Introduction
Blumhouse’s cost-effective approach has consistently yielded successful results, although not every concept can be a hit. Night Swim, a high-concept horror film that originated from a 2014 short film by Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire, begins with a promising premisea haunted swimming pool. However, it is unfortunate that this expansion marks McGuire’s first attempt at feature writing and directing, as the execution falls short. The quality of the film, like the water in the pool, is far from satisfactory.
In contrast to the brief three-minute film featuring a young woman swimming in her own pool at night, the Waller family has recently moved into a new house that includes an in-ground swimming pool with a mysterious history. This pool serves as excellent physical therapy for Ray, the husband and father, who was forced to retire early from his career as a professional baseball player due to a degenerative illness. Enjoy latest films and Tv shows only on Flixtor without facing any problem.
Surprisingly, Ray’s health experiences a significant improvement, much to the surprise of his wife, Eve, and his doctor. Additionally, their teenage daughter Izzy and younger son Elliot absolutely adore the pool. However, before anyone can utter the words “get out of the water!” or “don’t put your hand in there!” or provide any other instructions to the characters on screen, it becomes evident that there is something seriously amiss with that particular pool.
As a swimmer myself, I have always had an irrational fear of what lies beneath the water. Writer-director McGuire skillfully taps into these fears that lurk in the depths. Right from the start, in a prologue set in 1992, the filmmaker pays homage to Jaws with a drowning scene. The shots from the swimmer’s perspective, taking a breath between each stroke, are impactful.
The moments where the camera is half above the water and half underwater, along with the suspenseful game of Marco Polo between Izzy and her crush, add to the tension. However, the film falls short in filling out the rest of its runtime, feeling like an inferior retelling of a certain 1979 haunted-house classic.
The more the haunted pool’s mythology is explained, the more absurd it becomes, and the rules governing the spirits’ behavior seem inconsistent. How can these waterlogged spirits even tolerate the chlorine? What have they been up to in the drain and the bottomless deep end until someone new arrived.
