By Justin Nordell
January has traditionally been a dumping ground for studios to release films that they don’t have as much confidence in because it’s simply a month when less people go to the theater. Annually you can see a number of mid grade comedies, action, and horror offerings on the big screen, but all that changed last year with a little robot named M3GAN. Blumhouse’s killer doll film was a cultural and box office phenomena bringing in over $180 million dollars worldwide on a $12 million dollar budget. Yes, there’s a sequel in the works (*fingers crossed it’s named MEG4N), but in the meantime producer Jason Blum has learned that a fun horror film can make serious money in that first weekend release slot of a new year, so opening this weekend is Night Swim.
The Walter family are looking for a new home in the twin cities. Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt & Goldie) was a major league third baseman forcibly retired by a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. His wife Eve (Kerry Condon, Oscar nominated for The Banshees of Inisherin) has gotten an administrative job at a school in the suburbs while she finishes her degree, finally able to take her life off of pause due to the stabilization of her husband’s condition. Their two kids, Izzy (Amélie Hoeferle, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) and Elliot (Gavin Warren, First Man) are used to moving around due to dad’s work and are happy to just settle down somewhere for once. They choose a large home with an in-ground pool, the likes of which they’ve never had before and are all excited to try it out. Turns out the pool dates back to before the house was even built and uses well water from an ancient deep spring known for its curative properties… delightful! Soon after a few swims, Ray begins to feel much better, his MS progressing in reverse somehow, while his family begins to experience strange happenings. Eve could’ve sworn she saw a man on the side of the pool while doing laps, Elliot heard the voice of a girl from the pool filter, and Izzy was dragged down into an alternate dimension beneath the water during a game of Marco Polo. Ray naturally brushes it off because the pool is seemingly curing his MS, so can the rest of his family discover the secret behind the pool before it’s too late?
Based on a short film of the same name (available to watch here), Night Swim should have probably stayed as a short. There are some great moments of tension in the film, but the short’s solid premise was stretched so thin and borrows so heavily from another film franchise that it might as well be called “The Amityville Pool”. Oscar nominee Kerry Condon gives the film an emotional weight it doesn’t deserve by turning in a compelling performance despite the laughable plot. It’s also great to see a film expertly using character actresses Jodi Long and Nancy Lenehan, but it’s Wyatt Russell that more than anything brings down the entire film. His utterly terrible performance (my audience literally laughed at him during multiple emotional moments)… is even more confusing because he himself was a professional sports player (albeit hockey) whose career was cut short due to injuries. HE HAD A WELL OF ACTUAL EXPERIENCE TO DRAW FROM AND STILL CAME UP SHORT. I have yet to see him give a notable performance in anything and Night Swim is just another wince in his filmography.
With mixed performances and little in the way of scares, it’s hard to imagine Night Swim making the same ripple M3GAN did last January. There’s plenty of great films still playing from December so I suggest dipping your toe into one of those theaters… and just watch the short instead.
Grade: D+
In Theaters January 5, 2024
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