Now Reading: Night swim movie review (2024) | Netflix please Stop.
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Night swim movie review (2024) | Netflix please Stop.
Night swim movie review (2024) | Netflix please Stop.
So while scrolling Netflix, wondering what to watch next, I saw that Netflix was aggressively pushing a title under the “recently added” label. Curiosity got me, and guess what? It’s a horror movie. The moment I saw that, my excitement dropped. Night Swim movie was the name — and honestly, I’ve started hating modern horror. Weak stories, overuse of silly jump scares, and those unnecessary gore shots. Mann, come on… bring something fresh to the table!
Let me walk you through this so you don’t waste your time like I did.
Table of Contents
What Is the Night Swim Movie About?
The Night Swim movie is centered around a haunted pool (yes, really). The Waller family, led by former baseball player Ray Waller (played by Wyatt Russell), moves into a new home hoping for a fresh start, especially as Ray battles a medical condition (Multiple Sclerosis). Their new house comes with a backyard pool, which they hope will aid in Ray’s physical therapy.
But here’s the twist — the pool is cursed. The family starts experiencing strange happenings, especially at night. Shadows lurking, voices whispering, and apparitions surfacing from the depths. Sounds scary? Not really. Most of the terror is either predictable or just… not executed well
Cast of Night Swim: Wasted Potential
Let’s be real, the cast of Night Swim had potential. Academy Award nominee Kerry Condon plays Eve Waller, the concerned mother trying to protect her family. Wyatt Russell (yes, son of Kurt Russell) plays Ray Waller. Both are solid actors — but the script gives them little to work with. Their performances are emotionally flat, mostly because the screenplay doesn’t allow their characters to evolve or connect deeply with the audience.
Supporting characters, including the kids and a quirky pool technician, feel like horror stereotypes. No one really stands out, and that’s a shame given the actors’ caliber.
Night Swim Movie: Great Concept, Weak Execution
To be fair, the Night Swim movie had an interesting concept — imagine being afraid to swim at night because your pool has secrets. It draws inspiration from a viral short film of the same name made years ago. Expanding a 3-minute horror short into a 98-minute film, however, clearly didn’t work here.
There’s some creepy cinematography and a few decent visual setups (especially the night swimming pool scenes), but the execution falls flat. The movie doesn’t know what it wants to be — a serious horror film, a supernatural mystery, or a fun campy thrill ride. It ends up being none of them.
A Swimming Pool at Night… But Why?
The movie keeps trying to build lore around the pool. It references a term “Tagami” — supposedly a deep spirit linked to water — and mentions how this cursed pool offers healing powers in exchange for human sacrifices. It’s an idea that could have worked… if developed properly.
But instead of gripping lore or edge-of-your-seat suspense, what we get is a haunted swimming pool at night, poorly explained and never truly threatening. It doesn’t help that most of the “scares” happen during the day — which makes the title feel misleading.
Watch Night Swim… Or Maybe Don’t
There are certain moments where the film tries to generate tension — a Marco Polo scene, an underwater ghostly figure, or a pool party gone wrong — but these are mostly forgettable. Even with occasional creepy visuals, the emotional stakes are so low that you just don’t care.
If you’re looking to watch Night Swim, do yourself a favor: set your expectations very, very low.
Night Swim Should Have Been a Web Series
Here’s a bold take — horror movies like this just don’t work anymore. Night Swim is yet another example of how most modern horror films look and feel the same. But imagine this as a web series, with slow burn episodes, better character development, and time to build tension. Maybe that format could revive this genre.
Until then, we’re stuck with forgettable dumps like this.
Final Verdict
Night Swim movie is generic horror at its most mediocre. A good concept drowned in poor execution. If you’re a die-hard horror fan, maybe you’ll find some charm in its weirdness. But if you’re just browsing Netflix looking for something good this weekend — skip this. This one’s a 1.5/5 from me.
It was originally released in 2014 as a short film, and honestly, it should’ve stayed that way.
If you own a Netflix account, please don’t waste your time on this. Watch something else instead. You deserve better horror.
People Also Ask
Is Night Swim worth watching?
Honestly? No. While the Night Swim movie has an interesting idea, the execution is weak, the pacing slow, and the scares underwhelming. Unless you’re extremely curious, it’s not worth your time.
Where to watch Night Swim?
If you’re still inclined to see it, you can watch Night Swim on Netflix in some regions. It’s also available for digital purchase/rent on platforms like Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Vudu.
What is the creature in Night Swim?
There isn’t one specific “creature” in the movie. Instead, the pool is cursed by a supernatural force called “Tagami,” which is portrayed as a dark spirit tied to the water. The film never gives a concrete explanation or visual, which makes it less impactful.
What is the movie Night Swim about?
The Night Swim movie follows a family that moves into a house with a night swimming pool that possesses mysterious and dark powers. As they begin using it, especially at night, they’re drawn into a supernatural horror linked to sacrifices, healing, and haunting spirits.
Better Weekend Picks
If you’re hunting for something better this weekend, here are a few great horror/thriller alternatives:
- Secret we keep – check here
- Running Point Netflix (2025) – check here
- Revelations (2025) Netflix – check here
- Killer paradox – check here
- Cobra kai – check here
If this review helped you avoid another horror disappointment, consider sharing it. And remember — just because something is trending doesn’t mean it’s worth your time.
Night Swim movie? Nah. Swim away from this one.
