This film is another victim of bad reviews and ratings on RT and IMDB ...and my high-brow critics.
I watched "Night Swim" because Stephen King said he loved it and it reminded him of early Spielberg.
It does feel like a Stephen King meets Spielberg kind of story. A little IT, meets Jaws, meets ... the Conjuring.
First thing I loved - it is set pre cell phones. No relying on texts for an easy narrative device or cheap suspense tool.
The Pool. Even before anything "weird" started happening. Pools and kids and unsupervised swimming with suspenseful music? Had me on tender hooks! All the making for "horror".
I enjoy films where everyday/natural situations and settings (such as the pool and a family coping with illness) provide the "horror". Quite aside from adding the Stephen King supernatural element.
The filmography in the pool scenes is very reminiscent of Jaws - almost a homage. Well executed and effective.
Does it "lose its way" like some of the critics say? Somewhat. The message/the monster gets a bit muddied. Is it the extent to which humans will go to "achieve their wish" or regain what they've lost? Is it a comment on our ruthless pursuit of health/wellness at the expense of all else. Or is the monster our fear and helplessness again indiscriminate and incurable disease.
(Or ... *spoiler*-ish ... Is it the horror of what someone might be willing to sacrifice one child for another?)
The story does come together though and the script conveniently repeats the "moral of the story" mantra to us as a "spell-breaker" of sorts. A little on the nose, but oh well.
And yes, the cat and diving board scene - as Spielberg referenced - is pretty spicy.
Overall it was better than I expected. Perhaps my viewing was influenced by Stephen King's recommendation - but if King likes it, it's an opinion I'm happy to allow to sway me.
I watched "Night Swim" because Stephen King said he loved it and it reminded him of early Spielberg.
It does feel like a Stephen King meets Spielberg kind of story. A little IT, meets Jaws, meets ... the Conjuring.
First thing I loved - it is set pre cell phones. No relying on texts for an easy narrative device or cheap suspense tool.
The Pool. Even before anything "weird" started happening. Pools and kids and unsupervised swimming with suspenseful music? Had me on tender hooks! All the making for "horror".
I enjoy films where everyday/natural situations and settings (such as the pool and a family coping with illness) provide the "horror". Quite aside from adding the Stephen King supernatural element.
The filmography in the pool scenes is very reminiscent of Jaws - almost a homage. Well executed and effective.
Does it "lose its way" like some of the critics say? Somewhat. The message/the monster gets a bit muddied. Is it the extent to which humans will go to "achieve their wish" or regain what they've lost? Is it a comment on our ruthless pursuit of health/wellness at the expense of all else. Or is the monster our fear and helplessness again indiscriminate and incurable disease.
(Or ... *spoiler*-ish ... Is it the horror of what someone might be willing to sacrifice one child for another?)
The story does come together though and the script conveniently repeats the "moral of the story" mantra to us as a "spell-breaker" of sorts. A little on the nose, but oh well.
And yes, the cat and diving board scene - as Spielberg referenced - is pretty spicy.
Overall it was better than I expected. Perhaps my viewing was influenced by Stephen King's recommendation - but if King likes it, it's an opinion I'm happy to allow to sway me.