Ah, the swimming pool. It is a bonus for any homeowner to possess for their friends and families, and a place that is synonymous with the hot summertime to cool off when the local humidity bears too much for the skin. Indeed, some pool care is technically a desideratum unless you want to deal with off-putting water saturated with bugs and muck when the summer season dawns. But it is a setting that habitually needs some room for concern, as monitoring young ones is essential for ensuring they can tread the waters carefully. Director Bryce McGuire recognizes the dangers of the pool area but decidedly endeavors to invoke some entrancing supernatural mythology in his work Night Swim (adapted from his short film of the same name from ten years prior).
The result is, well, about as nonsensical as it gets. Taking a step back, a contained concept with the aquatic environment does have some serious potential to captivate audiences. However, it doesn’t have the foreboding and unsettling design of many other works replicating the same formula. Night Swim is to the pool as Jaws is to the ocean. The latter works in an awe-inspiring fashion because it frames its greatest weapon by navigating the unknown depths of the sea with a killer shark on the loose. Spielberg grasped the element of terror by letting the technicality enhance the experience. Here, it’s fleetingly glimpsed supernatural bogus that looks like someone took a detour to the closest Halloween store.
Plot-wise, the feature starts with a light prologue in 1992, showing an unfortunate end for a little girl trying to capture her brother’s boat from the “infamous” swimming pool. Cutting to the present day, we’re with the Waller family, who become the new homeowners, including said demented swimming pool (a levelheaded real estate agent would disclose past tragedies at a property, guys, come on!). Ray (Wyatt Russell) is a former baseball player whose career was cut by multiple sclerosis and wishes to do more for his wife Eve (Kerry Condon) and two kids, Izzy (Amelie Hoeferle) and Elliot (Gavin Warren). We can give Mr. McGuire props here for recognizing the family dynamic and allowing them to elevate the material with a muted sense of realism. Russell keeps a relaxed appeal, Condon becomes the savvy heroine for the family, and Hoeferle and Warren keep a natural chemistry as siblings.
Moving back to the plot, some discernible disturbing events confront each family member in the pool setting, even though the intelligent decision would’ve been to replace it altogether or bury it to prevent another’s usage. Without spoilers, there are some moments you can predict the production team tries to unnerve us with, as we have the main drain, skimmer, jump board, and lights to toggle with whenever something is kicked up.
But perhaps the significant knock against this feature is it regresses into customary methodical tropes we’ve seen in an abundance of haunted house/slasher features. We’re testing the waters (literally and figuratively) before reaching a third act that would even have M. Night Shyamalan shaking his head. All this paranormal activity for 98 minutes is not conducive and entertaining enough to withstand.
If you want a horror film that delights in the supernatural, try The Shining or The Amityville Horror. Want something petrifying in the water? Jaws will keep you at bay.
Night Swim wades into the shallow end of storytelling, and when it comes time for next summer, no one will think twice about jumping back into the swimming pool after witnessing this.
