Night Swim, a chilling movie produced by Blumhouse Studios and directed by Bryce McGuire was released on January 5th, 2024. This frightening movie is based on the original 2014 short film with the same name and director. The premise of both films is the same: there is something in the pool water, altering the mind of whoever gets struck by its insidious power. This movie features actors Wyatt Russel, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle, and Gavin Warren as the Waller family.
The Waller family decided to move into their new home in Minnesota with a nice swimming pool. Ray Waller, the father and a former baseball player for the New York Mets, is now retired due to having multiple sclerosis and needs physical therapy. He takes on swimming as his new hobby, which drastically improves his physical condition.
The Wallers are living happily, and decide to have a pool party but during the party, the father snaps and is possessed by the water. The rest of the movie unravels when Eve, Ray’s wife, tries to figure out what is wrong with her husband and finds out from a neighbor that the previous owner of the house was Kay Summers. She had a daughter named Rebecca Summers who went missing several years ago. Eve tries to locate Kay Summers to find answers to what happened to her husband.
It is later revealed that the pool water was connected to a magic spring that would bring you your greatest desire but had terrible consequences. Now feeling extremely worried about her husband, she goes back home and finds him at his worst. The ending plays out at a well-timed pace, and viewers enjoy the palpable tension in the theater, despite the family having such an evocative, daunting lifestyle.
Overall, this movie had a well-thought-out plot and compelling actors that brought the movie to life, surging fear into the movie watchers. Each character is uniquely affected by the pool and left pensive and afraid. The jump scares and music exclusivity with various high-pitched ear-splitting instruments used shaped this film’s horror demeanor, with bloody scenes and dark aspects.
The husband’s multiple sclerosis returns several times, elevating the effect that the pool specifically has on him, raising curiosity in the viewers and wondering why only they have this sort of connection. His rage increases throughout the movie, altering the ambiance of the family’s home and their perception of him. The usage of the pool enhanced the terror of the movie, with quick jump cuts from a dreadful scene to an upbeat, sunny daytime scene.
I certainly won’t be diving in suspicious pools anytime soon!