most potent, fighting to feel something through violent kinks, turning to pain for comfort.

The LSD element of “Spoonful of Sugar” emerges early in the film, with Millicent happy to dose herself whenever possible, giving her a certain superpower to deal with others, including Johnny, a boy she’s trying to connect to. The writing explores this bond in demented ways, including Millicent’s full acceptance of Johnny’s dead rabbit collection, and the nanny, who’s aching to show everyone how good of a mother she can be, turns to dosing the boy’s medicine to have him join her on the psychedelics journey, believing there’s something more than allergies keeping him contained. “Spoonful of Sugar” teases a fascinating study of a mother actively working to deny the reality of her child’s autism, with Rebecca struggling to dominate her boy, to a point where he violently lashes out at her. But such a promising direction for the screenplay doesn’t emerge, as Marie is more obsessed with sexuality than mental illness

Spoonful of Sugar Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.67:1 aspect ratio) presentation supplies a decent look at the cinematographic achievements of "Spoonful of Sugar," which offers a darker, richer examination of frame information. Colors are intact, doing very well with greenery and woodsier views. Costuming provides a clear primaries, along with red blood. Hair color is distinct, and skin tones are natural. Lighting designs deliver a golden glow as well. Detail is strong throughout the viewing experience, picking up on skin particulars and fine hairs. Decorative additions throughout living spaces are easily explored. Exteriors maintain dimension. Delineation is satisfactory, preserving low-light encounters.

Spoonful of Sugar Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix handles dialogue exchanges with ideal clarity, offering balance with argumentative encounters and access to more hushed, emotional moments. Scoring supports with sharp instrumentation. Soundtrack selections preserve vocals. Surrounds do offer some musical moods, but the listening event is mostly frontal. Some atmospherics are appreciable, and spins of unreality contribute brief panning effects. Low-end perks up with heavier beats and stronger violent events. Sound effects are appreciable as the production favors aural points of pressure to reinforce burgeoning insanity.

Spoonful of Sugar Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet contains an essay by B.J. Colangelo.

• Commentary features director Mercedes Bryce Morgan and producers Matt Miller, Natalie Metzger, and Katrina Kudlick.

• Behind the Scenes (200:20, HD) is an incredibly extensive look at the creation of "Spoonful of Sugar." There are no talking heads or rehearsed interviews (aside from a few conversations and celebrations), just a straightforward look at the production in motion as they take over streets and homes to bring the story to life. It's a fly-on-the-wall examination of labor and interactions, watching the crew construct shots and the cast attempt to figure out their performances. Again, there's no salesmanship here, just observation, offering a full understanding of the daily duties involved in moviemaking, especially for a low-budget endeavor such as "Spoonful of Sugar." It's a long sit, but for those interested in seeing how the process works, there's plenty here to enjoy.

• "The Story" (1:57, HD) explores the dramatic ways of "Spoonful of Sugar," featuring interviews with director Mercedes Bryce Morgan and actors Keith Powell, Morgan Saylor, Myko Olivier, and Kat Foster. These are EPK-style chats conduct on-set, with little insight into the filmmaking process.

• "The Horror" (1:06, HD) spotlights the genre pull of "Spoonful of Sugar," featuring interviews with director Mercedes Bryce Morgan and actors Keith Powell, Morgan Saylor, Myko Olivier, and Kat Foster. These are EPK-style chats conduct on-set, with little insight into the filmmaking process.

• And a Teaser Trailer (:33, HD) and a Trailer (1:27, HD) are included.

Spoonful of Sugar Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Spoonful of Sugar" gets bleak, with Millicent's life in a foster care system providing a clue to her behavior, and the nanny makes a play for Jacob, who's also unwell, adding to the sexual abuse atmosphere of the endeavor. There are plenty of horrible encounters in the picture, which looks to generate a macabre level of obsession, sold with decent visuals for a low-budget effort. What the movie lacks is drama, failing to come up with something more than shock value and acts of psychological melt, becoming somewhat random with character behavior. There's little to latch on to in "Spoonful of Sugar," with Millicent's quest for domestic rule handled more interestingly in similar films, while the brain-expanding additions to the writing don't add much flavor to the viewing experience.