NIGHT SWIM

Yes, this is a film about a spooky swimming pool. 

And director Bryce McGuire should be commended on making a premise like that even somewhat engaging. Because, while Night Swim isn’t going to make waves, it is an enjoyable and atmospheric supernatural horror.

When Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) and his family move into their new home - complete with their very own pool - everything appears to be perfect. As an injured baseball player the water seems to be aiding his recovery to unprecedented levels. His wife Eve (Kerry Condon) begins to make friends with the neighbours, and enjoying the green shoots of happiness she sees in her family, and daughter Izzie (Amélie Hoeferle) joins the swim team and finds a boyfriend who - in the brief scenes we meet him - seems genuinely nice (unusual for the horror genre, I know)

Things seem a little more difficult for son Elliot (Gavin Warren), however after joining his local baseball team things start to look up for him.

It has been said that the best horror films are the ones you don’t want to turn into horror films, and Night Swim does a good job in its early moments of making you care about the Waller family

They are a family you want to succeed and I did have moments where I wished I was watching a sports drama about Ray’s recovery and return to profession baseball.

Alas, this is not to be the case, and from the moment the family begin to dip their toes into the water Night Swim makes it clear that all is not well.

And it does, in these moments, manage to effectively build some atmosphere, with some genuinely creepy scenes. One, which is clearly heavily influenced by Stephen Kings It. Another during a flirty game of Marco Polo. Again, moments which you’d be happy to not see turn into horror.

But while it does manage to build this atmosphere one of Night Swims biggest drawbacks will always be that it never makes the most of it. It builds, then dissipates. Builds, then dissipates.

Because for all of the solid groundwork it puts in, Night Swim is not particularly scary. It didn’t once make me jump or feel uncomfortable. And if I’m saying that - someone who cannot handle horror in the slightest - hardened horror fans will barely feel it touch the sides.

The central mystery of the pool, considering the daftness of the premise, is, however, pretty well done. It is dumb - of course it is, it’s the mystery of the evil pool - but it does work within the context of the film. It is given just about the right amount of seriousness and screen time. Not so much that the plot holes become too glaring, but enough to keep you interested. 

Its resolution feels right.

All of which just serves to make Night Swim all the more frustrating, because it does get an awful lot right. It has characters that you enjoy spending time with, some decent imagery and tone setting, and a mystery that - while lacking in depth - is enough to keep you engaged. But it ultimately fails at what is a horror films most basic requirement.

To scare people. 

It is one of Blumhouses more middling entries. Nowhere near as good as M3GAN, but so much better than Five Nights at Freddies.

If you decide to take the plunge with it, you might have a good time. But don’t expect a legacy which will last for infinity.