For those with a fear of deep water, a film such as Night Swim, from the combined talents of Blumhouse and James Wan’s Atomic Monster, should have them trembling. Count me as one of those people, as there are few things that shake me up quite like the thought of being stuck in the deep end of the pool, or caught in the ocean tide, or unable to resurface from underwater. While there’s a ton of talent on both sides of the camera, including the acclaimed short film it’s based on, Night Swim‘s scares are modest at best, causing only minor ripples for those looking for a shocking horror fix.
Night Swim begins by preying upon two of our most primal fears: drowning, and the unknown. A curious young child is lured to her backyard pool in a way that would make Pennywise jealous. When the kid meets a sinister fate and is lost, it becomes clear that this swimming pool harbors a lot more than just chlorine, bugs, and fallen leaves.
Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt, and recent Oscar nominee Kerry Condon star as Ray and Eve Waller. Their situation is anything but typical, making them a family that’s a bit more interesting to follow than the genre usually offers. Ray is a former Major League Baseball player with a gifted swing, but forced to quit the game due to a medical diagnosis. Eve, along with their teen daughter Izzy (Amelie Hoeferle) and young son Elliot (Gavin Warren), are supportive of Ray, but also happy to find a new home and set down roots. And what could be better for Ray’s recovery than a therapeutic swim in their own backyard pool? Good thing they’ve found the perfect home that has one! And the realtor, a chatty local with a habit of oversharing, can sell it to them for a steal! It’s not like any kids have gone missing there or anything!
Director and co-writer Bryce McGuire grounds Night Swim with a rich central premise, one built on the idea that nothing good happens for free. The idea of sacrifice is at its core, and when the pool’s waters have a miraculous effect on Ray…well, something terrible must happen in its stead. There’s a lot more with this idea that McGuire could’ve done, however what we get are a lot of really weak jump scares and poorly staged underwater frights. There are few things more viscerally terrifying than being trapped under the water with no hope of finding air, but when it happens here it’s surprisingly ineffective. A haunting game of Marco Polo shows that Night Swim might’ve been better playing more into the psychological frights of the unknown watery depths, but instead it offers just a toe in the water.
Night Swim opens in theaters on January 5th.
