The Voyeurs Proves How Good Sydney Sweeney Is (Despite Being Bad)

Amazon Prime The Voyeurs was released on September 10, 2021, and despite being an arguably bad film, actress Sydney Sweeney shines in her performance as Pippa. Sweeney is a relatively new name in the industry. Many fans know the actress from the hit show Euphoria, where Sweeney embodied the role of the sweet and popular Cassandra “Cassie” Howard. Sweeney also appears in The Handmaid’s Tale, considered a break-out role for the actress, and Sharp Objects. Some fans may even remember Sweeney for the role of Emaline Addario, a passionate and outspoken drama student left searching for identity, in the Netflix show Everything Sucks!, a comedy canceled after the first season.

The psychosexual thriller The Voyeurs focuses on Pippa and Thomas, a couple who have just moved into a lavish apartment in Montreal. After accidentally seeing their neighbors engaging in sexual activity via the window, Pippa and Thomas become enthralled with the neighbor couple and continue to watch the neighbors’ explosive relationship unfold. However, after attempting to intervene undetected into the neighbors’ lives, a cataclysmic chain of events leaves Thomas dead in The Voyeur‘s twist ending.

The Voyeurs reviews are largely mixed, but Sweeney’s performance is a clear highlight. The fact that  Sweeney is able to shine in the role she was given is a true testament to the actress’ skills and further proves that she is a real rising star. Pippa’s likability as a character is thin at best, especially based on Pippa’s choices in the beginning; however, Sweeney makes Pippa likable. The actress handles scenes with a graceful subtlety that lets the audience easily into the character’s frame of mind as Pippa becomes a woman obsessed. Sweeney’s best dramatic moments come from the things that are left unsaid.

At the beginning of The Voyeurs, Sweeney performs a delicate balancing act between being fascinated with the couple while also being unsure of her own actions, with Pippa eventually slipping into blatant voyeurism. The performance rivals some of Sweeney’s best film and television roles: As tragic events unfold, Sweeney follows suit and handles moments of shock and despair with debilitating authenticity. In all of this is the layered subplot of Pippa and Thomas’ dwindling relationship as Pippa battles with the feeling of missing out on her youth due to her career choices. Despite the film being critically unsuccessful, Sweeney’s ability to carry the role is evidence of the actress’ dramatic chops. To be able to conquer awkward dialogue and over-the-top plot twists with astounding truthfulness is no easy feat.    

There is a wide range of roles in Sydney Sweeney’s repertoire, and many of them call for complex and layered emotions. Sweeney had a stint as the complicated Eden Blaine in The Handmaid’s Tale, whose character faced a heartbreaking death. In Sharp Objects, Sweeney played Alice, a troubled teen in the psychiatric ward who meets Camille Preaker (played by Amy Adams). As of late, the actress has also undertaken a role in HBO’s White Lotus. Even in The Voyeurs — which is largely a forgettable film — it’s clear that Sydney Sweeney isn’t going away any time soon, and for very good reason.

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