The year is still young, and while there are many upcoming movies in 2024 on the way, I think I have my pick for the best worst movie. I skipped out on Night Swim when it was in theaters because of the reviews, but considering I already had a Peacock Premium subscription and it was on there, I decided to give it a shot. I cannot express enough how glad I am that I did, because this movie is iconic for how bizarre and not scary it is.
Back in 2019, I wrote about how Ma was my favorite horror movie for how unintentionally hilarious it is, but Night Swim might dethrone it. There are some decisions in this movie that justify the brutal reviews from critics, including CinemaBlend's Night Swim review, but I have the counterpoint that those same things make this movie a must-watch for anyone looking to laugh and love a movie that wasn't intended to be a comedy.
The Pool-Centric Dialogue Burdens The Movie In The Best Way
The biggest challenge of Night Swim isn't so much in explaining that a swimming pool is haunted, but rather finding a way to incorporate talking about a swimming pool so much in everyday conversation. Even in a movie where bizarre events are happening around this pool, they manage to talk about it a lot.
It seems there's some self-awareness in the movie about this, as there needed to be a reason for the family to keep the pool despite some bizarre events. The reason ends up being that the pool is somehow healing Ray, the father, who was diagnosed with an illness that put his professional baseball career on home. It goes so well that he's able to hit a home run at his son's little league practice that smashes the lights on the field. I highlight this because the scene is so over the top, but in reality, he's a professional athlete smashing the hell out of a slow-pitch ball thrown his way.
The point I'm trying to make is the pool makes Ray better because it leads to what was my favorite line in the movie. Ray and his wife Eve are at the hospital learning about the miraculous turnaround in his illness and his strength returning. While Eve is talking to the doctor about the new diet they started and water therapy, a tearful Wyatt Russell smiles and says, "We have a pool." It takes an emotional scene and brings it right back to the pool in a way that's so hilarious that you just have to laugh.
Meaningless Side Characters Give Stunning Performances
Even the best horror movies are guilty of having memorable side characters who ultimately have little impact on the overall movie. In Night Swim, one of the two people who stick out the most to me is the real estate agent who is invited to their pool party for no apparent reason beyond driving the plot along.
Then there's the pool inspector steals his scene so much it's wild. You have this eccentric pool inspector laying down all sorts of knowledge and stealing the show. It wasn't until afterward that I realized that was actor Ben Sinclair, whose High Maintenance is available to stream with a Max subscription. He takes over his scene like he's the main character, to the point I thought he was going to swoop in and play a major part at the end.
Alas, the pool inspector is never seen again outside that scene. I was genuinely baffled by why he was so prominently featured, but I guess someone needed to lay out the finer points of the mysterious water in the area. Night Swim is a confusing movie for many reasons, but I couldn't help but love just how silly the prominent minor characters were.
The Movie's Plot Falls Apart Toward The End, But It Doesn't Really Matter
I think what's most bizarre about Night Swim is that the last third of the movie essentially unravels the fact that the pool is actually evil. Evil initially contained to a pool manages to travel the town pipes to haunt the original homeowner featured in the beginning of the movie, and then later Ray as he's taking a shower.
Making a horror movie about a pool is a wild premise, but then to throw away that premise and have the evil water just go anywhere it pleases in the final stretch of the movie is outright bonkers. I would wager it could give some a feeling that they wasted their time, and I can't fault anyone who did indeed feel that way when they reached that portion of the movie.
For me, though, it was a jump-the-shark moment I felt could lead to some real opportunity. Sure, the evil water can travel, but that doesn't necessarily make the pool itself evil. This is actually a good thing because now if someone ever decides to make a sequel, there can be a new pool. Hell, there could be a hundred haunted pools as far as I'm concerned!
Director Bryce McGuire did tell EW he had ideas for a sequel, and while we haven't heard anything about Night Swim 2 becoming a reality, I think there's a possibility. The movie hit its targeted debut in the first week, as reported by Variety, so one would wager it turned a nice profit against a budget that is somewhere in the ballpark of $15 million. Perhaps if the movie were to lean further into the ridiculousness of the entire premise, the sequel could be an even bigger success. Who knows, it may even just be a success because people who skipped the first one will be shocked to learn it received a sequel. I know I'd buy a ticket right now if I knew it was happening! Considering how much I enjoyed the first movie, I wouldn't want to miss a follow-up in theaters.
I can continue to hope for a sequel, while those interested in watching Night Swim can check it out right now on Peacock. I would highly encourage anyone who read through this, but hasn't checked it out yet to do so, because they won't be disappointed if they go in with the right attitude.
