Kicking off the 2024 movie season is Night Swim, the new horror movie from Blumhouse, and it may not be as scary as I would have liked but the story was interesting enough to keep me engaged.
Forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, former baseball player Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) moves into a new house with his wife and two children. He hopes that the backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for himself. However, a dark secret from the home’s past unleashes an evil force that drags the family into the depths of inescapable terror.
Night Swim is an easy watch without having to overthink or have plot convolutions. The film has a decent pace, is pure entertainment, and focuses primarily on just delivering a campfire-type story. For those looking for a simple and quick run time, Night Swim should be well-received.
The majority of horror movies are all about exotic places, or being an idiot and playing with things that we can’t comprehend. That is not the case with this film as the plot centers on a component that is far more believable to to experience and keeps some of the bizarre and ridiculous plot elements out. It manages to bring that uncomfortable feeling to it, which works and helps add a bit of the horror component that audiences like to see.
Blumhouse may not deliver Oscar-worthy performances, but this movie helps reel in the soap opera tactics for more engaging characters to follow. Amélie Hoeferle is great in her role and can deliver solid fear and torture that audiences like in these films. The sister role suits her very well, alongside a struggling teen who has to be strong beyond her years. Gavin Warren is a standout for me. Young, but already in charge of his emotions. He does very well at portraying a teen facing hard knocks and fears that never came off annoying and had the potential to go even deeper if they had invested more time. Kerry Condon was my favorite as her role was well-thought out and she was able to match the tone and magnitude of the moment. Wyatt Russell had some of the more relevant moments, with the ability to help portray the disappointment and struggles of life, and yet also had some funny delivery of lines that had me laughing even when it probably wasn’t meant to be funny.
Night Swim has its moments, but it is very minor in most of the scare tactics, with spookiness diluted to probably two scenes, the horror elements untwisted to be creepy but safe, and the delivery is very corny. This film is perfect for those ages 12 and above to have a fun night out and not be scared for life. The characters have these moments that are attempts to help dial in some life lessons, that may not be completely relevant, but they do hold some merit. It had some heart-heavy components that I found enjoyable and the most story-driven aspect of the movie. The movie felt a bit like a mystery at times, looking to find clues to what lurks in the water of the suburb. The gradual experiences by the family were a nice touch as they used many times of the day to help avoid those safe hours.
Overall, Night Swim as my first movie of the new year wasn’t a total letdown, but the movie didn’t quite deliver on what the trailer promised, as they rarely do. It’s got some good plot elements and some unique flavor that helps add the terror of the swim. But the potential is lost to its PG-13 rating, lots of editing, and certain things that made this movie not quite the thriller I was hoping it would be. Despite all the buildup and attempts to make good characters, the endgame just does little outside of dramatic finishes that, while heartfelt, just felt ruched in the grand scheme of things. However, there were plenty of things that I did enjoy that would make me want to watch it again.
Night Swim is now playing in theaters.
What did you think of the film? Let us know in the comments below
