Hot Sugar's Cold World (2015): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2015, Hot Sugar's Cold World is a music and documentary film directed by Adam Bhala Lough, running about 87 minutes.

What it’s about. Nick Koenig, aka Hot Sugar, is in a hot mess. Considered a modern-day Mozart, the young electronic musician/producer records sounds from everyday life—from hanging up payphone receivers to Hurricane Sandy rain—and chops, loops and samples them into Grammy Award–nominated beats. He’s living the life every musician dreams of, complete with an internet-phenom girlfriend, rapper/singer “Kitty.” But when she dumps him, Hot Sugar is set adrift. Fleeing to Paris, he tries to regroup, searching for new sounds and a sense of self. Filmmaker Adam Lough mixes scenes of Hot Sugar at work on his vintage recording devices with surprising soul-searching reflections he offers to the camera. As tweets and posts about the broken couple blow up on the internet, Hot Sugar’s road trip presses onward, revealing even more exotic layers of the man and his music. Fun and flash, this lyrical journey offers audiences a fascinating peek into a modern artist’s creative process.

Who’s in it. Hot Sugar's Cold World stars Shelby Fero as Herself, Nick Koenig as Himself, Neil deGrasse Tyson as Himself and Jim Jarmusch as Himself, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.5/10, Hot Sugar's Cold World has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Hot Sugar's Cold World page.

If you liked it. Fans of Hot Sugar's Cold World tend to enjoy Whiplash, Coco, Green Book and The Legend of 1900.