Rachel Fleit attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Sugar Babies” at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Chad Salvador/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)
By Jessica Herndon
Rachel Fleit’s Sugar Babies is a moving documentary that delves into the life of Autumn Johnson, a young woman from rural Louisiana who is determined to defy the limits of her economic circumstances. Faced with few options for work after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her waitressing job and she lost her scholarship at Louisiana Tech University, Johnson takes matters into her own hands by embarking on an online sugar baby operation to help pay for her $5,700-a-quarter college tuition. As a sugar baby, Johnson offers nothing but flirtation, photos, and conversation in exchange for cash from men. In short: she gets the perks without having to give up the sugar.
In a pivotal scene, Johnson makes $300 in just 20 minutes from chatting with her online followers and showing off an outfit. This moment encapsulates the film’s energy: fueled by youthful drive and the unconventional ways some make ends meet in a world that doesn’t always offer a fair shot — especially in Louisiana, where the state-wide hourly minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009.
Sugar Babies, premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary Competition section, tracks Johnson’s efforts to maintain control over her life and finances in an environment where opportunities are scarce, particularly for those who come from low-income backgrounds like herself. “I’d been really interested in what it’s like to be a young woman right now in America, outside of New York or [Los Angeles],” says Fleit following the film’s January 27 premiere, on finding another idea for a film after directing her acclaimed doc Introducing, Selma Blair. “I started looking at social media and I discovered the phenomenon of online sugar babies, and I was like, ‘That is so interesting to me.’ And we found a TikTok that Autumn made and I said, ‘I have to meet her instantly!’”
It’s not hard to understand why when we see Johnson in the film, as she comes across as incredibly charismatic, lively, driven, and as Fleit puts it, “insanely compelling.” Within 10 seconds of their first Zoom call, Fleit was convinced she needed to head to Ruston, Louisiana, to visit Johnson in person. When she got there, she discovered Johnson wasn’t the only 20-something worth highlighting — she was surrounded by interesting young adults, namely her sister, Hailey, best friend, Bonnie, and on-again-off-again boyfriend, Mighty, all of whom also appear in the film.
When Fleit initially contacted Johnson to say she wanted to make a film about her, Johnson thought she was blowing smoke. “I thought it was just a random person scamming me or something,” she says after the Sugar Babies screening, standing beside Fleit. “Then I did get on Zoom and met Rachel, and I loved her too, and when she came [to Ruston] and [saw] me, it was shocking to believe that it was really real.”
Journeying to Utah for the premiere of the doc was the first time Johnson, Hailey, or Mighty had ever traveled outside of Louisiana. “It’s a great feeling to let y’all see how Ruston really is and the struggle we had,” says Mighty. “It’s real emotional.” Adds Hailey, “It’s empowering to watch us all on screen. I think in Louisiana, people don’t stand up and say the problems that we are facing because a lot of times it’s not heard or cared about. So, I’m really excited because I think this film could make a change and can bring more attention to the problem.”
Under the direction of Fleit, known for her nuanced approach to identity and belonging, Sugar Babies presents an intimate, judgment-free portrayal of a young woman’s hustle to make something of herself. Fleit guides viewers through Johnson’s emotional and financial struggles, creating a portrait that is personal and broadly resonant. The film’s candid lens allows us to see beyond the stereotypes of sugar baby culture, offering a grounded exploration of a young woman’s ambition and determination to break free from the constraints of economic challenges and systemic barriers.
Johnson hopes the film encourages people to be less judgmental. “I think the most important thing I believe in is never judge anyone because you don’t know where they come from,” she says. “When you meet someone and you hear how they talk or see how they act, don’t automatically judge [them], because there’s always a reason behind it.”
