2025 has been one of the most jam-packed years in recent history for Austin's SXSW. Every night for the past few days, the city's Alamo Drafthouse theater has been filled to the brim with eager film fanatics, hoping to catch a glimpse of all the new, exciting projects the festival has to offer. One of those narrative features that premiered was J. Pinder's comedy, Cotton Candy Bubble Gum, starring Nick Darnell, JadaPaige, R. Marcus Taylor, and viral comedian, Morgan Jay. Shot in less than two weeks on a meager budget of $30,000, Cotton Candy Bubble Gum is the true underdog of SXSW 2025.
Cotton Candy Bubble Gum follows the story of 21 year old Carter, played by Nick Darnell, who is faced with either getting promoted at work by the end of the day or being kicked out by his mother. To acquire this promotion, he has to complete a list of seemingly impossible tasks for his boss, all in the hopes that he won't be homeless by the end of the day.
The film is a labor of love by J. Pinder who directed, produced, wrote, edited, shot, and production designed the film. Cotton Candy Bubble Gum easily has one of the most passionate teams at SXSW this year with producers Cole and Natalie Flores Dabney handing out programs and actual bubblegum to festival goers at other screenings. It was clear even before the premiere that a lot of love and effort went into the film. The camaraderie among the cast and crew last night was palpable, like a makeshift family brought together by their shared faith in an independent project.
Cotton Candy Bubble Gum also marks the feature film debut of comedian, Morgan Jay, who gained popularity for his unique stand-up style where he does observational comedy with an auto-tuned microphone. He brings that same hilarious, chaotic energy to his character, Angel, a social-climbing drug dealer with a tendency to break out into song. The film is largely a comedy with tons of laugh-out-loud moments, but it's balanced perfectly with some particularly heavy scenes that deal with Carter's anxiety and relationship with his mother. Lead actor, Nick Darnell's acting style walks a tightrope between Chris Tucker and Jim Carey, it's hard to take your eyes off him when he's on screen. Other great performances come from JadaPaige, Jack Stone, Ben Scattone, and R. Marcus Taylor who all have extraordinary comedic timing.
The best way I can describe Cotton Candy Bubble Gum is Sorry to Bother You mixed with One of Them Days. The film's impeccable editing style and camera work by J. Pinder will leave you shocked that it was made on a budget under $50,000. It's a comedy that also has a lot of heart behind it and a good message to tell its audience.
Cotton Candy Bubble Gum served as the feature debut for most of the cast including Darnell, Jay, JadaPaige, and Stone and if there's justice in the world, they'll be receiving many more gigs after this gets a wide release.
Cotton Candy Bubble Gum was made on a shoestring budget and largely created by one man, J. Pinder. The movie is a testament to Pinder's passion for filmmaking and what magic can occur when a project finds the right group of people to bring it to life. Be sure not to miss out when it becomes available to watch!
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