When movies come out in January, there is an inherent idea about the quality of the movie, unless it’s a late release of an Oscar title. These are sometimes unfair assumptions, especially when it comes to horror movies — horror movies specifically because January is usually not filled with the genre and can at least take advantage of the fans hungry for something new. When you have executive producers Jason Blum (Get Out) and James Wan (Malignant), too, there is inherently a fair amount of hope, and stacking it with a well-known cast, the expectations for it to be at least *good* are there, and even if the movie isn’t good, it’ll at least be entertaining. Unfortunately, Bryce McGuire (Unfollowed), who’s making his feature directorial debut with Night Swim, swings for the fences and continuously fouls out.
To learn about Night Swim in a spoiler-free context, head over to Senior Film Critic Hunter Heilman’s initial theatrical review. Moving forward, details may be discussed.
Wyatt Russell as Ray Waller in NIGHT SWIM, written and directed by Bryce McGuire. Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures.
First and foremost, it is important to discuss how great Universal Studios is for their home releases. I know this sentiment is probably going to ruffle some feathers as they seem to try and make consumers double dip by solely releasing a film on Blu-ray and then later releasing a 4K of the same film, but they are consistent in ensuring that their home releases at least have features. Whether they’re long and deep is one conversation, but the fact that they exist is a huge bonus. Four features and a feature commentary track for Night Swim makes this Blu-ray, DVD, and digital home release one that certainly can entice fans or those curious to make the plunge.
While the movie itself falls short of all expectations, there is something there that is intriguing. Ray Waller and Eve Waller, played by Wyatt Russell (Overlord) and Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), respectively, just bought a house with a pool in the backyard which has hardly been maintained. Things start getting weird. Ray does something unthinkable and Eve is told about what happened to the previous family and of the horrors of the pool itself. While any normal family that is not in a film would certainly fill the pool with concrete or never use it, the Wallers decide to not listen to the warnings. Chaos proceeds and they pay the ultimate price. The movie itself is messy, and not in a good way. The story is way too dragged out and doesn’t really get the pay off it wants to, but Condon is the reason to watch this movie with a dash of Russell. They really do try to make the best of their situation in this movie, and Condon, who admits in one of the special features that she’s never really dipped her toes into the genre, gives it her all.
From Lower-Left: Izzy Waller (Amélie Hoeferle), Elliot Waller (Gavin Warren), Kay (Nancy Lenehan), Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) and Eve Waller (Kerry Condon) in NIGHT SWIM, directed by Bryce McGuire. Photo courtesy of Anne Marie Fox/Universal Studios.
The Blu-ray of Night Swim looks great, but, again, it’s a brand new release being upscaled on a 4K player on a 4K TV, there really isn’t a reason why it would not look good. However, if you’re a purist and can only have black cases on your shelf, the inevitable 4K release in a year or two will probably come out. Looking at the features, minus the commentary, there’re about 30 minutes of bonus content which proves to be more engaging than the movie itself. “Masters of Fear,” is a very brief discussion of why Jason Blum and James Wan decided to work together, what drew them to the story, and why they chose Bryce McGuire for the project and his first feature. It also explains why Kerry Condon and Russell Wyatt joined the project. There seems to be a lot between the lines in this feature, which is sure to make a new conversation around Night Swim, for the better or worse in this case. “Demons from the Depths” is the second feature and explains the filmmaking process to an extent with the “creatures” that are featured in the movie. It’s a short seven-minute feature that just focuses on costuming and effects and brings a new appreciation to an often overlooked craft.
Overall, Night Swim manages to barely tread on the water, but the home release helps the audience float long enough before they get dragged down through the drain. The features alone make the background information on the creation of the film a must-watch, giving a new appreciation for the film, even if ones not a fan of the film. The features truly highlight why the cast and crew got involved (whether for good or bad reasoning) and the creation of the creatures and how to craft this world of terror certainly brings enough pool noodles to keep the audience floating for this purchase.
Night Swim Special Features:
- Masters of Fear
- Demons from the Depths
- Into the Deep
- Marco Polo
- Feature Commentary with Co-writer/director Bryce McGuire
Available on digital-to-own March 12th, 2024.
Available on Blu-ray and DVD April 9th, 2024.
For more information, head to Universal Picture’s official Night Swim webpage.
Share this:
Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
Leave a Reply