Ron and Belle have a date night screening of Night Swim!

Cast: Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle, Gavin Warren, Ellie Araiza; Nancy Lenehen; Jodi Long; Preston Galli; Aivan Uttapa; Eddie Martinez; Elijah J. Roberts; Rahnuma Panthaky; Ayazhan Dalabayeva
Writer: Bryce McGuire
Based on: The short film Night Swim by Bryce McGuire and Rod Blackhurst
Director: Bryce McGuire

Belle: One of the things I love about Blumhouse Films is that they are always about the characters, the horror is incidental. If anything the horror is about the exploration of these characters and what makes them tick. That being the case I found the movie enjoyable as it was much more about the family dynamics in play; the horror is just a garnish. I really enjoyed the main theme of the movie: you cannot hold onto the past. You can learn from it, you can remember it, but dwelling in it will destroy you and everyone you care about in the long run. Ron, what was your take on it? 


Ron: I am not the horror aficionado that you are so my perspective is different. I thought that it was a decent film, if it came on television I’d definitely leave it on. However I was never scared, I think I was startled once or twice? I thought the relationships were pretty good though I wasn’t super thrilled about how much the mother was leaning on her daughter, emotionally. I felt the mother used her daughter as an emotional crutch.

Belle: That scene…

Ron: Yes! When the mom, Eve, says, ‘He’s having a rough time’ and the daughter’s response is, ‘You have too’. No, that should be reversed. The dynamic of that relationship I really did not like. It felt like the daughter was being forced to grow up way too soon and I don’t know if that was on purpose or not. I cannot tell if that relationship and other things in the film are a purposeful commentary on how we, as a society, view our daughters or not and that’s honestly my biggest issue with the movie. The theme of letting your past go was clear and well done, the other things were very muddy.

Belle: Agreed, especially with the twist of the last 15 minutes of the film.

Ron: Now, the aspect of the relationships I really liked was that the children were smart and the parents were not dumb.

Belle: Parents being idiots, children being weirdly antagonistic to each other or both, are such tired cliches that I’m pleased that it was not a thing in this film. They actually avoid several cliches regarding kids integrating into a new school and neighborhood. Every child we see in this movie is kind and genuinely sweet and I really appreciated that. 


I loved the scene where Eve comes home after the kids have a… not a fight but a very heated discussion and she takes one look at them and immediately knows some nonsense has gone down. It was hilarious and so real because the look on her face was, ‘I know something just happened and if I wasn’t about to have a house full of people we would be having a conversation but don’t think I’m going to forget!’

Every decent parent has made that face and every child knows that face when they’re on the receiving end of it.

Ron:  It was extremely grounded with real moments amongst the things that are happening in the film. Honestly, my biggest issue is what I mentioned before with the daughter, which combined with the ending, is even more problematic.

When we first see the house there is a family of a different race living there. When what happened to them is called back to later, it’s done in a way that reinforces a very harmful stereotype and that really stood out to me. To the point that I almost wish that the races of everyone had been reversed to avoid it. I appreciate the colorblind casting but when that’s done you have to consider the backgrounds of the folx you cast and integrate that better into the story.


Belle: When we were watching the film I couldn’t figure out what was bothering me about the reveal of what happened to the first family. I just knew it was bugging me on some level. As soon as you said it I knew that was the issue. What’s interesting is, when I looked up the original short, the actress playing Eve is Megalyn Echikunwoke and I think had that casting stayed or someone of a similar racial background was cast? They could have avoided that mess altogether. Not to say Kerry Condon isn’t fantastic, she is, but a bit of thought could have saved them from unfortunate implications.

To be honest the performances save this movie. I know there’s this whole conversation about nepo babies and, frankly, it’s a conversation that needs to be had but I don’t mind a nepo baby that puts in the work and is consistently good. Wyatt Russell, like John David Washington, is consistently good in everything and his range is amazing. I thought the way he handled his character’s arc… well as I said when we were watching it, Eve and Ray reminded me of us. I cannot go into it too much without spoiling it but Russell’s character is suffering from a disease that has upended his entire life. The conversations that this couple have throughout the film hit a bit too close to home for me.

Ron: I agree, one of the things I really appreciated was the writing in the small moments, showing us how much they were struggling with their new normal as well as the moments where they weren’t weighed down by this disease, and we got a glimpse of what they were like before the diagnosis. Those felt very honest and real. I recognized and appreciated those moments from both an artistic point of view but also as someone who has a chronic illness. They were very well executed. I think the parents’ relationship with each other was fantastic. I think the children’s relationship with each other was fantastic, I did not like the parents’ relationship with the kids.


Belle: Yeah, and I think that was the point but, again, it’s not clear. There’s a moment where Ray is supposed to be there for his son, and it’s not on purpose, but he makes it all about him. That moment hurt my heart and I think it’s supposed to, especially with what comes later, however the writing could have been sharper. On the upside, Amélie Hoeferle and Gavin Warren were so good as siblings Izzy and Elliot. The fact that they talked to each other when things started popping off and had each other’s backs was delightful. What did you think of the cinematography?

Ron: I was wondering how many times they were going to use the ‘Jaws’ shot.  For those who don’t know, when Spielberg was filming Jaws he basically invented a new way of filming: the bottom third of the screen was underwater so the audience felt like they were in the water as well. When they did screenings of the film, people were so engrossed in the movie that they were subconsciously pulling their legs up because they were scared the shark was going to get them. In this movie they, surprisingly, used the shot judiciously and to great effect. It was genuinely nerve wracking whenever we did see it because it was used so sparingly. Overall, I thought the look of the film was clean and very clear which isn’t something you often get in horror.

Belle: Actually, I’m going to push back on that. A lot of horror from the 50s – 90s happened in the dark or was filmed in a way that wasn’t very clear. However, one of the things I’ve noticed in this new generation of horror is that a lot of it happens in broad daylight which is, somehow, more disturbing. Midsommer, Nope, Us, Men, hell, the entire Scream franchise, almost all of the awful things that happen are in the middle of an otherwise normal day. That’s what makes it upsetting in my opinion, as it speaks to the apathy we have towards one another, but that’s a discussion for another day.

There are a lot of shots, starting with the intro, that are hiding things in plain sight that your brain will not process at first. I noticed something at the top and, because I am a horror girl, I started actively looking for it and once I did I couldn’t unsee it. The cinematographer did a great job of dropping visual clues throughout the movie if you know what to look for.

Belle and Ron’s final verdict: Overall this movie is saved by fantastic performances but the script could have been tighter and more fleshed out. An additional ten minutes with the first family to live in the house and a bit more thought regarding casting would have made this a true banger.

3 Pool Covers out of 5
Thank you to Blumhouse Films and Allied for the advanced screening.