Night Swim: A Promising Premise That Falls Short

Night Swim, a horror film with a promising premise and a talented cast, fails to live up to expectations due to its reliance on filler and empty scares. Despite its potential, the film lacks the engaging and unsettling elements that would make it a standout horror experience.

Night Swim: A Promising Premise That Falls Short

Night Swim, a horror film with a promising premise and a talented cast, fails to live up to expectations due to its reliance on filler and empty scares. Despite its potential, the film lacks the engaging and unsettling elements that would make it a standout horror experience.

( Credit to: Theaureview )

Starting off with an intriguing pre-main narrative set piece, Night Swim hints at something sinister lurking in the swimming pool at the center of the story. A young girl goes missing in the depths of her backyard pool, revealing a dark secret involving sacrifice.

( Credit to: Theaureview )

However, the film loses its grip on the audience after the captivating opening. It relies too heavily on filler and empty scares, failing to truly engage or unsettle viewers. Despite solid performances from the cast, including Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon, the film falls short.

The Waller Family: A Solid Emotional Foundation

The Waller family, led by Wyatt Russell as Ray Waller and Kerry Condon as his wife Eve, forms the emotional core of Night Swim. Ray, a professional baseball player diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, seeks a fresh start for his family in a new house with a pool. Unbeknownst to them, the pool holds a dark secret.

Initially thrilled with their stable home, the Waller family soon experiences unsettling events. Ray’s water therapy seems to alleviate his MS symptoms, but it becomes apparent that something more sinister is at play in the pool. The children also have their share of unsettling experiences, such as a game of Marco Polo gone wrong.

The Waller family’s journey provides a solid emotional foundation for the story, but unfortunately, Night Swim fails to fully explore its terror potential.

Missed Opportunities: Filler and Empty Scares

At a runtime of 98 minutes, Night Swim had ample opportunity to establish its narrative, build tension, and deliver scares. However, the film feels much longer due to its excessive focus on family drama and its failure to fully explore its terror potential.

The movie lacks the atmospheric jump scares that could have compensated for its lack of explicit gore and violence. Instead, it relies on filler and empty scares that fail to truly engage or unsettle the audience.

Despite the involvement of notable horror talents like Jason Blum and James Wan, Night Swim falls short of its intriguing premise and fails to deliver on its potential.

Conclusion: A Lackluster Horror Experience

Night Swim, despite its promising premise and talented cast, fails to live up to expectations. The film loses its grip on the audience after a captivating opening and relies too heavily on filler and empty scares. The Waller family’s emotional journey provides a solid foundation, but the film falls short in fully exploring its terror potential.

With a lack of atmospheric jump scares and a failure to deliver on its potential, Night Swim ultimately results in a lackluster horror experience.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Night Swim is currently screening in theaters in Australia.